Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

Filter your results Hide all filters

Displaying 2061 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S7W-00167

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 May 2026
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 2 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Scottish National Party’s 2026 manifesto commitment to enact a statutory price cap on essential food items in shops, what the administrative and cost implications will be for those tasked with enforcing the proposal.

Question reference: S7W-00163

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 May 2026
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 2 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Scottish National Party’s 2026 manifesto commitment to enact a statutory price cap on essential food items in shops, whether the proposal is compatible with the Scottish Government’s Retail Industry Leadership Group’s vision to make Scotland the best place in the UK to grow a retail business.

Question reference: S7W-00071

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 18 May 2026
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 2 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the pledge in the Scottish National Party's 2026 manifesto to enact a statutory price cap on essential food items, what comparative assessment it has made of the expansion of its Best Start Foods programme or similar welfare payments and the introducing a statutory cap.

Helping people with the cost of living is a top priority of this government.

While undertaking this work the Scottish Government will continue to support policies and initiatives that aim to alleviate cost-of-living pressures faced by households including Best Start Foods, which aims to tackle the impacts of child poverty by improving access to healthy foods and milk for eligible families on a low income.

Best Start Foods provides pregnant women and families with children under the age of three, who receive certain benefits, with a minimum of £5.60 a week via a pre-paid card to buy healthy foods. The payment then doubles from birth until a child turns one to support breastfeeding mothers or help with the costs of providing first infant formula milk.

Best Start Foods is a payment that can help households buy healthy foods like milk or fruit during pregnancy and when your child is under 3.

Question reference: S7W-00069

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 18 May 2026
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 2 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the pledge in the Scottish National Party's 2026 manifesto to enact a statutory price cap on essential food items, what assessment it has made of the consistency of any additional administrative implications for stores and shopworkers arising from such a policy with the New Deal for Business Implementation Plan's objective of regulatory simplification.

Question reference: S7W-00064

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 18 May 2026
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 2 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the pledge in the Scottish National Party's 2026 manifesto to enact a statutory price cap on essential food items, what assessment it has made of any implications for the level of support from food businesses for the Food Standards Scotland's SAFER programme.

Question reference: S7W-00162

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 May 2026
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 2 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Scottish National Party’s 2026 manifesto commitment to enact a statutory price cap on essential food items in shops, whether it has estimated the level of additional retail sales that would be required by retailers to offset the cost of the proposal.

Question reference: S7W-00165

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 May 2026
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 2 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Scottish National Party’s 2026 manifesto commitment to enact a statutory price cap on essential food items in shops, what discussions it has had with Public Health Scotland about the possible introduction of the proposal.

Question reference: S7W-00166

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 May 2026
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 2 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Scottish National Party’s 2026 manifesto commitment to enact a statutory price cap on essential food items in shops, what discussions it has had with Scotland’s Improvement Districts about the possible introduction of the proposal.

Question reference: S7W-00094

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 18 May 2026
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 2 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the pledge in the Scottish National Party's 2026 manifesto to enact a statutory price cap on essential food items, what assessment it has made of any impact of such a policy on retail stores in more rural areas where there are fewer options for shoppers and where the cost of operating is reportedly higher.

Question reference: S7W-00066

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 18 May 2026
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 2 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the pledge in the Scottish National Party's 2026 manifesto to enact a statutory price cap on essential food items, when it expects the cap would come into effect.