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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

Filter your results Hide all filters

Displaying 48973 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S6W-41003

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 24 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recent report by Audit Scotland, Scotland’s Colleges 2025, which recommends that the funding model for colleges should better reflect equity and demand for courses, whether it will review the funding model.

The Colleges Tripartite Alignment Group, comprised of Colleges Scotland, the Scottish Government and the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) has been exploring issues in the sector. Informed by the Group’s discussions, the SFC introduced changes to the college funding model for Academic Year 2025-26 in response to requests from the sector.

The SFC has committed to undertaking a fundamental review of the funding allocation model over the coming year.

Question reference: S6W-40873

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 24 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy, what (a) assessment it has made of the potential impact that increased nature restoration targets might have on domestic food production and (b) action it is taking to reduce Scotland’s reliance on food imports.

(a) The introduction of statutory nature restoration targets is key in delivering the vision of restoring and regenerating biodiversity in Scotland by 2045 as outlined in the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy. The Scottish Government is undertaking a 4-step process for the selection of nature restoration targets which includes engagement with expert groups using the best available scientific evidence and includes carrying out any necessary impact assessments. This process is being underpinned by stakeholder engagement with a range of stakeholders including land managers, farmers, ENGOs and other business. Any targets which are set much be adaptable to the unpredictability of ecological responses and climate impacts.

Within the Biodiversity Delivery Plan Biodiversity: delivery plan 2024 to 2030 - gov.scot it outlines the importance of the Vision for Scottish Agriculture for delivering the 2045 ambition and to transform how we support farming and food production in Scotland to become a global leader in sustainable and regenerative agriculture. The Delivery Plan includes actions which will be incorporated into the new agricultural support system to help farmers and crofters transition to practice generating substantial regeneration in biodiversity, ecosystem and soil health and significantly reduce carbon emissions while sustaining high quality food production.

(b) Scotland’s food and farming sectors have a critical role to play in Scotland’s food security, producing food for consumption in Scotland, and increasing our economic resilience through exports of food and drink worth £8 billion in March 2025. Our strong trade relationships are also vital. Our imports ensure the availability of a wide choice of food throughout the year and so we are not reliant on any one country of origin.

High quality food and sustainable production chains are an outcome of the Vision for Agriculture. The Proposed Good Food Nation Plan has outcomes which reflect both the need for Scotland’s food system to be sustainable and contribute to a flourishing natural environment and be food secure and food resilient. A suite of indicators for the Plan were published and can be viewed at: Proposed National Good Food Nation Plan - gov.scot.

Question reference: S6W-41031

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 06 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 24 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how the Tay Cities Region Deal is supporting manufacturing firms.

Question reference: S6W-40914

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 24 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what the projected cost is of the Musselburgh Flood Defence Scheme.

Local authorities are responsible for developing and delivering flood protection schemes, and the Scottish Government provides funding to support them to do so.

Local authorities provide Scottish Government with annual updates to projected spend profiles for flood protection schemes. The most recent update on the estimated cost of the Musselburgh Flood Protection Scheme was provided to Scottish Government by East Lothian Council was £106 million and provided in October 2024.

Question reference: S6W-40846

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 29 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 24 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support ocean science and protect endangered species and fragile fisheries in the marine environment.

The Scottish Government continues to support a wide variety of marine science to ensure there is a strong evidence base to support marine management and the Blue Economy Vision. This includes the Scottish Government’s Science, Evidence, Data and Digital Portfolio, as well as directly commissioned science, and collaboration with a strong academic presence in Scotland through the Marine Alliance for Science and Technology Scotland (MASTS), other UK administrations and international partners. This is reflected in the Scottish Government’s Marine Science and Innovation Strategy, which was published in 2024, and the appointment of an independent Chief Scientific Advisor Marine. Furthermore, in 2025 following consultation with Scotland’s academic marine science community, the Marine and Freshwater Areas of Research Interest was published.

This evidence base has been critical in delivering a range of programmes that can also protect Scotland’s iconic marine species. This includes the publication of the Scottish Seabird Conservation Action Plan, which identifies over 50 priority actions aimed at improving the conservation status of Scotland’s seabirds; and the development of a UK Cetacean Conservation Strategy to address threats to cetaceans in UK waters. Furthermore, work on the Future Catching Policy, Bycatch Mitigation Initiative, marine litter and Marine Protected Areas have all been shaped by a robust evidence base and help to protect internationally important sensitive species including cetaceans, seals, seabirds, and elasmobranchs.

With regard to fisheries, we take an evidence-based approach to its management, with a range of policies and actions focussed on managing marine fish stocks sustainably, and in a way that is supportive of the achievement of the fisheries objectives set out in the Fisheries Act 2020, the Joint Fisheries Statement and other legislative commitments. Alongside delivery partners, Scottish Government is also progressing actions under Scotland’s Wild Salmon Strategy Implementation Plan to ensure the protection and recovery of wild Atlantic salmon populations in Scotland. This work is underpinned by advice from the Wild Salmon Strategy Science and Evidence Board.

Question reference: S6W-40948

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Claire Baker (on behalf of the SPCB) on 24 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body how much it cost to install any instarinse products in the Scottish Parliament building.

Question reference: S6W-40847

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 24 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to support the Scottish Association for Marine Science to help Scotland provide leadership in building a sustainable and resilient blue economy.

The Scottish Government recognises the vital contribution from the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) in advancing marine science and innovation. SAMS is a recipient of Scottish public support through funding mechanisms administrated by the Scottish Funding Council as well as individual grants for goods and services paid for by the Scottish Government.

The Scottish Government is investing £3.5 million in Argyll and Bute Growth Deal projects led by SAMS including: £1 million for SAMS’s Centre for International Seaweed and Shellfish Development (C-SSIDe), commercialising world-leading research in seaweed and shellfish and driving growth in these high-value sectors; and £2.5 million for STEM Hub North, an ocean-focused outreach centre to develop marine skills that will help grow the region’s blue economy, located at the European Marine Science Park which is run by Highlands and Islands Enterprise, in partnership with SAMS and Scottish Development International.

The Scottish Government continues to support SAMS marine research endeavours, e.g. contributing to tendered grants through the Marine Fund Scotland and to PhD studentships, in addition to a long history and ongoing collaboration with Marine Directorate scientists, which underpins many aspects of SAMS's work and jointly contributes to Scotland's leadership in a sustainable and resilient blue economy.

Question reference: S6W-41129

Asked by: Edward Mountain, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 24 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the visit to Japan by the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy in September 2025 to lead a delegation from Scotland's offshore wind sector, on what date the cabinet secretary agreed formally to go on the visit, and to whom this decision was given.

Question reference: S6W-41131

Asked by: Edward Mountain, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 24 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the visit to Japan by the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy in September 2025 to lead a delegation from Scotland's offshore wind sector, on what date delegates who attended the visit with the cabinet secretary were (a) informally and (b) formally asked if they would attend.

Question reference: S6W-41127

Asked by: Edward Mountain, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 24 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the visit to Japan by the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy in September 2025 to lead a delegation from Scotland's offshore wind sector, on what date each diary event for the visit was confirmed in the cabinet secretary’s diary.

Parliament dissolved ahead of election

Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Filter your results Hide all filters

Answer

Answer

Answer

Answer

Answer

Answer

Answer

Answer

Answer

Answer