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: S7O-00411

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 October 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Education, Culture and Gaelic last met with representatives of the National Performing Companies and what issues were discussed.

Question reference: S7W-04372

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 October 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 17 November 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the First Minister's recent comments on the adoption of a Scottish currency if Scotland became an independent country, what analysis it has carried out on whether mortgages taken out before the adoption of that currency would continue to be repaid in sterling or in the new currency.

Question reference: S7W-04311

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 16 October 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 13 November 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it holds any data on the number of parcel delivery drivers who are engaged on a self-employed basis.

Question reference: S7W-04310

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 16 October 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 13 November 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the chair of the Fair Work Agency regarding employment status in the parcel delivery sector in Scotland.

Question reference: S7W-04308

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 16 October 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 13 November 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to applying Fair Work criteria to the final-mile parcel delivery sector through public procurement, including through the Fair Work First conditionality attached to public contracts.

Question reference: S7W-04309

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 16 October 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 13 November 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds regarding the number of investigations opened by the Fair Work Agency into employment status in the parcel delivery sector in Scotland since 7 April 2026.

Question reference: S7W-03040

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Flynn on 23 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to limiting eligibility for subsidised bus fares to people who are resident in Scotland.

The £2 bus fare cap which is now operational in the Highlands and Islands and Strathclyde areas is available to all, not just residents, and is supporting everyday and leisure journeys in these areas, while encouraging greater use of public transport and contributing to our climate objectives. While there are no plans to limit passenger eligibility for the bus fare cap scheme, monitoring of a number of factors including passenger uptake and operational costs will help to inform the development of a national scheme.

In order to be eligible for the National Concessionary Travel Schemes, individuals must be resident in Scotland. These Scotland-wide free bus travel schemes provide access to free travel on registered local and long- distance bus services for everyone under 22, 60 and over and with an eligible disability. With over 3 million journeys every week, these schemes are helping people across Scotland cut costs for essential, every day and leisure travel, making sustainable travel a more attractive option and supporting people with the cost of living.

Question reference: S7W-03038

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Hannah Mary Goodlad on 23 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on public funds being used to subsidise tourists and business travellers in local authority areas that have introduced, or are planning to introduce, a Visitor Levy, including Glasgow City Council.

The Visitor Levy (Scotland) Act 2024 allows local authorities to introduce a visitor levy where this meets the needs of their areas, after consultation with local communities and businesses. The Act also allows authorities to introduce local exemptions as part of their visitor levy scheme. In such circumstances individuals who meet the criteria as defined by the local authority are exempt from paying levy or may be subsequently reimbursed any levy paid. Exemptions would reduce the amount of levy generated by a visitor levy scheme but would not involve public funds being used to subsidise tourists and business travellers.

Question reference: S7W-03041

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Flynn on 21 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how many passenger journeys it estimates are taken on average on the Glasgow Airport Express service in a year.

Question reference: S7W-03039

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Flynn on 21 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what subsidy it is providing to First Bus for each passenger journey on the Glasgow Airport Express service.

The Glasgow Airport Express Service 500, operated by First Glasgow, is included in the Strathclyde £2 Bus Fare Cap scheme. For eligible journeys, operators are reimbursed at 90% of the difference between £2 and the standard single fare, subject to checks and validation. This reimbursement rate applies to all participating operators, although Grant Agreements contain a comfort clause which may adjust the percentage reimbursed in exceptional circumstances.

Those eligible for free bus travel through the National Concessionary Travel Schemes may also use this bus service. The reimbursement rates for all participating operators for the current financial year are:

Older and Disabled Persons’ Scheme – 53%
Young Persons’ Scheme (aged 5-15) – 48.1%
Young Persons’ Scheme (aged 16-21) – 72.5%