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.

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Question reference: S6W-38856

Asked by: Bob Doris, MSP for Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 June 2025
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Gillian Martin on 19 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to lay regulations setting carbon budgets in order to set an emissions trajectory to 2045.

I am pleased to confirm that we have now laid the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 (Scottish Carbon Budgets) Amendment Regulations 2025 in Parliament.

The proposed regulations, if approved by the Scottish Parliament, will amend the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 to set an emissions reduction trajectory through a carbon budget framework for the five year periods between 2026 and 2045.

The levels of proposed carbon budgets mirror the advice on targets from the independent Climate Change Committee, and will provide a pathway for Scotland to achieve net zero by 2045.

Question reference: S6O-04847

Asked by: Bob Doris, MSP for Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 June 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether Police Scotland and other public bodies have appropriate powers to tackle the misuse of off-road vehicles and promote community safety.

Question reference: S6W-38635

Asked by: Bob Doris, MSP for Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 June 2025
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 12 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish its Renewed Policy Statement on achieving car use reduction in Scotland.

I can announce that our Renewed Policy Statement on reducing car use in Scotland that has been developed jointly with COSLA has been published today, 12 June 2025 and is available at: https://www.transport.gov.scot/publication/achieving-car-use-reduction-in-scotland-a-renewed-policy-statement/.

The statement acknowledges that car use remains the largest contributor to transport greenhouse gas emissions in Scotland and we must reduce those emissions to support our just transition to net zero by 2045. We remain committed to reducing people’s car use, alongside our transition to electric vehicles, to reduce emissions and realise wider societal benefits.

The renewed policy statement reiterates our commitment to reducing car use in Scotland. It recognises the high level of car dependency in many parts of Scotland particularly mainland rural and island areas, and that car use will remain a transport need for many people. Our Programme for Government committed to working with COSLA and regional transport partnerships to develop delivery plans for car use reduction, reflective of different communities and places. Achieving car use reduction requires incentives and the current budget provides over £2 billion for sustainable transport, including providing up to 2.3 million people in Scotland with access to free bus travel. The policy statement also outlines the need to disincentivise motoring, for example through enabling discretionary local road user charging powers for local councils should they wish to use these, and undertaking a regulatory check of existing powers. We will also continue to press the UK Government to address how motoring taxation can support the greater uptake of EV cars, car use reduction generally and work with the 4 nations as how this can be achieved.

Question reference: S6W-37707

Asked by: Bob Doris, MSP for Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 16 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 29 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the protection of wild peregrines in Scotland, whether it will make representations to the UK Government Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs ahead of the 2026 peregrine breeding season to request that only transaction specific certificates are issued for peregrines declared as captive bred in Scotland, in order to increase the accountability of those keeping and trading these birds.

With regards to the protection of wild peregrines in Scotland, the Scottish Government does not intend to make representations ahead of the 2026 peregrine breeding season to the UK Government Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs to request that transaction specific certificates are issued for peregrine declared as captive bred in Scotland.

The requirement to issue Transaction Specific Certificates (TSC) for peregrine would not improve the accountability of a captive bred peregrine being purchased should that bird not be used commercially again.

A TSC would only improve accountability, where, following a transaction, it would require a new application by the new keeper and allow for a chain of custody to be formed in instances where the specimen has been utilised for commercial purposes across different keepers.

If an Article 10 certificate is issued as an Specimen Specific Certificate (SSC) then the certificate travels with the bird and a new keeper would not need to obtain a new certificate for the bird. Registration of any wild and unsourced bird is still required.

Section 7 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 Act provides that any person who possesses or controls any bird from a species listed in Schedule 4 must register the bird with the Scottish Ministers, and identify the bird with a ring or mark. Section 7 and Schedule 4 are commonly known as the bird registration scheme. The purpose of the bird registration scheme is to provide a mechanism to help deter illegal take from the wild of birds whose populations are threatened.

Regulation 5 and the schedule of the Wildlife and Countryside (Registration and Ringing of Certain Captive Birds) (Scotland) Regulations 2009 provides that the bird registration scheme also applies to peregrine falcon and merlin if they are not already registered through the Convention on the Control in Trade of Endangered Species (CITES). It is an offence to fail to register or ring/mark a bird if required to do so.

Question reference: S6O-04648

Asked by: Bob Doris, MSP for Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 May 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 14 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how the justice system aims to support women who experience financial and economic abuse from a partner.

Question reference: S6O-04591

Asked by: Bob Doris, MSP for Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 April 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the potential impact on Scotland’s public finances as a result of the UK Government increasing employer national insurance contributions.

Question reference: S6O-04368

Asked by: Bob Doris, MSP for Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 February 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many new-build social and mid-market rental properties have been delivered in the Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn constituency in the last 10 years.

Question reference: S6O-04324

Asked by: Bob Doris, MSP for Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 February 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on using the blood spot test given to newborn babies to screen for spinal muscular atrophy to support early diagnosis and effective treatment of babies born with the condition.

Question reference: S6O-04292

Asked by: Bob Doris, MSP for Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 January 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider reviewing the planning guidance provided to local authorities relating to issuing a call for ideas/sites when undertaking their statutory requirement to prepare a 10-year local development plan.

Question reference: S6O-04280

Asked by: Bob Doris, MSP for Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 January 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how schools promote an understanding of, and respect for, religious diversity.