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: S7W-02463

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Hannah Mary Goodlad on 8 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding action taken under the general anti-avoidance rule that was established by the Revenue Scotland and Tax Powers Act 2014, (a) how many times Revenue Scotland has taken action, (b) how many schemes have been challenged (i) successfully and (ii) unsuccessfully, and (c) what the total value of the schemes has been.

Question reference: S7W-02303

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 2 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made towards the establishment of the Gaza Student Scholarship.

The Scottish Government is deeply concerned about the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and the impact it is having on civilians.

We recognise the appalling circumstances many Gazan students are experiencing, including those who have secured university places in the UK but face significant barriers in taking them up.

In academic year 2025-26, the Gaza Student Support Scheme enabled 27 students on fully funded scholarships to access their studies at Scottish universities. Keeping this vital route open gives students from Gaza a path to safety, stability and the chance to fulfil their potential. The Scottish Government has consistently pushed the UK Government to continue this scheme and we welcome the recent announcement that the scheme will continue into 2026-27.

Building on this support, the Scottish Government has pledged to work with Universities of Sanctuary to explore how we can further support students from Gaza, including through the development of a postgraduate Scottish Gaza Scholarship Programme. Further detail will be set out to Parliament as this work progresses.

Question reference: S7W-02829

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 September 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 16 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has received any Barnett consequential funding as a result of the UK Government's introduction of a local news fund.

Question reference: S7W-02231

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 03 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 1 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to establishing a local news fund to provide financial support for local, independent and hyperlocal news publishers.

Question reference: S7W-02230

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 03 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 1 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether any funding received as a consequence of the UK Government’s Local News Fund will be allocated to support local journalism, public interest reporting and community news provision in Scotland.

Question reference: S7O-00148

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 August 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support the development of affordable housing in island communities.

Question reference: S7W-02261

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 26 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding its proposed mandatory price cap on essential food items, what its response is to the reported concern raised by the Scottish Retail Consortium that a food price cap policy in Hungary led to shortages of some food products, an increase in abuse towards shop workers and food domestically produced losing out to imports.

The Scottish Government is aware of concerns raised regarding the operation of food price controls in other countries. International experience demonstrates that different approaches can have different impacts, depending on the detailed design of the scheme and wider market conditions.

That is why we are engaging constructively with all relevant stakeholders to support considered and informed discussion on this. We intend to consult on draft proposals before any final decisions are taken. The consultation will seek views and evidence from consumers, retailers, producers and other stakeholders on the potential benefits, risks and unintended consequences of any food price cap scheme including impacts on product availability, supply chains and implementation.

Question reference: S7W-02260

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 24 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to a targeted approach to alleviating cost of living pressures, including the enhancement of the Best Start Foods and Scottish Welfare Fund schemes or the introduction of shopping vouchers, similar to those implemented by Glasgow City Council in 2022.

The Scottish Government recognises the continuing pressure that cost-of-living challenges place on low-income households and is allocating around £3.5 billion in 2026-27 to policies that tackle poverty and support household incomes. This includes investment in a range of targeted measures, such as Best Start Foods and the Scottish Welfare Fund.

As part of our work towards ending the need for food banks in Scotland, we invested over £1.5 million in a three-year Cash-First Programme, which concluded on 31 March 2026, to provide funding and practical assistance to eight area-based Partnerships to improve urgent access to cash in a crisis alongside wider support. An interim evaluation of the Programme was published July 2025 and the final evaluation will be published shortly.

To alleviate the cost of living, we are also taking forward plans to introduce a cap on the price of essential food items to ensure supermarket prices are affordable, expanding support for childcare to all children from nine-months to the end of primary school by the end of this Parliament, and introducing a £2 nationwide cap on bus fares to lower the cost of people’s commute.

Question reference: S7W-02232

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 03 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Alison Thewliss on 20 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how many people in the NHS Orkney area currently have (a) sight loss and (b) severe sight loss.

The number of people recorded as sight or severely sight impaired is held by individual local authorities and/or agents acting on their behalf in line with the Certificate of Visual Impairment (CVI) process.

In order to be registered as sight impaired or severely sight impaired, patients over the age of 16 must first be assessed and certified by an ophthalmologist to determine their level of sight impairment. Once assessed, the ophthalmologist will complete a CVI form and, with the patient's permission, send this to the local authority who maintain registration. Patients with a visual impairment under the age of 16 are not registered and are instead managed through the Visual Impairment Network for Children and Young People (VINCYP).

As the question relates to the number of patients who have gone through the certification process with NHS Orkney and agreed to be registered as sight impaired or severely sight impaired with Orkney Council, this is a matter for those bodies. The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.

Question reference: S7W-02128

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Hannah Mary Goodlad on 20 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the rate of interest that it anticipates to pay on the forthcoming Scottish Government bond programme compared with borrowing through the National Loans Fund.