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-02494

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 17 August 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 15 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it provides to local authorities to ensure that any disbursement of public funds for retail improvement schemes is conditional upon adherence to high-quality, traditional materials, traditional skills and design codes.

Question reference: S7W-02491

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 17 August 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 15 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to establishing a dedicated national grant scheme to support the reinstatement of traditional shopfronts, to ensure equitable access to funding outside of existing, localised Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme (CARS) boundaries.

Question reference: S7W-02492

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 17 August 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 15 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider ringfencing a proportion of the Place Based Investment Programme, or similar town centre regeneration funds, specifically for heritage-led commercial facade improvements.

Question reference: S7W-02485

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 17 August 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 15 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it has considered commissioning a Scottish Parliament challenge coin for members to present to hosts during official international visits and to members of visiting delegations, in light of the increasing use of such coins by legislatures and public bodies across the Commonwealth, the United States and elsewhere.

Question reference: S7W-02258

Asked by: Andrew Baxter, MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 17 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported increase in video recordings by police officers using body-worn filming devices, what additional resources it is providing to Police Scotland to ensure that members of the public can access such footage through Subject Access Requests, in line with their rights under the Data Protection Act 2018.

Decisions on workforce deployment and the allocation of resources in respect of data protection functions are operational matters for the Chief Constable and the Scottish Police Authority. This reflects the statutory governance arrangements established by the Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012.

This year, the Scottish Government have increased police funding to over £1.7 billion, an increase of £81.5 million on the 2025-26 Autumn Budget Revision (ABR) budget, to deliver on its priorities including frontline service delivery.

Question reference: S7W-02306

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 17 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding animal use in scientific research, what assessment it has made of whether public funding associated with delivery of the Life Sciences Strategy for Scotland 2035 Vision aligns with the guiding 3Rs ethical framework principles of replacement, reduction and refinement.

Question reference: S7W-02301

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 17 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of UK Government statistics showing that 2.54 million scientific procedures involving living animals were carried out in Great Britain in 2025, what information it holds on the number of such procedures that took place in Scotland.

Question reference: S7W-02304

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 17 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the use of animals in scientific research and testing.

Question reference: S7W-02305

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 17 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding animal use in scientific research, what assessment it has made of the alignment between its publication, Life Sciences Strategy for Scotland 2035 Vision, and the guiding 3Rs ethical framework principles of replacement, reduction and refinement.

The Life Sciences Strategy for Scotland is primarily designed to maximise growth, innovation and competitiveness across Scotland's life sciences sector. The 3Rs are fundamental ethical principles which seek to minimise the use of animals in scientific research and improve animal welfare, while enhancing scientific quality. The Life Sciences Strategy does not position 3Rs adoption as a core driver of growth, however there are opportunities for Scotland to build a competitive advantage through leadership in alternative methods, AI-enabled modelling, organoids, human-relevant research technologies and responsible innovation.

Question reference: S7W-02300

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 17 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what information it receives from the UK Government's Animals in Science Regulation Unit (ASRU) regarding licensed establishments carrying out procedures under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 in Scotland, including whether it has received any information relating to investigations, compliance concerns or enforcement action.

The Scottish Government does not routinely receive such information. The Animals in Science Regulation Unit (ASRU) publishes an annual report which includes information pertaining to investigations, compliance and enforcement action. In addition, the ASRU publishes detailed annual statistics that includes data on the number of licences granted, nature and number of procedures undertaken, species used etc. The publication of this information is a statutory requirement under the 1986 Act and all reports are available to view on the ASRU web site.