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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Displaying 2014 questions Show Answers

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Question reference: S7W-01643

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 10 July 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 7 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what work it has undertaken to assess the relationship between domestic abuse experienced by men, addiction recovery, suicide risk, family court-related stress, loss of child contact and post-separation coercive control, including factors that can push recovered fathers further away from their children.

Question reference: S7W-01637

Asked by: Sanne Dijkstra-Downie, MSP for Edinburgh Northern, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 10 July 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 7 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the contribution that heat networks can make to tackling fuel poverty in Scotland, and how this is reflected in its current and planned policy and funding commitments.

Question reference: S7W-01640

Asked by: Sanne Dijkstra-Downie, MSP for Edinburgh Northern, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 10 July 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 7 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to introduce a statutory obligation or financial incentives to ensure that heat network zone delivery is more effectively driven through Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategies, and, if so, what timeline it is working to.

Question reference: S7W-01639

Asked by: Sanne Dijkstra-Downie, MSP for Edinburgh Northern, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 10 July 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 7 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the extent to which local authorities are effectively incorporating heat network zones into their Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategies, and what action it is taking where progress is insufficient.

Question reference: S7W-01641

Asked by: Sanne Dijkstra-Downie, MSP for Edinburgh Northern, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 10 July 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 7 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made towards the introduction of utilities-based statutory undertaker rights for heat network developers, and when it plans to bring forward the necessary legislation.

Question reference: S7W-01638

Asked by: Sanne Dijkstra-Downie, MSP for Edinburgh Northern, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 10 July 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 7 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what funding it has made available or plans to make available for key enabling infrastructure to support heat network delivery, and how it is working with industry to develop a strategic approach to the rollout of heat networks.

Question reference: S7W-01500

Asked by: Alan Brown, MSP for Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 10 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding any assessment it has made of any implications of the UK–US trade deal for the pricing of new medicines in Scotland, including the potential impact on NHS Scotland's budget.

Whilst the UK Government is yet to share any detailed impact assessment with Scottish Ministers, we are continuing to work closely with the UK Government to assess the costs and benefits of the deal, including the implications of recently announced implementation measures and pilot programmes.

When the impact assessments are made available, we will consider the implications the price changes for medicines will have on the NHS in Scotland.

Question reference: S7W-01509

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 10 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of existing animal welfare legislation and regulation, and whether it has identified any areas where it considers that reform may be required.

In April 2025 the Scottish Government published a review of the Animals and Wildlife (Penalties, Protections and Powers) (Scotland) Act 2020, considering the provisions of the 2020 Act and any requirements for additional animal welfare, animal health and wildlife offences. The review concluded that the closely targeted provisions in the 2020 Act are functioning as intended and that no legislative changes are required.

Additionally, the Scottish Animal Welfare Commission (SAWC) is currently carrying out a review of the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006, with the report scheduled for completion by the end of 2026. The Scottish Government will give full consideration to SAWC's report in due course.

Question reference: S7W-01493

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 10 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the feasibility of imposing a 500-hectare land ownership cap for (a) individuals, (b) companies and (c) other corporate entities.

The Scottish Government is not currently considering a 500 hectare cap on the amount of land that can be owned by individuals, companies or other corporate entities.

Similar proposals were considered previously during the development and parliamentary scrutiny of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2025, with page 32 of the Policy Memorandum noting:

“There is insufficient evidence to justify a limit or presumed limit on the size of landholding that can be owned. Land Commission research, and prior research by the Scottish Government, did not find clear links between scale alone and wider social, economic and environmental outcomes. This proposal would also have significant financial consequences, particularly in relation to compensation.”

This remains the position of the Scottish Government.

Question reference: S7W-01338

Asked by: Yi-pei Chou Turvey, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Kirsten Oswald on 10 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on the impact of waiting times for employment tribunal hearings on claimants in Scotland, and what representations it has made to the UK Government regarding this.

Employment law and the Employment Tribunal system are both reserved and administered by His Majesty's Courts and Tribunal Service (HMCTS). The Scottish Government has not made representations to the UK Government regarding scheduling matters, waiting times, the impact of waiting times, or the time taken for employment tribunal claims in the reserved tribunals to conclude.

The Scottish Government does not centrally hold information on these matters. Information regarding these subjects may be held by HMCTS, who can be contacted at [email protected].