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: S6O-05051

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 October 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address the reported jobs and cuts crisis in further and higher education.

Question reference: S6W-40730

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 1 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-39984 by Fiona Hyslop on 16 September 2023, in relation to the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services 3 (CHFS3) contract, whether (a) detailed specification of the contract will be published on the Transport Scotland website before 1 October 2025, and (b) it will instruct CalMac to share a copy of the contract with the recognised trades unions as soon as possible.

Question reference: S6W-40729

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 1 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will list the partners that Transport Scotland shared the initial specification with of the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services 3 (CHFS3) contract, as recorded in the 7 March 2025 minutes of the Ferries Community Board.

Transport Scotland engaged with a number of partners on the development of the specification. This included sharing the draft specification with CalMac Ferries Ltd, in addition to discussing specific elements with CMAL, to ensure that operational and technical issues were appropriately addressed to reflect current practice.

Some elements of the specification were also shared and discussed with the Ferries Community Board, specifically regarding key performance indicators and the embedding of the Ferries Community Board in the specification. This input was invaluable to inform the suite of performance indicators, and the Ferries Community Board will continue to be engaged on strategic matters throughout the life of the contract to provide us with an independent community voice.

Question reference: S6W-40731

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 1 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-39984 by Fiona Hyslop on 16 September 2025, in relation to the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services 3 (CHFS3) contract, what discussions of the detailed specifications of the contract Transport Scotland officials have had with the (a) the Chair of the Ferries Community Board, (b) local authorities and (c) CMAL since 8 March 2025, and what the outcome was.

Since 8 March 2025, Transport Scotland have continued to engage with the Ferries Community Board, both in relation to performance management of the new contract, and also the nature of their ongoing role post-award. This was invaluable to inform the suite of performance indicators, and the role of the Ferries Community Board has been formally embedded within the new arrangements, ensuring that the Ferries Community Board will continue to be engaged on strategic matters throughout the life of the contract.

Since 8 March 2025 officials have engaged with local authorities, including at the Roundtable event on 19 March 2025, and through the Islands Transport Forum, local area ferry groups such as the Argyll Ferry Infrastructure Group and Western Isles Ferry Group, and vessel and infrastructure project working groups, but have not discussed the detailed specification with them; whilst CMAL, as owners of the fleet, have been engaged on a number of technical matters relating to the specification.

Question reference: S6W-40523

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 15 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 29 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking in light of the reported threatened closure of Forth Valley College’s Alloa campus.

Question reference: S6W-40524

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 15 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 29 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an outline of the discussions it has had with the Scottish Funding Council to ensure that Forth Valley College is funded sufficiently to keep the Alloa campus open and operational.

Question reference: S6W-40522

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 15 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 29 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with (a) the Scottish Funding Council and (b) Forth Valley College regarding a bailout to save its Alloa campus.

Ministers have been in communication with both the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) and Forth Valley College regarding the Alloa campus, and the SFC is working intensively to seek a resolution with the College regarding the campus and to support the College’s financial sustainability.

Although colleges operate independently of Government, and it is ultimately for them to decide on operational matters such as their campus footprint, Ministers recognise the vital role the campus in Alloa plays in providing access to services for the people in that community, and are keen that everything possible is done to keep the campus open.

In this year's allocations from the SFC, and in recognition of the vital role colleges play in communities across Scotland, all colleges received a 4.9% increase to support college maintenance in 2025-26, and Forth Valley College received a 2.3% uplift to the College's teaching allocation.

The Scottish Government is working collaboratively with the SFC and Colleges Scotland through the Tripartite Alignment Group to identify and implement flexibilities to support colleges. To date, the Group has created the conditions to improve the financial sustainability of the sector with the introduction of the SFC’s College Transformation Framework, and the new asset disposals process; and is supporting colleges to maximise commercial income.

Question reference: S6O-04995

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 September 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when information on farming payments will be publicly available, in accordance with section 19 of the Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Act 2024.

Question reference: S6W-40466

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 24 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many times, in each of the last three calendar years, its Agricultural Wages Enforcement Team has reported concerns to local authorities regarding the standards of accommodation provided in their areas to migrant workers, broken down by (a) local authority and (b) what the outcome was.

(a) The Agricultural Wages Enforcement Team’s (AWET) role is to ensure compliance with the Agricultural Wages (Scotland) Order, which sets out minimum pay and conditions for workers in the sector. The Order does not specifically cover the standard of accommodation but during wages inspections workers are given the opportunity to raise any concerns associated with their employment. If a worker raises any accommodation concerns, this information would be recorded and passed on to the relevant authority. In the last three calendar years, no migrant workers have raised accommodation concerns as part of an inspection.

(b) No outcomes arose as no migrant workers reported accommodation concerns to the AWET.

Responsibility for monitoring and enforcing standards of tied or seasonal worker accommodation rests with local authorities, primarily through their environmental health and housing functions. For migrant workers, the Seasonal Worker Visa scheme’s (SWV) guidance states that any housing or other concerns should be reported to their Scheme Operators (SOs), as they have a duty to ensure workers are housed in hygienic and safe accommodation that is in a good state of repair. All migrant workers receive this guidance in their induction pack. In addition, all SOs provide a confidential helpline through which workers can report their concerns.

As a condition of their licence, SOs are responsible for the welfare of workers, which includes ensuring that accommodation provided is safe, suitable and hygienic.

Question reference: S6W-40467

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Kaukab Stewart on 23 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that three of the biggest six local authority areas that use the Seasonal Worker Visa scheme are located in Scotland, what representation it has made to the UK Government regarding the review of the scheme by the Migration Advisory Committee, and what the outcome was.

The Scottish Government recognises the vital contribution Seasonal Worker visa holders make to Scotland’s soft fruit and seasonal vegetable sectors and to Scotland’s economy.

We are absolutely clear that migration policy should support fair work and is one of our published principles underpinning migration policy.

Officials continue to engage regularly with the Home Office and DEFRA, raising concerns with the design of the visa route and exploitation concerns referenced in the MAC review. We fund the Worker Support Centre, which offers free, confidential advice and support to seasonal migrant workers across Scotland.

Our collaboration with the Worker Support Centre ensures policy development is grounded in the lived experiences of workers. This user-informed policy approach is essential when advocating for immigration reform with the UK Government.