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: S6T-02503

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 May 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what immediate action it will take to address the reported failure by NHS boards to publish significant adverse event reviews related to mother and baby deaths in hospitals.

Question reference: S6F-04054

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 May 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 May 2025

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6F-04062

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 May 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 May 2025

To ask the First Minister, in light of the publication of the Programme for Government, what action the Scottish Government is taking to ensure that prevention is more strongly integrated into the health system.

Question reference: S6F-04067

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 May 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 May 2025

To ask the First Minister when the landslip shelter on the A83 at the Rest and Be Thankful will be complete.

Question reference: S6F-04053

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 May 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 May 2025

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6F-04057

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 May 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 May 2025

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to water scarcity alerts issued by SEPA for the east of Scotland, in light of low rainfall and warm temperatures.

Question reference: S6F-04052

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 May 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 May 2025

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6W-37101

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 6 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason naturalised beaver populations that arose through illegal release, accidental release or natural dispersion from authorised populations are not considered "within range" by the existing definition of "natural range" for beavers in Scotland.

As set out in their Beaver Management Report it is NatureScot policy to consider authorised populations and catchments where licensed release has already taken place are considered to form beaver’s natural range in Scotland.

Therefore, in considering the definition of ‘within range’ are essentially talking about catchments where there have been licensed translocations or reinforcements, or as in the case of Tayside and Knapdale the population has been officially permitted to remain, i.e. rather than a definition based on current distribution.

Question reference: S6W-37109

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 6 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it will work with the Alzheimer’s Society and other organisations to develop integrated strategies addressing both hearing loss and cognitive decline.

The Scottish Government is committed to working collaboratively with stakeholders across the public, third, and independent sectors to support individuals affected by hearing loss and cognitive decline.

The Scottish Government’s 2023 Dementia Strategy for Scotland was developed in collaboration with people with sensory loss including from the deaf community, and commits to improving people's experience through timely diagnosis, access to high-quality support and how we can communicate risk factors around cognitive decline and dementia. Since 2020, the Scottish Government has invested around £1.5m to:

Support the establishment of Brain Health Scotland to promote brain health and dementia risk awareness (in partnership with Alzheimer Scotland)
Develop and evaluate a Brain Health Service & Clinic test site in Aberdeen, to learn about what such a service can contribute to people's health and wellbeing.

As part of our commitments to deliver the national Dementia Strategy, we will publish an independent evaluation of the Brain Health Service & Clinic test site this year, as well as establish a working group across Scottish Government focused on understanding the implications of the test site, and brain health overall, for how we provide health and social care.

Question reference: S6W-37115

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 6 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the finding that average farm income has dropped by more than 50% in 2023-24.

Scottish Government is committed to support active farming and food production that is why we continue to deliver direct payments – to provide certainty to the industry, in stark contrast to the policy approaches taken by the current and previous UKG.

We note the results of the Scottish Farm Business Income report which demonstrates the volatility of the sector and reinforces the importance of support to provide much needed stability.

Our £40 million per annum support to suckler beef farmers is committed until at least 2028. This together with key support such as the Basic Payment Scheme, Less Favoured Areas Support Scheme and Scottish Upland Sheep Support Scheme show our unstinting commitment in ensuring a prosperous future for the sector.

Support for Animal Health and Welfare (AHW) interventions, offering up to £1,250 per farm over two years to assist farmers in reviewing and improving the health and welfare of their cattle and sheep has been provided in recent years. This funding supports interventions that enhance livestock performance and reduce emissions.

The Scottish Government has also been supporting the provision of MyHerdStats to cattle keepers. MyHerdStats is a free online tool to help cattle farmers access key herd performance data, such as calving intervals. Using existing traceability information, it supports better herd management, improves productivity, and contributes to animal welfare and emission reduction goals.

The Scottish Government is supporting the financial sustainability of cereal and milk producers through payments via the Basic Payment Scheme and related support schemes, including nearly £34 million for dairy farmers in 2023–24. We have funded the Scottish Dairy Growth Board and the Dairy Hub, helping boost Scottish cheese exports. Looking ahead, our £4 million investment in the Dairy Nexus project will create a new research centre at SRUC in Dumfries and Galloway to drive innovation, decarbonise the sector, and support a more sustainable dairy economy.

This year we will introduce the Future Farming Investment Scheme (FFIS) providing at least £14m in the first year to our farmers and crofter to investment for efficient food production in ways that benefit nature and climate.

The results in the report re-emphasise the importance of continuing to provide support to our key sectors – to provide much needed stability which is poles apart from the bad trade deals being made in a Brexit we did not vote for. This is why we will continue to provide Scotland’s farmers, crofters and land managers with the most generous package of direct support in the UK, investing around £660 million in support to agriculture.