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: S7F-00054

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 September 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 October 2026

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S7F-00052

Asked by: Michael Marra, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 September 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 October 2026

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S7F-00053

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 September 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 October 2026

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S7W-03591

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 29 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how many Scottish Cabinet meetings have been classified as "Travelling Cabinets" and held at locations outwith Edinburgh since May 2024, broken down by venue, and what the total cost associated with each meeting was.

Question reference: S7W-03308

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh North Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 29 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is aware of reports that NHS Lothian is unable to offer mammogram appointments in Edinburgh, and how it is working with NHS Lothian to ensure that local appointments for breast screening services can be offered to women in Edinburgh who require one.

The Scottish Government is aware that the NHS Lothian ‘Increased-Risk Breast Surveillance’ service for all eligible individuals has been relocated from Ardmillan House, Edinburgh to St John’s Hospital, Livingston.

Whilst this is an operational matter for NHS Lothian, the Scottish Government understand that this decision was driven by sustained growth in Edinburgh’s routine screening population (aged 50 to 70), which has increased by 10% since 2018 and exceeded the capacity Ardmillan House was originally designed to support. The Health Board undertook an assessment of patients booked in January 2026 which found that St John’s Hospital was more accessible for those travelling from Fife, West Lothian, South and West Edinburgh, and Midlothian, although longer public transport journeys were recognised for some residents of Central and North Edinburgh and East Lothian. As one of NHS Lothian’s three acute hospitals, St John’s provides a reasonable and equitable location for the service, with limited alternative options currently available.

The Scottish Government wants everyone accessing health services to be treated as close to home as clinically appropriate. Where travel is necessary, the Scottish Government expects NHS Boards to work collaboratively with transport providers to make suitable arrangements to ensure that the necessary treatment and services can be provided in a patient-centred way.

Question reference: S7W-03293

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian Coast and Lammermuirs, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 29 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on reported calls from the Scottish Retail Consortium and Scottish Tourism Alliance for the UK Government to restore tax-free shopping for overseas visitors in its upcoming budget, as a means of supporting Scotland’s retail, tourism and hospitality sectors.

The Scottish Government understands calls from the retail and tourism sectors for the restoration of tax-free shopping for overseas visitors. Scotland’s retailers have highlighted that many international competitors continue to offer tax-free shopping schemes and have argued that the UK's current approach may place Scotland at a competitive disadvantage in attracting high-spending international tourists.

VAT is currently reserved, therefore any decision on tax-free shopping is a matter for the UK Government. However we would continue to call on the UK Government to engage with industry on this matter and keep the current arrangements under review.

Question reference: S7W-03373

Asked by: James Adams, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Flynn on 29 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is under any legal obligation to deliver planned investment set out in the 2016 Memorandum of Understanding with Aberdeenshire Council and Aberdeen City Council, including the Aberdeen Housing Infrastructure Funds and other projects it committed to fund as part the Aberdeen City Region Deal, and, if so whether it will incur any costs arising from the failure to deliver under the Memorandum of Understanding.

The Memorandum of Understanding for the Additional Investment for the Aberdeen City Region sets out arrangements for the delivery, monitoring and reporting of £254 million of additional funding commitments made by the Scottish Government under the Aberdeen City Region Deal agreement. It does not impose any obligations in and of itself and does not contain provisions around the approval or allocation of funding.

Question reference: S7W-03381

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Flynn on 29 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made in improving and increasing toilet facilities and access to toilets for train drivers in Scotland.

Question reference: S7W-03364

Asked by: Maggie Chapman, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Flynn on 29 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason electric vehicle owners who live in areas that are not classed within categories 5 to 8 of its Urban Rural Classification have not been eligible for support through the Domestic Chargepoint scheme.

The Domestic Charge Point Fund is currently prioritising support for households in areas classified within categories 5 to 8 of the Scottish Government's Urban Rural Classification, in recognition of the additional barriers to EV adoption often faced in rural and island communities and to help ensure limited public funding is directed where it can have the greatest impact. Eligibility criteria are reviewed and updated annually.

Question reference: S7W-03355

Asked by: Jamie Langan, MSP for South Scotland, Reform UK
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 29 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the suggestion by the Scottish Retail Consortium, in its Scottish Budget 2027-28 recommendations paper, a plans should be set out to narrow the divergence between Scottish and UK income tax rates for higher, advanced and top rate taxpayers.

We will outline our Income Tax policy decisions for 2027-28 in the Scottish budget on the 3 December 2026.

Our manifesto set out our ambition on income tax, including not increasing rates or number of bands, ensuring the majority of Scottish taxpayers can expect to pay less than those in the rest of the UK and our intention to simplify the system by the end of Parliament, with any future changes putting low and middle income earners first.