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-44443

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 19 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it provides to local authorities to ensure that siblings from multiple births can access their funded early learning and childcare (ELC) hours at the same provider and within the same sessions, in light of reports that limited capacity in some areas is forcing parents to split twins between different nurseries or different time slots.

The Scottish Government fully funds Local Authorities to deliver 1,140 hours of funded ELC. Local authorities have a statutory duty to provide funded ELC to all entitled children in their area and are responsible for local admission policies.

The Scottish Government has issued Operating Guidance on Funding Follows the Child and the National Standard which sets out the Scottish Government’s expectations of local authorities in delivering funded ELC hours.

The Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 (Section 50) also requires local authorities to consult with families in their area about how they should make ELC available. This duty helps local authorities to take into consideration the views and needs of parents and carers they serve when making decisions on how to deliver funded ELC.

Question reference: S6W-44470

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 19 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the effectiveness of Police Scotland’s use of specialist drones to detect and track illegal e-scooter and e-bike riders, and how many vehicles have been seized in the (a) Lanarkshire and (b) Greater Glasgow division as a direct result of these interventions.

Police Scotland have a Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) capability and rightly make operational decisions on how that is deployed. Police Scotland have advised this capability is within the development and evaluation phase, and future deployment will depend on their ongoing operational assessment and further technological development. Police Scotland also note that Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems cannot be used to pursue vehicles, and Civil Aviation Authority regulations can restrict operation to within visual line of sight.

Police Scotland have confirmed that, to date, one off-road motorcycle has been seized as a result of this activity in Lanarkshire and no vehicle seizures are attributable to such activity in Greater Glasgow.

Question reference: S6W-44480

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 19 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what its estimated cost for 2026-27 is of (a) uprating the Scottish Child Payment and (b) introducing the £40 weekly payment for under-one-year-olds.

The cost of uprating Scottish Child Payment for 2026-27 will be around £17.7 million.

Estimated costings of the premium relating to children under the age of one were included in the Scottish Fiscal Commission’s report, Scotland’s Economic and Fiscal Forecasts – January 2026. It estimated that around 12,000 children will receive this increased support once the payment is delivered, with estimated costs of £3.5 million (part-year) in 2027-28 and around £7 million (full-year) in 2028-29.

Question reference: S6W-44450

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 19 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the number of children who take up a funded early learning and childcare place in a local authority other than the one in which they live.

Question reference: S6W-44449

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 19 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with COSLA about ensuring that children can access funded early learning and childcare even when taking up a place outwith the local authority in which they live.

Local authorities have a statutory duty to make available funded ELC to the children residing within their own area and are also responsible for meeting the statutory guidance requirements in relation to cross-boundary provision.

In light of the representations from affected parents and providers, in 2024, the Minister for Children, Young People and the Promise highlighted concerns about consistency in cross-boundary provision at a national level to COSLA.

I have written to COSLA again on 12 March 2026, highlighting the importance of this issue and asking them to work in partnership with national Government to find solutions that work for all of Scotland’s children and families.

Question reference: S6W-44430

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 19 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of footage published on 10 March 2026 by Animal Equality UK via The Ferret depicting salmon at a Bakkafrost facility with severe sea-lice infestations resulting in significant facial tissue damage, and reports that the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) carried out an investigation into the incident but did not confirm what regulatory action was subsequently taken, with Bakkafrost stating that the regulator was “satisfied” with the action taken in respect of affected fish, whether it will commit to requiring regulators, including APHA, to proactively publish the findings and outcomes of welfare investigations at aquaculture facilities, in order that the public and the Parliament can assess whether regulatory responses are proportionate to the severity of incidents recorded.

The Scottish Government takes the welfare of farmed fish seriously and expects all aquaculture operators to comply with animal welfare legislation and industry standards. Where welfare concerns are raised, the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) are responsible for investigating potential breaches of welfare law and, where appropriate, will take enforcement action using the range of powers available to it.

The Scottish Government provides funding for training APHA veterinarians on farmed fish welfare, and we have full confidence that they have the skill and expertise to carry out inspections. Arrangements for routine welfare inspections of Scottish fish farms by APHA have been strengthened and will result in an increased number of inspections undertaken each year.

The Scottish Government does not intend to require proactive publication of outcomes of individual welfare investigations. Any changes to existing reporting practices would require careful consideration to ensure consistency across sectors and to avoid prejudicing investigative functions.

Question reference: S6W-44412

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 19 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government in what ways it works with (a) local authorities and (b) NHS boards to encourage greater use of venison and other game products.

Whilst menu content will be decided locally, there is much work underway by Scottish Government to facilitate the uptake of venison across the public sector.

This includes a successful pilot with Wild Jura, Argyll and Bute Council and Food for Life Scotland to supply venison into six primary schools. Officials are working collaboratively to explore opportunities to increase demand for venison and develop options to increase supply by helping the sector make the most of various routes to markets such as wholesale and framework agreements used widely across public sector.

In February 2026, the Scottish Government provided £45,000 to SAOS and Scottish Venison to undertake activity to help build capability within the venison sector and drive increased consumption of venison from Scotland. This includes work to improve and establish new supply chains, build skills and develop resources for use within schools.

Officials will continue to work collaboratively with the Scottish Venison Association, Scotland Food & Drink as well as other key stakeholders to ensure opportunities are available within the public sector to enjoy venison.

Question reference: S6W-44273

Asked by: Douglas Ross, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 19 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the First Minister's responses during First Minister's Questions on 19 February 2026 in relation to the briefing that he had received from the Lord Advocate about Operation Branchform, for what reason he failed to mention that he had also been briefed by the Lord Advocate on the same case in March 2025.

It would not have been appropriate for the First Minister to give details of any briefings without understanding the impact on proceedings should information be released. The Lord Advocate has now provided members with a wide range of examples to demonstrate the long-standing practice of prosecutors properly advising the Government of the day, of significant prosecutorial decisions taken by an independent prosecutor.

Question reference: S6W-44356

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 19 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of the funding allocated to the Techscaler programme that has supported companies headquartered in each local authority area, since 2022.

The Techscaler programme does not directly invest in businesses as it is our national programme for creating, developing and scaling tech startups. Members can access the national network of tailored education, mentorship, investment access, community infrastructure, and international opportunities available through the programme. A fuller breakdown of regional participation has recently been published in the Techscaler Annual Report 2025.

Question reference: S6W-44410

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 19 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has allocated to the promotion of Scottish-landed (a) fish and (b) shellfish, in each year since 2021.