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: S6T-02447

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 24 March 2025
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers that the reported £203 million it spent on external advisers to help administer agricultural support payments to be good value for money.

Question reference: S6F-03968

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 24 March 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 March 2025

To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking to prevent instances of water scarcity in 2025.

Question reference: S6F-03938

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 24 March 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 March 2025

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6F-03939

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 24 March 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 March 2025

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6F-03940

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 24 March 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 March 2025

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6F-03970

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Monday, 24 March 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 March 2025

To ask the First Minister, in light of reports of an escalation in gang-related violence in Edinburgh, with recent shootings in Niddrie and West Pilton, what immediate action can be taken to support the emergency services in ensuring the safety and reassurance of communities in the Edinburgh Eastern constituency.

Question reference: S6F-03944

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 24 March 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 March 2025

To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking to reduce waiting times for children and adolescents for the diagnosis of autism and ADHD.

Question reference: S6F-03941

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 24 March 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 March 2025

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to the UK Government’s Spring Statement.

Question reference: S6W-35547

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 March 2025
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 24 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many meetings the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs has had with the (a) Law Society of Scotland, (b) chief constable of Police Scotland and (c) Scottish Retail Consortium since 29 March 2023, and what subjects were discussed.

Meetings with the Law Society of Scotland

1. I have had the following meetings with the Law Society of Scotland since 29 March 2023:

Date	Meeting	Subjects Discussed
1 June 2023	Victims Taskforce (Law Society of Scotland attended)	Criminal Justice - Victims
26 July 2023	Law Society of Scotland	Victims, Witnesses and Justice Reform Bill
25 September 2023	JUSTICE Scotland Roundtable (Head of Research at Law Society of Scotland attended)	Victims, Witnesses and Justice Reform Bill
30 November 2023	Victims Taskforce (Law Society of Scotland attended)	Criminal Justice - Victims
20 June 2024	Victims Taskforce (Law Society of Scotland attended)	Criminal Justice - Victims
21 November 2024	Victims Taskforce (Law Society of Scotland attended)	Criminal Justice - Victims

Meetings with the Chief Constable

2. I have had the following meetings with the Chief constable since 29 March 2023 as part of their regular series of meetings:

Date	Meeting	Subjects discussed
27 April 2023	Regular meeting with the Chief Constable	Chief Constable’s reflections Call handling Police Estate – Fettes Next meeting
18 May 2023	Regular meeting with the Chief Constable	Pay and industrial relations Progress on Recommendations of the Independent Review of Police complaints handling, investigations and misconduct issues Officers on Restricted Duties HMICS/HIS Custody Inspection in Lanarkshire Handover to new Chief Constable Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Use of tasers
14 June 2023	Trilateral with the Chief Constable and SPA Chair	Chief Constable Statement on Institutional Racism Pay Succession planning Local Policing Improvement Plan
14 June 2023	Regular meeting with the Chief Constable	PVG Certificate – Morgan Prior Chief Constable reflection
14 September 2023	Regular meeting with the Chief Constable	Police staff pay Officer numbers Resource prioritisation North East pilot Recorded Police Warnings (RPWs)
05 October 2023	Regular meeting with the Chief Constable	Budget HMICS reviews Forward look
09 November 2023	Regular meeting with the Chief Constable	Operation Moonbeam Armistice Day Early observations from the new Chief Constable Criminal justice system Financial planning for a sustainable police model
18 December 2023	Regular meeting with the Chief Constable	Budget and workforce numbers Consultation on Police Scotland estate HMICS Thematic Inspection of Organisational Culture in Police Scotland and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Criminal Justice System efficiencies
9 January 2024	Regular meeting with the Chief Constable	Budget and workforce numbers New operating model Criminal Justice Committee 20 December 2023 Domestic Abuse (Protection) (Scotland) Act
9 January 2024	Quarterly trilateral with the Chief Constable and SPA Chair	Budget and new operating model Mental health
8 February 2024	Regular meeting with the Chief Constable	Budget, workforce and Police Scotland operating model Estates review Proportionate response to crime Safeguards on XL bully dogs Dashcam
1 March 2024	Regular meeting with the Chief Constable	Emma Caldwell case and call for a Public Inquiry Brian Low Case
30 April 2024	Regular meeting with the Chief Constable	Hate crime Criminal justice system Police officer and staff pay Revised model of policing
4 June 2024	Regular meeting with the Chief Constable	Scottish resilience Partnership Emma Caldwell Investigation – NPCC Request Police (Ethics, Conduct and Scrutiny) (Scotland) Bill Revised model of policing Criminal justice system
26 June 2024	Quarterly trilateral with the Chief Constable and SPA Chair (meeting combined with the scheduled June Chief Constable meeting)	Body worn video (BWV) Proportionate response to crime (PRTC) Criminal justice system improvements Revised model of policing Equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) Mental health and policing Hate crime Police (Ethics, Conduct and Scrutiny) (Scotland) (PECSS) Bill Police officer numbers
20 August 2024	Regular meeting with the Chief Constable	Update on far-right violence and disorder Police officer numbers Police pay negotiations Mental health and policing Criminal justice system reform Body worn video Police (Ethics, Conduct and Scrutiny) (Scotland) (PECSS) Bill Emma Caldwell public inquiry
19 September 2024	Regular meeting with the Chief Constable	Commonwealth Games 2026 Police officer numbers Police pay negotiations Police Scotland three-year business plan Estates Masterplan Emma Caldwell public inquiry Sheku Bayoh public inquiry Police (Ethics, Conduct and Scrutiny) (Scotland) (PECSS) Bill
29 October 2024	Regular meeting with the Chief Constable	Policing budget Estates Masterplan 2025/26 budget proposal Police officer numbers Police officer pay Emma Caldwell public inquiry Police Scotland three-year business plan Commonwealth Games 2026
31 October 2024	Quarterly trilateral with the Chief Constable and SPA Chair	Police Scotland three-year business plan Estates management Police officer and staff pay Recording of sec and gender
19 December 2024	Regular meeting with the Chief Constable	Policing budget Officer and staff pay Estates Masterplan Body worn video Police Scotland three-year business plan Sustainable roads policing Workforce planning Mental health and policing demand Football disorder in Glasgow
16 January 2025	Regular meeting with the Chief Constable	Police (Ethics, Conduct and Scrutiny) (Scotland) (PECSS) Bill Officer and staff pay Emma Caldwell investigation Sheku Bayoh public inquiry Football disorder Mental health and policing demand Estate Masterplan Police Scotland three-year business plan
27 February 2025	Regular meeting with the Chief Constable	Sheku Bayoh public inquiry Sentencing review Secure accommodation Police complaints Police dogs insurance Policing budget 2025-26 3 year business plan Police officer pay UEFA Championship (Scotland) Bill Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games

3. The purpose of these meetings is to focus on matters of strategic importance and understand the challenges, risks and issues facing Police Scotland, and plans to mitigate these, as well as implications for policing.

4. I have met the Chief Constable outside these regular meetings. The most recent meetings are in the table below:

Date	Meeting
31 March 2023	Introductory meeting with the Chief Constable, Iain Livingstone
1 August 2023	Cabinet Secretary visit to Police Scotland, Tulliallan Castle
10 October 2023	Introductory meeting with the new Chief Constable, Jo Farrell
2 August 2024	Meeting with the Chief Constable to discuss officer numbers
5 August 2024	First Minister and CSJHA meeting with the Police Scotland following far-right violence and disorder across the UK
4 September 2024	Scottish Police Memorial Service

5. From January 2024, all notes of my regular meetings with the Chief Constable (and with the SPA Chair) are published on the Scottish Government website: https://www.gov.scot/collections/police-minutes-of-regular-meetings. Notes of other meetings involving Police Scotland and the Scottish Government, including those outside regular meetings detailed in the table above, are not routinely published.

6. The note of the meeting between myself and the Chief Constable on 27 February will be published on the Scottish Government website once this has been reviewed by the Chief Constable and myself.

Meetings with the Scottish Retail Consortium

7. I have not met with the Scottish Retail Consortium since 29 March 2023.

8. It may be helpful to note that Siobhian Brown MSP, the Minister for Victims and Community Safety has met with the Scottish Retail Consortium since 29 March 2023 which is listed in the following table:

Date	Meeting	Subjects discussed
19 March 2024	Scottish Retail Consortium	Retail crime

Question reference: S6W-35363

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 24 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has undertaken any assessment of the costs of undertaking peatland restoration, and whether any such costs are (a) static, (b) falling and (c) rising; what the current (i) average cost is and (ii) range of costs are per hectare, and what the main factors affecting the range of costs are.

The Scottish Government has commissioned research through ClimateXChange (CxC) to better understand peatland restoration costs. This results of this research will be published shortly.

Previous research assessing the costs of peatland restoration can be found here: The costs of peatland restoration – data & initial analysis 2020 | SEFARI, The costs of peatland restoration – data & analysis update 2021 | SEFARI