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-05054

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 October 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what challenges are faced by those delivering education across the Highlands and Islands.

Question reference: S6W-40540

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 25 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what the cost is of each contract required for chartering the MV Alfred from Pentland Ferries, including extensions.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-40538 on 25 September 2025, which covered the costs of the current charter agreement between CalMac Ferries Limited and Pentland Ferries Limited. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

Question reference: S6W-40539

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 25 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the discussions that it is holding with ferry companies and brokers regarding the availability of vessels to operate on the ferry network.

Question reference: S6W-40538

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 25 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the total cost of chartering the MV Alfred from Pentland Ferries, including the cost of any agreed future commitments.

Question reference: S6O-04980

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 September 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many free personal care hours were assessed by local authorities to be needed, but were subsequently not delivered, in 2024-25.

Question reference: S6O-04923

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 September 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 11 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what percentage increase in re-determinations of Pension Age Disability Payment assessments there has been since January 2025.

Question reference: S6O-04870

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 August 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the economy secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding the economic impact of any increased taxation by UK, Scottish and local governments on people and businesses across the Highlands and Islands.

Question reference: S6O-04839

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 June 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what restrictions it places on the use of its overseas aid.

Question reference: S6W-37729

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 17 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what the average weekly number of care-at-home hours delivered has been, and how this compared with assessed need, in each of the last five years, also broken down by NHS board.

Information on Care at Home hours is not held centrally. Instead, Health and Social Care Partnerships (HSCPs) submit data to Public Health Scotland (PHS), detailing the number of hours of Care at Home services received. This data is published annually and can be accessed via the following link: Dashboard - Care at Home Hours Planned/Received.

The Scottish Government does not centrally hold information on assessed needs. In addition to the annual data, HSCPs also provide PHS with a weekly snapshot of the current demand for Care at Home services. This includes information on the total number of care hours people are waiting to receive following an assessment of their needs. This data is available at: Dashboard - People requiring a social care assessment and care at home services.

Question reference: S6W-38230

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 12 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many of the vessels engaged in the Scottish squid fishery have an Inshore Vessel Monitoring System (I-VMS) installed.