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: S6W-35480

Asked by: Elena Whitham, MSP for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 10 March 2025
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 24 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of estates applying for a section 16AA licence to shoot grouse in the 2024-25 season has registered the grouse moor only, rather than the whole landholding.

Question reference: S6W-35368

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 10 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 24 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it measures the number of women who leave the workforce due to experiencing menopause; from which sector, and whether such women seek financial benefits.

The health and wellbeing of women at work is a key element of the Scottish Government’s approach to Fair Work, including supporting women experiencing symptoms of menopause.

The Scottish Government does not hold data on the number of women who leave the workforce due to experiencing menopause. However, UK research by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development - Menopause in the workplace: Employee experiences - published in 2023, that of the over 1,500 women experiencing symptoms of menopause surveyed, 17% were considering leaving due to a lack of support in relation to their symptoms. Also, research from 2022 by the Fawcett Society on Menopause in the workplace in the UK indicated that one in ten women who worked during the menopause left their jobs due to their symptoms.

We are taking action towards supporting those experiencing symptoms of menopause in the workplace - please refer to recently answered question reference S6W-35367 on 12 March 2025 for further information.

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-35528

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 10 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 24 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to update the ScotRail Peak Fares Removal Pilot Final Evaluation Report to cover the whole of the trial period.

Transport Scotland is currently analysing data to the beginning of March and expects to publish results shortly. This will cover the whole period of the pilot and beyond. As detailed in the answer to S6W-35525 on 24 March 2025, daily journeys have increased (on average) since the pilot ended and the analysis is exploring this further.

Question reference: S6W-36022

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S6W-36015

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S6W-35693

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 14 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 21 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will investigate the recent fire at the battery energy storage system site at Rothienorman in Aberdeenshire.

Question reference: S6W-35691

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 14 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 21 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-35132 by Ivan McKee on 27 February 2025, for what reason it only carried out a partial island communities impact assessment (ICIA), instead of a full ICIA, for the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Bill prior to the Parliament's consideration of the Bill at stage 1, in light of the assessment in the partial ICIA published in May 2023, which noted that "the geographical remoteness of islands can generate a number of particular challenges".

Further to the explanation in the ICIA, the basis of the charge being a percentage, it would not be expected to have a significantly different effect on island based tourism businesses to those based on the mainland, Nevertheless, the ICIA does include observations and concerns around issues including the prevalence of smaller hospitality businesses on islands, the high numbers of day visitors, the existing costs of transport to islands, and that islands and island residents have a particular reliance on using overnight accommodation when people travel to and from the mainland because of the need to build in consideration for potential ferry disruption.

I would add that, local authorities have an obligation to comply with their duties under the Islands (Scotland) Act 2018. Additionally, local authorities have the power to charge different rates and exemptions for different geographical areas. Each local authority has a responsibility to publish an assessment of the impacts of introducing a Visitor Levy, including for the different rates and exemptions they may choose to apply. Local authorities also have a statutory requirement to consult with local communities, businesses, and the public, prior to the introduction of a Visitor Levy. You may wish to respond to any consultation in your local area in relation to how they might introduce a scheme.

Question reference: S6W-35601

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 21 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many of the reported 700,000 homes deemed not fit for habitation are publicly owned, and what steps are being taken to ensure that local authorities and housing associations upgrade substandard properties.

Of the 700,000 reported homes that failed the tolerable standard in 2023, 244,000 were social homes. This means that 8% of social homes failed the tolerable standard.

Social landlords are required, under the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001, to keep houses they let fit for human habitation and ensure that any repairs are carried out when they are needed.

We work closely with social landlords in our shared ambition to provide quality, affordable social homes and continue to have constructive engagement with them on a range of matters.

Question reference: S6W-35600

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 21 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the causes behind the reported increase in homes falling below the tolerable standard since 2018.

The cause behind the reported increase in homes falling below the tolerable standard since 2018 is due to the introduction of the fire and smoke alarm, and carbon monoxide criteria in 2022.

The legal duty to take action on houses that do not meet the tolerable standard rests with the local authority. No homeowner will be criminalised if they need more time, and there are no penalties for non-compliance.

Question reference: S6W-35467

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 07 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 21 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-34603 by Shona Robison on 26 February 2025, whether all of its assessments of the long-term impacts of behavioural responses to its income tax policies pertain to measurements of past and present impacts, and not to future, projected impacts.

Scottish Fiscal Commission forecasts for income tax include judgements for behavioural responses which are based on evidence from academic literature on how taxpayers have responded to previous changes to income tax policy in Scotland, the UK, and internationally. The SFC applies behavioural responses to policies over the course of their full forecast. More detailed information is available at the following link: How we forecast behavioural responses to income tax policy | Scottish Fiscal Commission.