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-02140

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 17 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether the principal objective of issuing bonds under the Scottish Government bond programme is to reduce borrowing costs, diversify funding sources or establish the institutional infrastructure that would be required for an independent Scottish state.

Question reference: S7W-02137

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 17 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what financial advantages it considers the issuance of bonds under the Scottish Government bond programme will deliver without an increase in the total amount it is able to borrow under the Fiscal Framework.

Question reference: S7W-02132

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 17 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has undertaken a value-for-money assessment of issuing bonds under the Scottish Government bond programme, and whether it will publish the assessment.

Question reference: S7W-02133

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 17 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has established a maximum acceptable spread over comparable UK gilt yields when determining whether to proceed with an issuance under the Scottish Government bond programme.

Question reference: S7W-02134

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 17 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of the annual costs of maintaining a Scottish Government bond programme, including investor engagement, reporting and compliance.

Question reference: S7W-02135

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 17 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what advice it has received regarding any potential impact of constitutional uncertainty on investor appetite for bonds issued under the Scottish Government bond programme.

Question reference: S7W-02142

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 17 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what it anticipates the final maturity date will be for bonds issued under its forthcoming Scottish Government bond programme.

Question reference: S7W-02131

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 17 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what criteria it will use to determine whether market conditions are sufficiently favourable to proceed with an issuance under the Scottish Government bond programme, and under what circumstances ministers would decide not to proceed with a bond issuance where market pricing is considered unfavourable.

The Scottish Government is working closely with its appointed bookrunners to assess market conditions and achieve the most favourable terms available.

Releasing information on the criteria underpinning a potential bond issuance prior to execution could prejudice the Government's position in the market. Such disclosure may shape investor expectations, constrain pricing flexibility and adversely affect the terms on which borrowing can be secured. To do so before a transaction has taken place could therefore risk higher costs to the taxpayer and poorer value for money.

Question reference: S7W-02463

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 August 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 10 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-02099

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 13 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the commitment in the 2026 Scottish National Party manifesto to enact a statutory price cap on essential food items, what consideration it has given to expanding its Scottish Welfare Fund programme rather than introducing a statutory price cap.

The Scottish Government is responding to ongoing cost of living pressures being felt by households acros , and we are working towards a consultation on the price cap on essential food items within 100 days of this Government.

We continue to invest in free income maximisation support, welfare and debt advice and have maintained investment in the Scottish Welfare Fund, at £41 million this year, alongside £25.5 million of additional investment over the previous two years, helping ensure the Fund remains a vital safety net for households.