The Scottish Parliament

Question reference: S6O-05413

Asked by: Annabelle Ewing, MSP for Cowdenbeath, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 January 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to respond to the housing emergency in Fife.

Question reference: S6O-05415

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 January 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what measures it has taken to address household food insecurity.

Question reference: S6O-05397

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 January 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to increase the number of dental practices that are accepting new NHS patients, including how it will monitor the effectiveness of the November 2023 payment reforms in improving access for patients in rural and island communities.

Question reference: S6W-43012

Asked by: Audrey Nicoll, MSP for Aberdeen South and North Kincardine, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 January 2026
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Kate Forbes on 14 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when it expects a new chair to be in place for the Sheku Bayoh Inquiry.

Following Lord Bracadale’s resignation as Chair of the Sheku Bayoh Inquiry on 21 October last year, I am pleased to confirm that Lord Colbeck, a current Senator of the College of Justice, has agreed to chair the Public Inquiry.

I am confident Lord Colbeck will be an excellent Chair. He was appointed as a judge of the Supreme Courts in May 2023, having previously served as Sheriff Principal of Glasgow and Strathkelvin from September 2016 and as Vice President of the Sheriff Appeal Court from May 2022.

The Scottish Government remains committed to the Public Inquiry into Mr Bayoh’s death, to ensuring it is concluded thoroughly and that meaningful lessons are learned. The appointment of Lord Colbeck as Chair will enable the Inquiry to complete its work and it is in everyone’s interest that it proceeds to deliver its findings without further delay.

Question reference: S6W-42828

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 January 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 14 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce and end so-called hospital "corridor care".

The Scottish Government recognises that care in non-standard areas, sometimes referred to as “corridor care,” is not acceptable as a routine practice. This arises from acute capacity pressures and poor patient flow, which we are working hard to address.

Through the NHS Scotland Operational Improvement Plan, we are investing £220 million in 2025-26 to improve hospital flow, reduce waiting times and minimise delayed discharges. This includes expanding Hospital at Home services, strengthening Same Day Emergency Care, and providing additional social care capacity to relieve pressure on emergency departments.

Question reference: S6W-42793

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 05 January 2026
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 14 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider emulating the practice adopted by the German federal state of Schleswig-Holstein, which is building an entirely open-source, digitally sovereign ecosystem for its public sector to reduce vendor lock-in, enhance interoperability and improve data security.

Question reference: S6W-42721

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 December 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 14 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish the full timeline of decisions and delays relating to the introduction of speed awareness courses.

Much of the law on prosecution and punishment of road traffic offences is reserved to the UK Government (UKG). However, the Scottish Government continues to discuss the importance of implementing Road Traffic Diversionary Course (RTDC) which includes Speed Awareness Courses, with the UKG.

Scotland’s Road Safety Framework 2030 contains a commitment to implement speed awareness courses in Scotland as part of a broader roll-out of Road Traffic Diversionary Courses, which aim to divert ‘low-level’ road traffic offenders from punishment into education to prevent re-offending and help equip participants to change their behaviour towards speed and can also reduce pressure on the criminal justice system.

In August 2024, a multi-agency steering group, led by Transport Scotland officials, was convened to consider the implications and requirements of introducing RTDCs in Scotland. The group contains representation from the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), Scottish Courts and Tribunal Service and Police Scotland.

In November 2024, the HM Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland (HMICS) published their thematic inspection of road policing in Scotland, making the following recommendation: Police Scotland should engage with UK Road Offender Education (UKROEd) and other key stakeholders to progress the full implementation of educational training courses for people who commit driving offences that may be appropriately addressed through learning.

Given that the legislation in this area is not devolved, Transport Scotland have been liaising with Home Office colleagues to confirm where we can assist with the laying of the required legislation in Westminster. The last meeting between Transport Scotland and Home Office officials took place on the 16th December 2025.

Further to this we are in process of discussing and agreeing with key partners areas of policy which will define the detail of legislation and this is unfortunately taking longer than anticipated and we are stressing to all partners the need conclude this.

Question reference: S6W-42716

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 December 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 14 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of how many retail jobs in Scotland are at risk if business rates remain higher than in comparable parts of the UK.

The draft Budget set out yesterday ensures the estimated revenues raised from non-domestic rates in 2026-27 will be 6% lower in real terms than pre-COVID, using the Consumer Price Index, and introduces the lowest Basic Property Rate for 2026-27 since 2018-19. It decreases the Basic, Intermediate and Higher Property Rates in 2026-27, delivering the lowest Basic Property Rate since 2018-19.

Businesses and communities will also be supported with a competitive non-domestic rates relief package worth an estimated £864 million in 2026-27, including the Small Business Bonus Scheme which remains the most generous scheme of its kind in the UK and is confirmed for the next three years, as well as transitional relief schemes.

Recognising the challenges faced by the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors, for the next three years we will offer 15% relief for eligible properties in these sectors liable for the Basic or Intermediate Property Rates, capped at £110,000 per business per year; and extend and expand 100% relief for the next three years for retail, hospitality and leisure premises located on islands as defined by the Islands (Scotland) Act 2018, and in prescribed remote areas (Cape Wrath, Knoydart and Scoraig) capped at £110,000 per business per year.

Around half of the properties in the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure sectors continue to be eligible for 100% SBBS relief in 2026-27. A further 37,000 properties could benefit from the new 15% relief.

Taken together around 89,000 properties (or 96%) across the three sectors could benefit from zero or reduced rates and the budget guarantees that support for the full three years of the revaluation.

Question reference: S6W-42682

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Independent
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 December 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 14 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the decision taken in the UK Government Budget to provide a permanent business rate discount for retail and hospitality businesses in England from April 2026, what analysis or assessment it has undertaken of the potential risk to the fulfilment of its Town Centre Action Plan if Scotland does not introduce a commensurate reduction in business rates and commercial investment in retail and hospitality shifts to England.

The draft Budget published on 13 January ensures the estimated revenues raised from non-domestic rates in 2026-27 will be 6% lower in real terms than pre-COVID using the Consumer Price Index.

It continues to support businesses and communities with a strong non-domestic rates package for 2026-27 which decreases the Basic, Intermediate and Higher Property Rates in 2026-27, delivering the lowest Basic Property Rate since 2018-19.

Businesses and communities will be supported with a generous non-domestic rates relief package worth an estimated £864 million in 2026-27, including the Small Business Bonus Scheme which remains the most generous scheme of its kind in the UK and is confirmed for the next three years, as well as transitional relief schemes.

Recognising the challenges faced by the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors, for the next three years we will offer 15% relief for eligible properties in these sectors liable for the Basic or Intermediate Property Rates, capped at £110,000 per business per year; and extend and expand 100% relief for the next three years to retail, hospitality and leisure premises located on islands as defined by the Islands (Scotland) Act 2018, and in prescribed remote areas (Cape Wrath, Knoydart and Scoraig) capped at £110,000 per business per year.

Around half of the properties in the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure sectors continue to be eligible for 100% SBBS relief in 2026-27. A further 37,000 properties could benefit from the new 15% relief for Retail, Hospitality and Leisure properties with a rateable value up to and including £100,000 and on Islands.

Taken together around 89,000 properties (or 96%) across the three sectors could benefit from zero or reduced rates and the budget guarantees that support for the full three years of the revaluation.

We continue to support the revitalisation of town centres through the Town Centre First Principle and the delivery of the Town Centre Action Plan, delivered in partnership with COSLA, local government and key partners including Scotland’s Towns Partnership.

Question reference: S6W-42671

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 December 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 14 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29052 by Jim Fairlie on 27 August 2024, whether it will provide an update of the number of licence applications that NatureScot received for the culling of (a) greylag, (b) pink-footed and (c) Canada geese in (a) 2024-25 and (b) 2025-26, broken down by local authority area.

The information which you have requested is as follows:

Region	Year	Greylag goose	Pink-footed goose	Canada goose
Aberdeenshire	2024	0	3	0
	2025	0	0	0

Angus	2024	1	0	0
	2025	0	0	0

Argyll and Bute	2024	2	0	0
	2025	2	0	0

Dumfries and Galloway	2024	0	2	0
	2025	0	1	0

Falkirk	2024	0	3	0
	2025	0	1	0

Fife	2024	0	4	0
	2025	0	0	0

Highland	2024	1	9	1
	2025	0	4	0

Midlothian	2024	0	2	0
	2025	0	0	0

Moray	2024	1	0	1
	2025	0	1	0

Orkney	2024	0	7	0
	2025	0	1	0

Perth and Kinross	2024	0	1	0
	2025	0	1	0

This data includes licence amendments, so the number of locations which held a licence will be fewer than the number of licences listed in the table.
Please note: the 2024 data runs 01 January 2024 to 31 December 2024, this is why some of the 2024 data will differ from that published for S6W-29052 as it was asked in August 2024.
NatureScot also publishes information on licensing data on their website at https://www.nature.scot/doc/summary-licensing-data

Parliament dissolved ahead of election

Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Filter your results Hide all filters

Question reference: S6O-05413

Answer

Question reference: S6O-05415

Answer

Question reference: S6O-05397

Answer

Question reference: S6W-43012

Answer

Question reference: S6W-42828

Answer

Question reference: S6W-42793

Answer

Question reference: S6W-42721

Answer

Question reference: S6W-42716

Answer

Question reference: S6W-42682

Answer

Question reference: S6W-42671

Answer