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: S6F-04092

Asked by: Lorna Slater, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 May 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 May 2025

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6F-04091

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 19 May 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 May 2025

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6F-04113

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 May 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 May 2025

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to The Hunter Foundation report, Lessons from Singapore for Scotland's Economy.

Question reference: S6F-04090

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 May 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 May 2025

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6W-37494

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 19 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to address reported concerns raised by court staff regarding their safety in courtrooms where the police presence has been reduced under the dynamic policing model pilot.

Question reference: S6W-37433

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 19 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what is being done to tackle reported digital exclusion, especially among low-income households and older people, as essential services increasingly move online.

The Scottish Government is committed to tackling digital exclusion. We recognise that some groups, including older people and low-income households, often face additional barriers to digital participation and we are addressing those through a range of initiatives.

The Connecting Scotland programme, delivered in partnership with the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations, has provided over 61,000 internet-enabled devices, connectivity, and digital skills support to those in need, including targeted support for older people and low-income households.

Building on this, since August 2023 Connecting Scotland has funded 39 local digital inclusion projects. This includes device-lending libraries, social housing initiatives, and place-based schemes. The most recent data shows that the majority of these projects have supported older people and low-income households to gain digital access and develop digital skills and confidence.

The £2 million Digital Inclusion Programme has supported 20 projects, focusing on digital inclusion in mental health and housing. Delivered in partnership with the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations, the Programme has benefited over 3,500 people, helping them to access services and support online, develop essential digital skills, and improve their wellbeing. It has also supported over 600 staff and volunteers, and trained over 300 digital champions.

In addition, the Scottish Government continues to deliver the £3.2 million Digital Lifelines Programme, which has supported over 5,000 people at risk of drug-related death to access digital devices, skills and affordable connectivity, and has trained over 500 people as digital inclusion champions.

The Scottish Government’s work to tackle digital exclusion is underpinned by programmes that are delivering resilient digital connectivity infrastructure. Our £600+ million Reaching 100% (R100) programme is connecting homes and businesses across Scotland and throughout 2025 we will continue to award Project Gigabit in Scotland contracts, building on R100’s transformational impact. Overall, more than one million faster broadband connections have been delivered in Scotland in the last ten years, deploying over £1 billion of publicly driven investment.

We will continue working to make services as accessible and inclusive as possible, so that no-one is left behind. However, we also recognise that engaging with digital services is a choice and non-digital options for accessing public services will remain available for those whose needs are best served in this way.

Question reference: S6W-37421

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 19 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many food crime cases were referred to the Procurator Fiscal by Food Standards Scotland in each financial year, from 2020-21 to date.

In 2020 3 cases were referred to the Procurator Fiscal by Food Standards Scotland and one in each year for 2021,2022, 2023 and 2024. In four of the cases the principal charge was reported as culpable and reckless conduct, a serious crime at common law in exposing others, and the public in general, to a significant risk to life or health. Two other cases reported were reported by FSS over the relevant period, but have not been included in the statistics as they relate to animal welfare offences which do not fall within the definition of food crime.

Question reference: S6W-37426

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 19 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has made any assessment of the impact of the potential closure of the Notre Dame Centre in Glasgow.

The Scottish Government was concerned to hear about the withdrawal of funding from the Notre Dame Centre. We recognise that the potential closure of the Centre as a result will be causing concern for the children and families that use its services. Scottish Government officials have received assurances from the Integrated Joint Board that alternative services will be available and transition plans put in place for those currently using the services provided by the Centre.

Although it is for the IJB to make decisions about the local provision of services they fund, we expect these decisions to be made in consultation with the communities in which they are based. The Scottish Government also expects the IJB to consider the impact this may have on those that use the Centre, particularly vulnerable users, and on other services which may be asked to step in.

Question reference: S6W-37419

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 19 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether Food Standards Scotland currently receives enough funding to carry out all of its responsibilities.

The Scottish Government and the whole of the public sector faces a very challenging situation as we continue to manage our finances through the current financial year, in 2025-26 and beyond.

Operating within a fixed budget, we have had to manage Scottish public finances in the face of higher inflation and cost of living pressures, making tough decisions to protect the most vulnerable in society.

As part of the Scottish Government 25/26 budget, Food Standards Scotland (FSS) was given a flat budget. FSS have notified the Scottish Government of a pressure due to increased staffing and delivery costs and the Scottish Government will work with FSS to manage the pressure. This has included the set-up of the FSS policy forum with relevant policy teams across Scottish Government to provide a co-ordinated response to the issues FSS face and facilitates the exchange of soft intelligence and problem solving.

Scottish Government have also committed to review the allocated budget in year.

Question reference: S6W-37423

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 19 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many food businesses were inspected by an environmental health officer or food safety officer in each calendar year from 2020 to date.