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-02347

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 07 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 7 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to question S6W-43333, answered by Shona Robison on 29 January 2026, when it will begin the review of council tax arrears for victims of domestic abuse, as required by the Housing (Scotland) Act 2025.

The statutory review of the impact joint and several liability for council tax arrears has on victim-survivors of domestic abuse is currently underway.

The Scottish Government recognises that joint and several liability for council tax can create very difficult circumstances for victim-survivors of domestic abuse.

The review is taking a twin-track approach involving analysis of the available evidence base together with stakeholder engagement with groups such as domestic abuse support organisations, money advice and debt charities and local authorities.

On completing the review, we will lay a report on it before the Scottish Parliament by 6 November this year, which will include a statement of action we intend to take as a result. This is in line with the timescales established by section 76(2) of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2025.

Question reference: S7W-02379

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 10 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 7 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-43897 by Angus Robertson on 4 March 2026, whether it will set out in detail what progress it has made over the past five months in actively exploring options to ensure that listed places of worship in Scotland are not disproportionately affected by the withdrawal of UK-wide VAT relief.

Question reference: S7W-02963

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 04 September 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 21 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government which companies have been considered ineligible for grant funding since the First Minister's statement to Parliament on 3 September 2025, in which he stated that the Scottish Government would “pause new awards of public money to arms companies whose products or services are provided to countries where there is plausible evidence of genocide being committed by that country”.

Question reference: S7W-02576

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Kirsten Oswald on 3 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Police Scotland about the distinction between e-bikes, illegal motorised vehicles, and standard bicycles and whether guidance is required to support the separate recording of incidents involving e-bikes and standard bicycles, and to avoid the inappropriate seizure of legally compliant vehicles.

Police Scotland have previously briefed Ministers regarding the different types of vehicles including Electric Scooters, Electric Motorcycles, and Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycles (EAPC, commonly known as e-bikes).

Officers have been issued with guidance on how to differentiate between legal and illegally modified EAPCs, and they only seize vehicles, including ones which fall into the categories described above, when they have the power to do so. Work is currently underway to assess devices and technologies which can help officers to detect illegal vehicles.

It is for Police Scotland to determine how best to record incidents. If a crime has been committed, this should be recorded in line with the Scottish Crime Recording Standard.

Question reference: S7W-02346

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 07 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 2 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish an analysis of its public consultation on the future of council tax in Scotland.

As part of this work, the Scottish Government undertook a public consultation alongside a wider programme of engagement, including in-person events with members of the public and tax professionals. The consultation closed on 30 January 2026 and the analytical report of the consultation responses and engagement activity is currently being finalised.

This report will be published in the coming weeks. It will help inform further work to build cross-party agreement on reforms that can make the Council Tax system fairer.

Question reference: S7W-02828

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 September 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 16 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of Scottish Procurement Policy Note 3/2026, how many contracts have been awarded via public procurement to companies listed in the UN database of companies engaged in listed activities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, as published by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), since October 2024.

Question reference: S7W-02827

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 September 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 16 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of Scottish Procurement Policy Note 3/2026, which companies have been excluded from a public procurement exercise on the basis of their involvement in the procurement of assets from illegal settlements.

Question reference: S7W-02826

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 September 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 16 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of Scottish Procurement Policy Note 3/2026, how many times legal advice has been sought to determine the legality of excluding a bidder from a procurement process on the basis that the goods or produce supplied by that bidder were produced in illegal settlements.

Question reference: S7F-00028

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 September 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 September 2026

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S7W-02243

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 1 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the answer to question S7W-01397 by Jenny Gilruth on 3 August 2026, regarding the selection of financial institutions to advise on and support its forthcoming bond-issuance scheme and motion S6M-18686, does not make reference to either Barclays Bank or motion S6M-18686, and whether it will now address the relevant point raised in the initial question.

The question S7W-01397 made no specific reference to Barclays Bank, and the answer set out that nine banks had been appointed to a framework to support delivery of its bond programme – with HSBC, Bank of America, NatWest, and RBC appointed as joint bookrunners for the inaugural bond issuance.

The procurement process was assessed against the relevant procurement requirements, including the applicable exclusion grounds and selection criteria.

Motion S6M-18686 calls for a package of boycotts, divestment and sanctions in relation to Israel and companies considered in certain activities. Following the vote on that motion, the Scottish Government announced in September 2025 a comprehensive package of economic and humanitarian measures, within the limits of the Scottish Government’s devolved powers. Support for defence companies involved in Israel halted - gov.scot

In February 2026, Scottish Procurement Policy Note (SPPN) 3/2026 updated guidance on the consideration of human rights and grave professional misconduct in procurement procedures. The guidance reiterates the Scottish Ministers’ view that the exploitation of assets in illegally occupied territories may constitute grave professional misconduct and could provide grounds for exclusion. However, any decision to exclude a supplier must be made on a case-by-case basis, based on all relevant evidence and in accordance with procurement law.