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-43476

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 30 January 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 13 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-42433 by Ivan McKee on 22 December 2025, whether it will provide an update on the remit and timescales of the independent review of the valuation of licensed hospitality properties.

Question reference: S6W-43481

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 30 January 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 13 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, following the publication of the non-domestic rates revaluation statistics on 13 January 2026, how many (a) restaurants, (b) pubs and (c) hotels will see an increase in their rateable values of over (i) 10%, (ii) 20%, (iii) 30% and (iv) 40% or higher.

Question reference: S6W-43456

Asked by: Gordon MacDonald, MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 January 2026
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Richard Lochhead on 30 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports of a particularly challenging year for international trade, what action it has taken to support people and businesses in Scotland in delivering Scotland’s Vision for Trade, and whether it plans to publish a fourth annual report of its progress.

I am pleased to announce that the fourth Annual Report of Scotland’s Vision for Trade (the Vision) is being published today. The Vision sets out our strategic approach to trade policy and this report details the progress we have made in the implementation of the Vision since our last report in late 2024. It demonstrates our continued commitment, in what has been a particularly turbulent year, to transparency and accountability in international trade policy making, and to our principle-based approach.

The last year has seen a number of shocks to the global economy, set against a background of wider and longer term trends changing the way we trade goods and services globally. Scotland has of course not been immune to the headwinds buffeting economies across the globe.

This report details how the First Minister’s mission to grow the economy has been at the forefront of our approach in responding to these developments. In particular, we have taken action to support Scotland’s businesses to be successful globally. That action included influencing the terms of the UK-India Free Trade Agreement (FTA), engaging directly with President Trump in support of Scotch Whisky and collaborating with the UK Government in tackling market access barriers in the EU and other markets for Scottish exports such as pork, crabs & whisky.

In considering the wider impacts of trade, we have pursued our aims for both growth and inclusive trade, for example by taking action to reduce the gender export gap in support of women-led businesses.

The report details how we worked constructively with the UK Government in furthering these aims and our shared trade interests. I encourage the UK Government to commit to working with Devolved Governments to navigate these turbulent times together, ensuring that the UK Trade Strategy delivers for the whole of the UK

The publication of this report marks five years since the original publication of the Vision for Trade. A lot has changed in that time, and the report sets out some of the highlights and challenges we have faced, including how we have used our principles to navigate difficult issues and trade-offs.

As we look towards the future, there is little to suggest that the challenges will be any less complex. We must continue to build on the legacy of Scotland’s Vision for Trade, building on our successes and continuing to apply our distinct, principled approach to the issues we face.

Question reference: S6W-43467

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 January 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 12 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of participants from Inverclyde who have completed apprenticeships funded by the Scottish Government have remained in employment six months after completion, in the last five years.

Question reference: S6W-43439

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 January 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 12 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding seafarers’ employment rights on any new roll-on, roll-off ferry services between Rosyth and Dunkirk.

Question reference: S6W-43465

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 January 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 12 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how many young people aged 16 to 24 in Inverclyde have been categorised as not in education, employment or training (NEET), in each of the last five financial years.

Question reference: S6W-43440

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 January 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 12 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-40006 by Fiona Hyslop on 18 September 2025, what recent discussions it has had with the operator regarding the Fair Work First criteria in the granting of public funds.

Question reference: S6W-43431

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 January 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 12 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-41364 by Ivan McKee on 28 October 2025, what estimate it has made of the total future electricity demand resulting from expected AI and data centre developments in Scotland, in light of its joint commissioning of a Strategic Spatial Energy Plan (SSEP) for Great Britain, and how this estimate is being communicated to any local authorities that will be responsible for consenting large-scale, energy-intensive infrastructure.

Question reference: S6W-43425

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 January 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 12 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will commit to a national path fund, in light of the impact of the Ian Findlay Path Fund that has been delivered by Walking Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-43384

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 January 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 12 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what estimated tonnage of lithium has not been recovered from single-use vapes in each of the last three years for which data is available.