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-00632

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scot and Lothians West, Reform UK
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 May 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 5 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made toward establishing a register of ancient woodlands.

In line with the action in the Scottish Biodiversity Delivery Plan, the development of a new Ancient Woodland Register is in progress.

NatureScot is leading this and has set up a steering group which includes public bodies and wider stakeholders to support the development of the Register. Resources have been allocated to commission a contractor over the next two years to work with the steering group to develop and publish the Register.

Question reference: S7W-00243

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scot and Lothians West, Reform UK
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 May 2026
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 4 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the commitment in the Scottish National Party manifesto to enact a statutory price cap on essential food items, what discussions it has had with its Scottish Business Growth Group regarding the proposal.

Question reference: S7W-00248

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scot and Lothians West, Reform UK
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 May 2026
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 4 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the commitment in the Scottish National Party manifesto to enact a statutory price cap on essential food items, what its response is to the reported comments from Prosper Scotland regarding the proposal “that it’s extremely hard to see how it could feasibly operate”.

Question reference: S7W-00246

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scot and Lothians West, Reform UK
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 May 2026
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 4 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the commitment in the Scottish National Party manifesto to enact a statutory price cap on essential food items, what its response is to the comments from the Food and Drink Federation in The Times on 17 April 2026 that the policy “risks undermining investment” and “food security”.

Question reference: S7W-00245

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scot and Lothians West, Reform UK
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 May 2026
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 4 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the commitment in the Scottish National Party manifesto to enact a statutory price cap on essential food items, what its response is to the comments from the Scottish Grocers’ Federation in The Herald on 17 April 2026 that the policy could “threaten the viability” of convenience stores.

Question reference: S7W-00244

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scot and Lothians West, Reform UK
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 May 2026
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 4 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the commitment in the Scottish National Party manifesto to enact a statutory price cap on essential food items, what its response is to the comments from the Institute of Public Policy Research in The Times on 27 April 2026 that the policy is unlikely to make a “tangible difference to household budgets”.

Question reference: S7W-00247

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scot and Lothians West, Reform UK
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 May 2026
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 4 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the commitment in the Scottish National Party manifesto to enact a statutory price cap on essential food items, what its response is to the reported comment from the Federation of Independent Retailers that the proposal “will distort trade and do nothing to help shops or their customers”.

Question reference: S7W-00136

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scot and Lothians West, Reform UK
Date lodged: Monday, 18 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, what other regulatory and legislative measures affecting grocery retailers are due to come into effect.

The Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026 (Commencement No. 1) (Scotland) Regulations 2026 will commence provisions extending the existing Retail Register, so that any retailer selling nicotine products and herbal smoking products must register in the same way as retailers selling tobacco and vaping products are already required to do.

The Food (Promotion and Placement) (Scotland) Regulations 2025 will commence on 1 October 2026. These regulatory measures will restrict the promotion and placement of food and drink products which are high in fat, salt and sugar. Restrictions will apply to qualifying retailers with 50 employees or more.

Question reference: S7W-00131

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scot and Lothians West, Reform UK
Date lodged: Monday, 18 May 2026
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 2 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration has been given to the interactions with other food or public health regulations with regards to the products that would be in scope of a statutory price cap on essential food items, if this were to be enacted as per the Scottish National Party's 2026 manifesto commitment.

Question reference: S7W-00132

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scot and Lothians West, Reform UK
Date lodged: Monday, 18 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, whether the proposal will extend to distance sales or products purchased out with Scotland.