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-39552

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 25 July 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 8 August 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many offensive weapons have been found within HMP (a) Greenock and (b) Kilmarnock in each of the past five years.

I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

SPS remain vigilant to the threat presented by weapons within our estate. Despite tactical and security measures, there are a number of those in custody who continue to attempt to introduce illicit articles (including weapons) into our estate, or those who are found to have fashioned everyday items into a weapon.

SPS will continue to report these instances to Police Scotland and seek conviction where appropriate. In addition, SPS also utilise the Prison and Young Offender Rules (Scotland) 2011 to mitigate known risk and preserve the good order and discipline within our establishments.

The table below shows how many offensive weapons there has been found in each of the past five calendar years in HMP Greenock and HMP Kilmarnock.

Establishment 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
HMP Greenock 2 9 9 5 6
HMP Kilmarnock 39 35 29 51 53
Total 41 44 38 56 59

Question reference: S6W-39708

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 04 August 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 1 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how much financial support it has provided to local authorities specifically to maintain or enhance rural bus services since 2019, broken down by local authority.

Question reference: S6W-39709

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 04 August 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 1 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many ScotRail evening rail services currently operate on each route, and how this compares with the number of evening rail services on each route in 2019.

Question reference: S6W-39707

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 04 August 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 1 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many rural bus routes have been reduced or withdrawn in each year since 2010, broken down by local authority area.

Question reference: S6W-39711

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 04 August 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 1 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the use of the 101 non-emergency number is an appropriate and sufficient reporting route for incidents of suspected spiking, and whether it plans to review its guidance on this matter.

Question reference: S6W-39729

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 04 August 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 1 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government which region of Scotland has the (a) fastest and (b) slowest broadband connection speeds, and what its investment plans are to ensure that all parts of the country can access reliable, high-speed connections.

Question reference: S6W-39710

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 04 August 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 1 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government at what time the last ScotRail service of the day on each route (a) currently departs and (b) departed in 2019.

Question reference: S6W-39730

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 04 August 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 1 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many train journeys have been cancelled for non-weather-related reasons in (a) 2025 to date and (b) each of the past five years, and what compensation was offered to passengers.

Question reference: S6W-39677

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 31 July 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 28 August 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what the average time has been between initial project approval and start on site for affordable homes in each year since 2010.

Question reference: S6W-39676

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 31 July 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 28 August 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what the average cost per unit has been to deliver an affordable home in each year since 2007, and what assessment it has made of how many additional homes could have been delivered if a greater share of investment had taken place during years when construction costs were lower.