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: S6O-05426

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 January 2026
Current Status: Due to be taken in the Chamber on 28 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met the United States Consul General in Edinburgh to discuss Scotland’s international strategy.

Question reference: S6O-05389

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 January 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what consultation it has entered into with the Scottish Information Commissioner regarding the publication of the controlling interests of recipients of payments made under the Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Act 2024.

Question reference: S6W-42428

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 08 December 2025
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 23 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assurance it can provide to the (a) firefighters and (b) communities of Cumbernauld and surrounding areas that the urban search and rescue appliance will continue to operate from Cumbernauld Fire Station following the service delivery review.

Question reference: S6W-42429

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 08 December 2025
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 23 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what sites have been identified in the Cumbernauld area for the construction of a new fire station; what the timescale is for the construction of this, and by what date it will become operational.

The current fire station at Cumbernauld contains reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) panels and is therefore a priority for RAAC remediation. The specification for the refurbished or replacement fire station, including the possible location, timescale for construction and completion date are all dependent on the SFRS Board taking decisions on the Service Delivery Review, which will take place in 2026.

Question reference: S6W-42308

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 December 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 22 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-41435 by Mairi McAllan on 18 November 2025, whether it will provide a list of those specific organisations that it (a) has met or consulted with (i) between 20 November 2024 and 16 January 2025 and (ii) since 17 January 2025 and (b) it plans to consult with in the development of the consultation on accommodation standards for caravans and mobile accommodation for seasonal workers.

As I stated in my previous answer to Question S6W-41435 from Ariane Burgess MSP, initial meetings with stakeholders took place between 20 November 2024 and 16 January 2025 including with local authorities, farmer representatives, farm employers and regulatory bodies. This was to help better understand the situation during the scoping work.

Further meetings will be held with the wider sector when officials are in a position to begin consultation.

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-41567

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 18 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has regarding the number of older and vulnerable people who will have their insurance policies for funeral costs withdrawn as a result of the termination of the Family Protection Plan by C Mutual and Maiden Life Försäkrings from 30 November 2025.

We understand that around 4,900 individuals across 71 UK credit unions will lose cover without compensation. The impact in Scotland is estimated to be c1,400 individuals across 29 credit unions in Scotland. Some of those may be eligible for alternative policies on similar terms however individuals over 81 years of age, or with pre-existing medical conditions, may be unable to secure alternative cover and may have insufficient funds to pay for their funeral. The Scottish Government has engaged with the Financial Conduct Authority and impacted credit unions in Scotland to understand the implications of the withdrawal and the support being provided to current policyholders.

The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government and I met with Paul Sweeney MSP and a representative of impacted credit unions on Tuesday 18 November and I have continued to engage with the credit union to discuss this further.

The regulation of financial services is fully reserved; however, the Cabinet Secretary wrote to Lucy Rigby, the Economic Secretary to the Treasury on 21 November to ask her to consider the requests of the coalition of Scottish Credit Unions with an offer to meet to discuss this issue.

We stand ready to work with the UK Government to avoid some of our most vulnerable people from being forced into funeral poverty or having to resort to debt to enable them and their families to have peace of mind at the end of their life.

Question reference: S6O-05324

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 December 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether regional news serves an important function in a democracy.

Question reference: S6W-42307

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 December 2025
Current Status: Holding Answer by Mairi McAllan 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-42306

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

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the development of standards for caravans and mobile accommodation for seasonal workers, and further to the answer to question S6W-41436 by Mairi McAllan on 19 November 2025, whether it will ensure that (a) there is a robust inspection regime, (b) those providing accommodation that does not meet the standards are penalised and (c) workers are not charged for or refunded any payments for substandard accommodation.

Question reference: S6W-42309

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

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-41436 by Mairi McAllan on 19 November 2025, whether it will consider introducing a relationship between the charge levied by the employer for accommodation and the accommodation offset rate when it introduces bespoke statutory accommodation standards.