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-01852

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 7 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the Minister for Parliamentary Business's letter to the Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee on 30 January 2026, when it plans to consult on electoral reform, particularly on deposits and supporter signature requirements.

Question reference: S7W-01764

Asked by: Duncan Dunlop, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 7 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it plans to have with the independent panel of experts developing recommendations for the UK Department for Education and UK Department of Health of Social Care on the design, structure and content of the draft National Inclusion Standards and Specialist Provision Packages.

Proposals announced by The Department for Education in April 2026 seek to implement major structural change to the system of support for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

As part of the proposals, expert panels are being established to develop recommendations on the design, structure and content of the National Inclusion Standards and Specialist Provision Packages. These expert panels will establish the recommended level of support required for children and young people in both mainstream settings and specialist provisions as well as identifying the appropriate means of delivering this support.

Scottish Government officials are actively engaged with colleagues within the Department for Education on the ongoing reforms, and will engage with the Expert Panels for National Inclusions Standards and Specialist Provision Packages where appropriate.

Question reference: S7W-01991

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 24 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 7 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making in providing additional support to the market garden sector.

The Scottish Government is committed to supporting small producers, empowering them to play a key role in delivering our Vision for Agriculture through the Small Producers Pilot Fund. Market gardens are no exception to that, and providing they meet our small producer criteria, can access funding through the £1,500,000 the Scottish Government has provided in capital funding for 2026-2027.

Further to this, the Scottish Government recognises the unique market conditions and the wider benefits of our small edible horticultural producers. The Scottish Government has therefore, commissioned research to fully understand this industry and the challenges that they face. This is expected to be completed in the beginning of 2027.

Question reference: S7W-01891

Asked by: Julie MacDougall, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Reform UK
Date lodged: Friday, 24 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 7 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what measures it is taking to promote more Scots having families to address Scotland’s slowing population growth.

The Scottish Government's Population Strategy focuses on four key building blocks: a family friendly nation; a healthy living society; an attractive and welcoming country; and a more balanced population.

Our ambition is for Scotland to be the ideal place to raise a family, where people are enabled to have the number of children they wish to. It is not for government to dictate or direct whether people should have children. That is rightly a matter for individuals. The Scottish Government's focus is on addressing the issues which can impact fertility decisions. Building on an update to the evidence base conducted in 2022, we are taking forward a range of actions including: ensuring that families can access the childcare support they need, when they need it, including those living in rural and deprived communities, to give children the best start in life and empowering parents and carers to choose how they work or study; and supporting delivery of 110,000 affordable homes across Scotland by 2032, with at least 70% for social rent and at least 10% in our rural and island communities.

However, we recognise that Scotland's demographic pressures mean that we also need to attract people from the rest of the UK and internationally. That is why we launched Scotland’s Migration Service to support people and employers and are continuing to argue for migration routes tailored to Scotland's needs.

Question reference: S7W-02046

Asked by: Thomas Kerr, MSP for Glasgow, Reform UK
Date lodged: Friday, 24 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 7 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, should any Barnett consequential funding arise from the UK Government’s recent announcement that it will invest £340 million to tackle rough sleeping, and in response to calls from Crisis Scotland and Homeless Network Scotland for any such funding to be used to expand Housing First, (a) how it plans to use such funding, and (b) what its position is on taking account of the immigration status of applicants when prioritising the allocation of social housing.

The £340 million funding package to tackle rough sleeping, announced by the UK Prime Minister in July, will be met from within the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government’s existing budget. As the funding does not constitute new departmental spending, it will not generate Barnett consequentials for the Scottish Government.

All households assessed as unintentionally homeless, are considered under the same homelessness legislation and local allocation policies. Access to social housing is determined on the basis of assessed housing need and individual circumstances, and no group receives automatic priority over others. Eligibility for certain housing and homelessness assistance is subject to immigration legislation, which is reserved to the UK Government.

Question reference: S7W-01789

Asked by: Jenny Young, MSP for Central Scot and Lothians West, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 7 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government (a) how many and (b) what proportion of young people in receipt of Child Disability Payment transferred to Adult Disability Payment after they turned 16, in each of the last five years.

Social Security Scotland publishes information on applications to Adult Disability Payment from people in receipt of, or who have previously received, Child Disability Payment as part of its annual Adult Disability Payment June statistical publication.

The number of young people in receipt of Child Disability Payment who were awarded Adult Disability Payment in each of the last five years is set out in the published Child Disability Payment to Adult Disability Payment table A1.

Young people can apply for Adult Disability Payment between the ages of 16 and 18 and remain entitled to Child Disability Payment until a determination is made on their application. However, the published statistics do not provide a breakdown showing how many Child Disability Payment recipients transferred to Adult Disability Payment after turning 16.

Question reference: S7W-01660

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Flynn on 6 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what its policy is regarding whether revenues raised by municipal harbour authorities must be ring-fenced for local harbour maintenance and development, in light of reported stakeholder concerns regarding the draft Oban Harbour Revision Order.

Question reference: S7W-01661

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Flynn on 6 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what Transport Scotland’s expected timeline is for a final decision on the Argyll and Bute Council Oban Harbour Revision Order (HRO), which was submitted to Transport Scotland in November 2023.

Making a Harbour Order can be a complex and sometimes lengthy process. Following the statutory 42-day consultation period for this application, over 100 representations were received. This was followed by the Written Representations stage, which provided further opportunities for interested parties to submit their views and liaise with the applicants.

Given the volume and nature of the material submitted, it has been essential that Transport Scotland undertakes thorough scrutiny from both a policy and a legal perspective, to ensure that all relevant matters are considered appropriately and in line with the requirements set out in The Harbours Act 1964. Transport Scotland is progressing this work as a priority.

Question reference: S7W-01664

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Flynn on 6 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what estimate Transport Scotland has made of the potential financial costs and duration of a public local inquiry or hearing, should one be triggered by any unresolved objections to the proposed Oban Harbour Revision Order.

Question reference: S7W-01662

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Flynn on 6 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment Transport Scotland has made of the alternative Harbour Empowerment Order (HEO) submitted by the Oban Community Harbour Development Association (OCHDA), and whether these proposals will be fully considered prior to a final decision on the future of Oban Harbour.