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-03839

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 October 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 29 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of Police Scotland's Annual Workforce Report stating that a substantial number of People Strategy and Strategic Workforce Plan milestones have been carried forward between reporting years, what assessment it has made of progress made in delivering Police Scotland's workforce reform programme.

Question reference: S7W-03837

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 October 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 29 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of Police Scotland’s Annual Workforce Report identifying the longstanding increase in officers on modified duties as a workforce risk, what assessment it has made of the impact on operational policing.

Question reference: S7W-03853

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 October 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 29 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S7W-02101 by Stephen Flynn on 25 August 2026, whether it will provide an update on (a) the publication date of the updated code of conduct on the treatment of passengers and staff using public transport, as outlined in the National Bus Travel Concession Schemes (Miscellaneous Amendment) (Scotland) Order 2026, and (b) on what date the updated code and underpinning processes supporting the suspension of access to free travel if the code is breached will take effect.

Question reference: S7W-03878

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 October 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 29 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether existing planning and transport arrangements adequately protect public roads from damage caused by wind turbine construction traffic, what information it holds on any damage to roads resulting from wind farm developments, and what action it takes to ensure that developers are held responsible for any resulting deterioration in road conditions.

Question reference: S7W-03892

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 October 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 29 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to review the interaction between Mandatory Condition 13 of the short-term let licensing scheme, short-term let planning control areas and the treatment of long-established short-term let operators.

Question reference: S7W-03887

Asked by: Adam Harley, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 October 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 29 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding speech and language therapy, whether it has any plans to review current treatment approaches, and what understanding it has of the benefits of one-to-one block therapy sessions delivered in Canada.

Question reference: S7W-03898

Asked by: Lorna Slater, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 October 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 29 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government in light of reports that 8,870 of the 26,160 crisis grant decisions made in the City of Edinburgh resulted in refusals last year, representing 34% of all decisions, and that the average award was £125, whether it considers the level of crisis grant provision to be sufficient to meet applicants' needs.

Question reference: S7W-03897

Asked by: Lorna Slater, MSP for Edinburgh Central, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 October 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 29 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the publication by the Scottish Government and COSLA of the renewed delivery plan, Ending Destitution Together, what action it is taking to address food insecurity and reliance on food banks among people with no recourse to public funds.

Question reference: S7W-03889

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 October 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 29 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers that the current dual system of planning and licensing requirements provides a sufficiently proportionate and legally certain framework for small rural tourism businesses.

Question reference: S7W-03833

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for Fife North East, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 September 2026
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Alyn Smith on 1 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made in the implementation of the Tertiary Education and Training (Funding and Governance) (Scotland) Act 2026.

The Tertiary Education and Training (Funding and Governance) (Scotland) Act 2026 (Commencement No. 1) Regulations 2026 were laid on 17 September 2026 and come into force today. The Regulations commence provisions to enable the Council to undertake the preparatory work required to assume its new responsibilities for securing and funding the delivery of national training programmes, apprenticeships and work-based learning on 1 April 2027. The Regulations also commence provisions to enhance the governance of the Council and its oversight of the financial sustainability of colleges and universities.

Section 31 of the Act is now in force and requires the Scottish Funding Council to establish an apprenticeship committee. Section 31 also requires the Scottish Ministers to issue guidance to the Scottish Funding Council on the establishment and operation of that committee. This guidance will be issued to the Scottish Funding Council today and a copy of the guidance will be provided to the Education and Gaelic Committee.