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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

Filter your results Hide all filters

Displaying 3575 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S7W-01476

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 15 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any welfare impacts associated with the transportation of live decapod crustaceans.

To date, no assessment has been undertaken. In its statutory review of the Animals and Wildlife (Penalties, Protections and Powers) Act 2020 the Scottish Government committed to undertaking, in collaboration with Defra and other devolved administrations, a gap analysis to identify the specific welfare challenges faced by decapods (including live transportation), what evidence there is to inform potential solutions to these challenges and where further research may be needed.

Question reference: S7W-01474

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 15 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the welfare implications of the live boiling of decapod crustaceans and, if so, whether it is considering any legislative or regulatory changes.

The Scottish Government has not undertaken any assessment focussed on the welfare implication of live boiling. However, we have previously acknowledged and recognise that the live boiling of decapods is regarded as an inhumane slaughter method. We continue to consider the welfare challenges associated with decapods and assess the available evidence to inform any future measures to protect decapod welfare.

Question reference: S7W-01233

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 22 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 15 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of practices by countries or jurisdictions that have prohibited, restricted or phased out the culling of live male chicks by maceration, and what consideration it has given to adopting similar measures in Scotland.

Question reference: S7W-01236

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 22 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 15 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to phase out or prohibit the maceration of live male chicks, and, if not, for what reason.

Very little routine killing of male chicks takes place in Scotland, with the main commercial hatcheries supplying Scotland’s egg industry being located in England. The current methods of killing chicks, such as Maceration/Instantaneous Mechanical Destruction, are considered to be acceptable by the Humane Slaughter Association and we will continue to work with industry to ensure that the current regulations still meet their objectives.

Question reference: S7W-01121

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 15 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether applicants to the Redress Scheme are prioritised if they are at the end of life.

Applicants are asked if they are terminally ill on the application form and, if confirmed, these applications are considered priority 1 applications and are prioritised at all stages of the redress process.

Redress Scotland make a determination on a priority 1 application within six weeks of receipt. Prioritisation of applications to be determined is a matter for the Chair of Redress Scotland, as set out in the Redress for Survivors (Historical Abuse in Care) (Scotland) Act 2021).

Question reference: S7W-01482

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 15 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recognition of decapod crustaceans as sentient animals, what research it has commissioned, reviewed or relied upon regarding the welfare needs of these animals.

The Scottish Government has considered and continues to consider a range of evidence around decapod welfare including the London School of Economics study on decapod and cephalopod sentience, and the Scottish Animal Welfare Commission Case Study on cephalopod sentience. Any future research needs will be informed in due course by the gap analysis we are committed to undertaking in collaboration with Defra.

Question reference: S7W-01481

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 15 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to introducing statutory welfare standards for decapod crustaceans in sectors that currently operate under voluntary guidance.

The Scottish Government is currently working with the other devolved Governments to develop Guidance for the welfare at the time of killing of decapods. The Scottish Government will consider the case for developing statutory welfare standards as part of the wider work and commitment to undertake a gap analysis in collaboration with Defra and our wider evidence-based review to inform future measures to protect decapod welfare.

Question reference: S7W-01475

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 15 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with industry, scientific and animal welfare stakeholders regarding the development of welfare standards for the humane handling and slaughter of decapod crustaceans.

The Scottish Government is working with the UK Government to develop Guidance for the decapod welfare at time of killing. In order to inform the development of this Guidance we have collectively met with industry bodies including Seafish, the Shellfish Association of Great Britain (SAGB) and other organisations which developed an industry Code of Practice for handling and despatch of decapods, as well as with NGOs including Crustacean Compassion.

Question reference: S7W-01510

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 15 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to include proposals to improve the welfare of farmed animals, including through measures relating to the use of farrowing crates, in its forthcoming Programme for Government.

Question reference: S7W-01116

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 15 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what the longest waiting time has been for an application to the Redress Scheme.

The official statistics, available at Scotland's Redress Scheme Statistics December 2021 - June 2025, provide information on applications, outcomes and payments made in the first 42 months of Scotland's Redress Scheme.

The Scheme is completely survivor led and as such, it is common for applicants to pause their application or disengage from the application process. Applicants can return to their application whenever they feel ready to do so. These circumstances reflect a proportion of applications with the longest waiting times.