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 46716 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S6W-42157

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Independent
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 4 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the Good Food Nation key groups, for what reason each member of each group was included; what the application process for membership was, and what payment members are entitled to.

We have not set out any Good Food Nation key groups. We have established a Ministerial Working Group on Food, which consists of ministers whose portfolio touches on food policy, as well as an official level working group. Both of these groups are strictly for managing the internal workings of government and improving cross-portfolio collaboration. One of the main aims of the Good Food Nation (Scotland) Act 2022 is to ensure joined up and coherent policy making in relation to food. This will require extensive engagement with a wide range of stakeholders within and outwith the Scottish Government to ensure the views of those with an interest are taken into account. This will include agricultural stakeholders and food producers as they all have a key part to play in meeting the ambitious Outcomes set out in the national Good Food Nation Plan, particularly around ensuring our food and drink sector is prosperous, diverse, innovative and vital to national and local economic and social wellbeing.

Question reference: S6W-42059

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Independent
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 4 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the University of Edinburgh, in its current dispute with the University and College Union, is fulfilling its obligation under the paper, Fair Work First - Guidance, to provide "appropriate channels for effective workers' voice".

While the University of Edinburgh is an autonomous institution with responsibility for its own operational decision making, I expect constructive and meaningful engagement with UCU to seek a resolution to this dispute - in line with Fair Work principles. Central to our Fair Work approach is the expectation that employers, workers and trade unions work together to reach the right decisions and ensure that workers are treated fairly.

Implementation of Fair Work First must be the guiding criteria to promote fairer work practices for staff within the university sector, and the Scottish Government has made this clear in its most recent letter of guidance to the Scottish Funding Council (SFC). The SFC continues to monitor universities’ compliance through annual reporting and accounts, and as part of their Outcomes Framework and Assurance Model, and consider any appropriate interventions to support compliance.

Question reference: S6W-42185

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 4 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the £620,000 of funding that it has provided to improve the understanding of, and support for, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), whether it will provide information on how the money has been allocated and spent in the (a) financial year 2024-25 and (b) current financial year to date.

In the financial year 2024-25, we provided £216,500 of grant funding to the FASD Hub in Scotland which provides support, training and advice to families, carers and professionals supporting children affected by FASD. This hub is the first of its kind in the UK.

We also provided the Fetal Alcohol Advisory Support and Training Team (FAASTT) with grant funding of £403,500 to allow the delivery of training to improve knowledge, attitudes and confidence in professionals working with individuals with FASD.

Both organisations have been allocated the same amount of funding in 2025-26 to continue to deliver the activity outlined above.

Question reference: S6W-42129

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 24 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 4 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6T-02727 by Jim Fairlie on 4 November 2025, when it will publish further details of the awards made under the Future Farming Investment Scheme.

I refer the member to the answers to questions S6W-42039 and S6W-42047 on 1 December 2025.

Regarding the allocation of funding to island based businesses, priority status alone did not guarantee funding; investments also had to demonstrate strong alignment with scheme objectives and deliver measurable outcomes. Delivering on the scheme objectives was the most important element of scoring and this approach was designed with stakeholders, including the NFUS.

Many applicants from priority groups applied for standard items of agricultural equipment, mainly for general livestock management, which, while not deemed ineligible, when assessed against other capital investments did not demonstrate strong delivery against the scheme’s objectives. Examples included cattle clippers, sheep shearing machines, footbaths, water troughs, creep feeders, self-locking feed barriers, and feed storage bins.

Although these items are useful for routine livestock management, they were assessed as providing limited measurable benefit in terms of improving environmental performance, resource efficiency, or climate outcomes. For smaller businesses, these capital investments can represent meaningful improvements, however within a competitive assessment framework they did not score as highly as proposals that delivered more substantial benefits in line with the schemes purpose and objectives.

Many people will be disappointed if they were not successful, but there are many others who were and will share in £21 million that will make a real difference to their business. The following table provides a summary of items grant offers were issued for, demonstrating positive investment in the sector and supply chains to deliver on environmental performance, resource efficiency, and climate outcomes.

Category	Number of Investments Supported	Total Grant Value (£)
Livestock Handling and Weighing Equipment	915	£ 5,694,830.39
Precision Farming Equipment	284	£ 2,530,230.36
Soil Health Equipment	145	£ 1,695,552.90
Slurry Handling and Spreading Equipment	108	£ 1,410,649.63
Water Efficiency Equipment	177	£ 1,477,182.74
Efficient Feeding of Livestock Equipment	84	£ 1,178,298.11
Livestock Comfort Equipment	165	£ 1,535,480.88
Sustainable Grassland Improvement Equipment	189	£ 1,293,011.92
Livestock Feeding and Feed Handling Equipment	353	£ 1,299,048.96
Biodiversity and Habitat Enhancement	293	£ 800,281.81
Livestock Health Monitoring Equipment	76	£ 589,051.32
Crop Management - Moisture and Temperature Monitoring	114	£ 590,782.22
Environmental Management - Livestock Grazing Control	58	£ 475,468.00
Grazing Management Equipment	207	£ 405,462.87
Livestock Improved Ventilation Equipment	48	£ 320,395.37
Livestock EID Equipment	305	£ 281,858.42
Efficient Dairy Farming Equipment	19	£ 153,504.50
Livestock Standard Management and Care Equipment	113	£ 127,337.91
Energy Efficiency Equipment - Grassland Management	52	£ 107,511.18
Livestock Management Remote Monitoring Equipment - Cameras	56	£ 61,162.45
Livestock Management Remote Monitoring Equipment - Drones	23	£ 58,651.68
Energy Efficiency Equipment - Lighting	28	£ 33,790.67
Efficient Livestock Health Treatment Equipment	32	£ 26,403.00
Environment Monitoring Equipment	9	£ 16,294.98
Livestock Improved Welfare Equipment	28	£ 12,564.20
Wildlife Monitoring Equipment	3	£ 1,800.00

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-41981

Asked by: Michael Marra, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 4 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the energy costs incurred by (a) it and (b) its public bodies in each of the past five years.

The total cost of gas and electric for Core Scottish Government buildings in the past 5 years is

2019 - £3,156,688 (Electricity £2,662,002, Gas £494,686)

2020 - £2,076,368 (Electricity £1,832,164, Gas £244,204)

2021 - £2,919,646 (Electricity £2,487,991, Gas £431,655)

2022 - £3,752,115 (Electricity £2,937,460, Gas £814,655)

2023 - £5,411,415 (Electricity £4,542,639, Gas £868,776)

2024 - £6,478,435 (Electricity £5,613,007, Gas £865,428)

Information on the energy costs for public bodies is not held centrally.

Question reference: S6W-42303

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 December 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 17 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding its definition of rewilding for public bodies, which was published in 2023, what work it has undertaken to develop, apply or review it.

Question reference: S6W-42291

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 December 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 17 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the letter to the Finance and Public Administration Committee by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government on 28 January 2025, in which the cabinet secretary announced the proposed establishment of a 12-month £2 bus fare cap pilot in a regional transport partnership area from 1 January 2026 with "£10 million to operate for the one year term of the pilot, with a cost of £3 million in the [2025-26] budget for the establishment and operation of the scheme", whether it can confirm that these plans are still in place; what progress there has been with establishing the scheme, and by what date it will be fully operational.

Question reference: S6W-42307

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 December 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 17 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-41434 by Mairi McAllan on 18 November 2025, whether it plans to publish the final review report and options for ministers to consider for new accommodation standards for seasonal workers developed by its Housing Standards and Quality team, and, if so, by what date this will happen.

Question reference: S6W-42311

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 December 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 17 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many co-ordinated support plans have been made in each local authority, in each year since their introduction.

Question reference: S6W-42317

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 December 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 17 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many prisoners have been released from Scottish prisons in error over the last 10 years.