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: S6W-40391

Asked by: Davy Russell, MSP for Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 08 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 22 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has regarding (a) how many and (b) what proportion of care experienced people have enrolled in (i) the Open University and (b) other university education in each of the last 10 years.

Care Experienced students entering undergraduate courses at The Open University and other Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) have been included below.

Further details on Care Experienced students in Scotland can be found in the annual Scottish Funding Council's Report on Widening Access (RoWA). https://www.sfc.ac.uk/publications/report-on-widening-access-2023-24/

Scottish Domiciled undergraduate entrants to Scottish universities, by Care Experienced status, 2014-15 to 2023-24

Academic year	Provider	Care Experienced	% of all UG entrants who are care experienced*
2014-15	The Open University	45	1%
	Other HEIs	230	1%
2015-16	The Open University	35	1%
	Other HEIs	225	1%
2016-17	The Open University	45	1%
	Other HEIs	250	1%
2017-18	The Open University	45	1%
	Other HEIs	325	1%
2018-19	The Open University	35	1%
	Other HEIs	425	1%
2019-20	The Open University	50	1%
	Other HEIs	450	1%
2020-21	The Open University	55	1%
	Other HEIs	600	1%
2021-22	The Open University	95	1%
	Other HEIs	670	1%
2022-23	The Open University	185	2%
	Other HEIs	710	2%
2023-24	The Open University	220	3%
	Other HEIs	815	2%

Source: HESA Student Data, SG Secondary Analysis

*Percentage is an estimate and could be influenced by the number of unknowns in the data and improved data quality in recent years.

1) When interpreting figures relating to care experienced students it is important to note that the reporting of students from care experienced backgrounds has been given more focus in recent years, with increased efforts made to encourage students to declare themselves as being care experienced.

2) Those on short part-time courses are more likely to include unknown information.

3) Numbers may differ slightly from other published sources due to the way data has been aggregated. This includes 2020-21 where SFC published a slightly higher number of Care Experienced students due to post-data collection changes.

4) Numers are rounded to the nearest 5.

Question reference: S6W-40557

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Independent
Date lodged: Friday, 19 September 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 3 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding any potential environmental impact in Scotland, whether its ministers have been informed of, endorsed or approved any Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and Ministry of Defence memoranda of understanding and associated business cases relating to proposals on nuclear liability transfers.

Question reference: S6W-40672

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 19 September 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 3 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what advice it provides for prospective puppy buyers on how to source a healthy puppy, and whether any such advice (a) already includes and (b) will be updated to include advice to only purchase puppies from dog breeders that comply with a health standard.

Question reference: S6W-40660

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 19 September 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 3 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish the crew structure for MV (a) Hamnavoe, (b) Hjaltland, (c) Hrossey, (d) Hildasay and (e) Helliar, under schedule 4 of the Northern Isles Ferry Services Contract 2020-28.

Question reference: S6W-40556

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Independent
Date lodged: Friday, 19 September 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 3 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has carried out any risk assessments, regarding any potential environmental and financial impact in Scotland, of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and Ministry of Defence civil defence nuclear cooperation programme and any proposals to transfer defence nuclear liabilities, including Vulcan, into the civil sector in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-40661

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 19 September 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 3 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what the annual freight volumes carried on the MV (a) Helliar and (b) Hildasay under the Northern Isles Ferry Services contract have been since 30 June 2020 to date.

Question reference: S6W-40671

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 19 September 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 3 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will support the establishment of a Scottish market position in the high-value superyacht industry with Ferguson Marine, in light of this reportedly being dominated by shipyards in other European countries, such as Benetti of Italy, Feadship of the Netherlands and Lürssen of Germany.

Question reference: S6W-40675

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 19 September 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 3 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde regarding a replacement for Port Glasgow Health Centre.

Question reference: S6W-40558

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Independent
Date lodged: Friday, 19 September 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 3 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding any potential environmental impact in Scotland, whether it (a) can give and (b) has given the (i) Ministry of Defence and (ii) Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) any mandate to transfer defence nuclear liabilities, including Vulcan, into the civil sector in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-40663

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 19 September 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 3 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Serco NorthLink Ferries regarding (a) capacity and (b) crewing levels of the Northern Isles Ferry Services fleet, ahead of expected increased volumes of livestock transport from the Northern Isles to the mainland in October 2025.