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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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Dates of parliamentary sessions
  1. Session 1: 12 May 1999 to 31 March 2003
  2. Session 2: 7 May 2003 to 2 April 2007
  3. Session 3: 9 May 2007 to 22 March 2011
  4. Session 4: 11 May 2011 to 23 March 2016
  5. Session 5: 12 May 2016 to 4 May 2021
  6. Session 6: 13 May 2021 to 8 April 2026
  7. Current session: 14 May 2026 to 17 June 2026
Answer status
Question type

Displaying 1259 questions Show Answers

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Question reference: S7W-00163

  • Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
  • Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 May 2026
  • Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 2 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Scottish National Party’s 2026 manifesto commitment to enact a statutory price cap on essential food items in shops, whether the proposal is compatible with the Scottish Government’s Retail Industry Leadership Group’s vision to make Scotland the best place in the UK to grow a retail business.

Question reference: S7W-00430

  • Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
  • Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 May 2026
  • Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 2 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a full list of the responsibilities held by the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice and Housing.

Question reference: S7W-00158

  • Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
  • Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 May 2026
  • Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 2 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how many renewable energy applications in the Highlands and Islands region that were rejected by local authorities were subsequently given consent by the Planning and Environmental Appeals Division, in each year since 2021.

Question reference: S7W-00071

  • Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
  • Date lodged: Monday, 18 May 2026
  • Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 2 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the pledge in the Scottish National Party's 2026 manifesto to enact a statutory price cap on essential food items, what comparative assessment it has made of the expansion of its Best Start Foods programme or similar welfare payments and the introducing a statutory cap.

Question reference: S7W-00133

  • Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scot and Lothians West, Reform UK
  • Date lodged: Monday, 18 May 2026
  • Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 2 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Scottish National Party's 2026 manifesto commitment to enact a statutory price cap on essential food items, how prices would be set and who would take that decision.  

 

Question reference: S7W-00271

  • Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
  • Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 May 2026
  • Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 2 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have been remanded to prison custody by the High Court of the Judiciary but given a non-custodial sentence, and what was the (a) mean, (b) median and (c) 90th percentile length of time on remand for such individuals, in each year since 2018.

Question reference: S7W-00283

  • Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
  • Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 May 2026
  • Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 2 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have been remanded to electronically monitored bail by justice of the peace courts and received a verdict of (a) not guilty, (b) not proceeded against and (c) not proven for the charges for which remanded, and what the (i) mean, (ii) median and (iii) 90th percentile length of time on remand was for such individuals, in each year since 2018.

 

Question reference: S7W-00097

  • Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scot and Lothians West, Reform UK
  • Date lodged: Monday, 18 May 2026
  • Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 2 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Scottish National Party's 2026 manifesto commitment to enact a statutory price cap on essential food items, what discussions it has had with the Groceries Code Adjudicator regarding this proposal. 

Question reference: S7W-00318

  • Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
  • Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 May 2026
  • Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 2 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the Scottish Prison Service is appealing against the decision by Historic Environment Scotland to designate historic buildings at HMP Barlinnie as Category A listed, in light of reported high public and democratic support for the designation.

Question reference: S7W-00416

  • Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
  • Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 May 2026
  • Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 2 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government further to the Scottish National Party 2026 manifesto commitment to bring forward a misogyny bill to outlaw harassment and abuse based on misogyny, when it plans to introduce this bill.