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: S7W-03664

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 25 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Flynn on 5 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with NATS Prestwick regarding its reported technical issue on 8 September 2026 that resulted in the cancellation, delay or diversion of more than 2,000 flights.

The management of airspace within the UK is a matter reserved to the UK Government. However, following the disruption to Scottish airports on Tuesday 8 September and Monday 21 September, I wrote to both the CEO of NATS and the Secretary of State for Transport to raise my concerns around the impact of the disruption on passengers, Highlands and Islands connectivity, and the Scottish economy. I also sought assurances that both intend to work to ensure the UK’s air traffic control system remains fit for purpose.

Question reference: S7W-03666

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 25 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 5 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it has decided to reduce the total funding allocated to the Island Resilience Fund from £4.4 million in 2025-26 to £3 million in 2026-27.

Our £10 million commitment for an Islands Resilience Fund remains unchanged. We have now announced the first £3 million phase, building on the £4.4 million provided through the former Islands Business Resilience Fund last year. Further phases of the new £10m Islands Resilience Fund will be developed and delivered over the lifetime of this Parliament, reflecting our long-term commitment to island communities.

Question reference: S7W-03693

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 25 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 5 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers that fire and rehire practices are consistent with Fair Work Principles.

Question reference: S7W-03632

Asked by: Amanda Lindsay, MSP for Central Scot and Lothians West, Reform UK
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 5 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S7W-02694 by Mairi McAllan on 21 September 2026, where the new school bags for primary schools will be manufactured.

Question reference: S7W-03521

Asked by: Julie MacDougall, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Reform UK
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 5 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will commit to undertaking a comprehensive review of the equality and human rights position of adopted people across their whole life course, and, if so, whether it will ensure that adult adoptees and adoptee-led organisations are directly involved in determining the scope of that review.

The Equality Act 2010, including the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED), applies in relation to the protected characteristics set out in that Act. Adoption status is not a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010 and the Scottish Government does not undertake Equality Act 2010 or Public Sector Equality Duty assessments solely on the basis of a person's status as an adoptee.

The Scottish Government continues to consider issues affecting adopted children, young people and adults through its wider adoption policy work and is currently focused on delivering existing commitments in this area, including work to improve adoption support.

We will continue to listen to the views and experiences of adoptees, adoptive families and others with lived experience, and consider whether any further action is required as this work progresses.

During the passage of the Children (Care, Care Experience and Services Planning) (Scotland) Act 2026, the Scottish Government committed to reviewing the adoption support sections of the 2011 Adoption and Looked After Children Guidance and consider whether new statutory guidance on adoption support services should be issued, using existing powers in the Adoption and Children (Scotland) Act 2007.

This work will provide an opportunity to examine the range of support issues raised by adopted children, young people and adult adoptees as well as families and practitioners. We will work closely with adoptees, adoptive families and with practitioners throughout this process to ensure that any future changes are evidence-based, deliverable and responsive to needs.

Question reference: S7W-03520

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Alison Thewliss on 5 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has undertaken any economic assessment of the lifetime cost to Scottish public services of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, and, if not, whether it has any plans to do so.

Question reference: S7W-03481

Asked by: Martyn Day, MSP for Falkirk East and Linlithgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 21 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 5 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the extent of the impact of reserved powers over broadcasting and advertising on Scotland’s ability to protect children and young people from marketing of alcohol and products high in fat, salt or sugar.

The Scottish Government is supportive of approaches to protect children and young people from the advertising of products that may cause health harms. The Scottish Government notes that the regulation of advertising for public health reasons is devolved to the Scottish Parliament, but some specific forms of regulation – such as those targeted at advertising on tv and radio broadcasts – can be reserved to UK Government.

The Scottish Government supported the legislation introduced by the UK Government to restrict advertising on broadcast and online of foods high in salt, sugar. However, the exemption granted to brand advertising by the UK Government may limit the effect of those regulations, a concern raised with the UK Government by Scottish Ministers.

Similarly the Public Health Scotland rapid review of evidence on alcohol marketing highlighted that there is an existing evidence base for restrictions on alcohol marketing that are comprehensive and across all advertising channels. However, that is more difficult without being able to make specific provision about advertising on tv and radio broadcasts.

Whilst the Scottish Government can take steps to protect children and young people from exposure to the advertising of health harming products, because key areas of advertising regulations are reserved this limits the choices available to Scottish Ministers to achieve this.

Question reference: S7W-03458

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 21 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 5 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to monitor the socio-economic impacts of its proposed fisheries management measures for inshore Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and proposed Priority Marine Feature (PMF) Management Areas once they are in place and, if so, how.

The Scottish Government has undertaken a socio-economic impact assessment (SEIA) based on the methodology co-designed by the fishing industry and environmental NGOs. This SEIA is available as part of the supporting documents for the consultation on proposed Fisheries management measures within Scottish inshore Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and proposed Priority Marine Feature (PMF) management areas - Scottish Government consultations - Citizen Space .

Following the Ministerial decision on final fisheries management measures appropriate socio-economic monitoring will be undertaken to assess their impact

Question reference: S7W-03447

Asked by: Martyn Day, MSP for Falkirk East and Linlithgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 21 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Flynn on 5 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Civil Aviation Authority and the Department for Transport regarding the Edinburgh Airport Airspace Change proposals.

Question reference: S7W-03461

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 21 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 5 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what socio-economic factors it will (a) consider and (b) exclude when assessing proposed fisheries management measures for inshore Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and proposed Priority Marine Feature (PMF) Management Areas.

The Scottish Government as part of it’s consultation on proposed Fisheries management measures within Scottish inshore Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and proposed Priority Marine Feature (PMF) management areas - Scottish Government consultations - Citizen Space undertook a socio-economic impact assessment (SEIA). The SEIA considers the effects of the proposed measures at individual site level for MPAs and at regional level for proposed PMF management areas. It considers the impacts on each of the 11 marine regions with respect to the economic impacts on fishing activities – both for a vessels’ home port and port of landing. This full SEIA is available through the consultation platform.