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-04755

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 November 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 12 November 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S7W-03874 by Jim Fairlie on 20 October 2026, what steps it plans to take, and through which means, channels and platforms, to raise awareness and improve understanding among school pupils of the Welfare of Dogs code of practice.

Officials are continuing to consider the most effective approach to raising awareness of the Code of Practice and improving public understanding of responsible dog ownership.

The Code is publicly available via the Scottish Government website and can be accessed by anyone, including school pupils and young people with an interest in animal welfare.

The Scottish Government continues to hold regular meetings with key stakeholders where we highlight and promote our guidance to raise awareness, as well as providing further guidance for canine and wider animal welfare organisations.

Question reference: S7O-00550

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 November 2026
Current Status: Due to be taken in the Chamber on 19 November 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what further support it will provide for rural mental health services.

Question reference: S7W-04390

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 October 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 11 November 2026

To ask the Scottish Government when it will begin work on the National Deer Management and Venison Plan following the commencement of the relevant sections of the Natural Environment (Scotland) Act 2026.

Sections 23 to 25 of the Natural Environment (Scotland) Act 2026, relating to the National Deer Management and Venison Plan, came into force on 26 October 2026.

Work to develop the Plan is already underway, with an initial draft being developed by the Deer Management Strategic Board.

We expect to publish the Plan in 2027, the timetable for finalising and publishing the Plan will be confirmed in due course.

Question reference: S7W-04798

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 November 2026
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 10 November 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what additional powers it is considering granting to local authorities to support the delivery of the housing required in their local areas.

The Housing (Scotland) Act 2001 places a statutory requirement on local authorities to set out its strategy, priorities and plans for the delivery of housing and related services. As statutory housing authorities, local authorities play a central role in meeting housing need in their areas through their strategic housing, planning and homelessness responsibilities. The Scottish Government is establishing More Homes Scotland from 1 April 2027 to help strengthen support for local authorities and wider partners in delivering the homes their communities need, bringing together funding, expertise and delivery tools under one roof to help unlock and accelerate housing delivery.

Alongside this, work is ongoing through the Scottish Government's proposals for public service reform and local governance, which identify housing as a key area for discussion. Following recent joint engagement between the Scottish Government and COSLA, there is agreement that reform should strengthen local government and local decision-making. As part of ongoing work with external partners, the Scottish Government is considering which housing functions are best exercised at local or community level, and which may be better organised at a regional level to support more strategic delivery of homes and homelessness prevention. These discussions are ongoing and no decisions have been taken.

Question reference: S7W-04914

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 09 November 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 23 November 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding applicants who were unsuccessful in the 2025 Future Farm Investment Scheme, how it is ensuring that this will not disadvantage their applications to the 2026 scheme.

Question reference: S7W-04916

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 09 November 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 23 November 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide unsuccessful applicants to the 2026 Future Farm Investment Scheme with detailed feedback on why their application was unsuccessful.

Question reference: S7W-04913

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 09 November 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 23 November 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Future Farm Investment Scheme will be continued after 2026 and, if so, what arrangements it is making to fund the scheme.

Question reference: S7W-04911

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 09 November 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 23 November 2026

To ask the Scottish Government when the 2026 Future Farm Investment Scheme will open to applications.

Question reference: S7W-04912

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 09 November 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 23 November 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details on the source of the funding for the Future Farm Investment Scheme in 2025 and 2026, including whether any funding was reallocated from other budgets or programmes to support the scheme, and if so, from which budgets or programmes.

Question reference: S7W-04915

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 09 November 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 23 November 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how many farming or crofting businesses it anticipates will be supported by funding from the Future Farm Investment Scheme in 2026.