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-01505

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 17 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the commitments in the Scottish National Party’s 2026 manifesto to enact a statutory price cap on essential food items and to cut down on business bureaucracy, what assessment it has made of the compatibility of these commitments.

Question reference: S7W-01504

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 17 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the commitment in the Scottish National Party’s 2026 manifesto to enact a statutory price cap on essential food items, which body would monitor and enforce the price cap.

Question reference: S7W-01328

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 14 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers that planning applications continuing through the planning process, where there is no realistic prospect of a grid connection being secured, represents an efficient use of public resources.

The Scottish Government is committed to using public resources more efficiently and effectively. Electricity is a matter generally reserved to the UK Parliament under the Scotland Act 1998, including electricity generation, transmission, distribution and supply, and the operation and management of the electricity network. Decisions regarding grid connections are the responsibility of the National Energy System Operator (NESO), not the Scottish Government.

While Scottish Ministers exercise devolved consenting functions under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 for generating stations in Scotland exceeding 50MW, applications must be considered and determined in accordance with the statutory framework established by that Act and any applicable regulations.

There is no restriction on any person making an application for consent under the Electricity Act 1989, or for planning permission under the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997, other than as stipulated under those Acts or any applicable regulations.

Question reference: S7W-01326

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 8 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how many energy infrastructure planning applications currently under consideration by ministers or the Energy Consents Unit have missed a National Energy System Operator (NESO) grid connection deadline or milestone required to secure a grid connection offer.

The Scottish Government does not centrally hold records of grid connection applications made to National Energy System Operator (NESO), or of the status of any such applications, or of any decisions made by NESO in relation to such applications.

Applications for consent or planning permission are administered under the relevant Electricity or Town and Country Planning Acts and applicable regulations and are considered on a case-by-case basis. Where appropriate, Scottish Ministers will consider any relevant information held which relates to a proposed development’s grid connection, alongside all other application and environmental information, any public representations received, and all consultation responses, in accordance with legislative requirements.

Question reference: S7W-01327

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 8 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it records the number of planning applications that are being considered by ministers or the Energy Consents Unit and no longer have a viable route to grid connection and, if so, what the latest figure is.

Question reference: S7O-00069

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 June 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Justice last met with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service to discuss the future of Hawick Fire Station.

Question reference: S7W-00657

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 29 May 2026
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 8 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, whether it will provide a list of the essential food items and products to be included in a basket of up to fifty items.

Question reference: S7W-00658

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 29 May 2026
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 8 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 basis it will use to determine the product categories.

Question reference: S7W-00659

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 29 May 2026
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 8 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, whether it would require to introduce at least a six-month implementation plan for retailers, in light of this being the case when the most recent increase to the minimum unit pricing of alcohol was implemented.

Question reference: S7W-00195

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 May 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 5 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that female witnesses involved in serious criminal cases are provided with appropriate protections and support throughout court proceedings, including safeguards relating to single-sex spaces and facilities.

There are various measures in place to ensure that female witnesses involved in serious criminal cases are provided with appropriate protections and support throughout court proceedings.

The Scottish Government recognises that some witnesses may find it difficult to give evidence and may be particularly vulnerable because of their circumstances or the nature of their evidence. The court can take extra steps - called special measures - to help vulnerable witnesses give the best evidence they can. Special measures can include giving evidence from behind a screen or remotely via a TV link to the court, to prevent the witness having to attend the court building. Further information on special measures is available at https://www.mygov.scot/witness/help-support.

The Vulnerable Witnesses (Criminal Evidence) (Scotland) Act 2019 introduced a presumption that children and vulnerable witnesses in the most serious criminal cases should be able to have their evidence pre-recorded instead of testifying in court. Pre-recording evidence reduces the risk of re-traumatisation for witnesses and supports them to give their best possible evidence, earlier in the process and in a victim-centred way.

The Scottish Government is rolling out the legislation in stages, to give the criminal justice system time to prepare and to make sure the right facilities are in place for witnesses - and will extend the presumption to vulnerable adult witnesses in the most serious cases following the roll out to child witnesses. Vulnerable adult witnesses can still apply for their evidence to be taken in this way and accordingly, pre-recorded evidence is currently used a great deal for adult complainers of sexual offences, particularly in the High Court.

Other sources of support include the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service’s Victim Information and Advice (VIA) Service for all vulnerable victims and those involved in the most serious cases. The VIA service can provide information about how the justice process works, and on key court dates and decisions. It will also work with victims to understand if they would benefit from special measures when giving evidence. Furthermore, the Scottish Government provides funding to Victim Support Scotland (VSS) which provides the VSS Court Service. The VSS Court Service supports victims in a range of ways including through court familiarisation visits, virtual court tours, support in court and for writing a victim statement.

Matters regarding the management of the court estate are, of course, for the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS) and the Lord President. In partnership with justice partners, SCTS is committed to clear standards of service for victims and witnesses (available at https://www.scotcourts.gov.uk/media/rvrdro0w/standards-of-service-for-victims-and-witnesses-2025-26.pdf). This includes ensuring that witnesses who require to attend court will be placed in witness rooms designated for prosecution or defence. In addition, toilet facilities within the SCTS buildings are clearly designated as male and female. Accessible toilet facilities are available and may be used by any individual, regardless of gender.