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-01619

Asked by: Duncan Dunlop, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 5 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to pilot the proposed three-year job guarantee scheme for newly qualified teachers prior to any national implementation.

Question reference: S7W-01629

Asked by: Martyn Day, MSP for Falkirk East and Linlithgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 5 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to the introduction of population-level policies aimed at regulating environmental risk factors for liver disease, including an automatic uprating of minimum unit pricing (MUP) for alcohol in line with inflation, restrictions on alcohol advertising and sponsorship, an alcohol harm prevention levy on retailers selling alcohol, restrictions on the display of alcohol products and adverts in retail outlets and restrictions on price and location of promotions on products high in fat, sugar and salt.

The Scottish Government recognises the significant impact of liver disease, which affects at least two million people across the UK and is often associated with harmful alcohol consumption and poor diet. Improving population health, tackling health inequalities and increasing healthy life expectancy remain key priorities, and we are committed to taking forward a range of evidence-based actions to address health harms associated with alcohol and less healthy food products.

Scotland's Alcohol & Drugs Strategic Plan, published in March 2026, included a commitment to publish an Alcohol Harm Prevention Plan, which will set out the next steps to address alcohol-related harm in Scotland.

Alongside preventative measures, the Scottish Government is working with Alcohol and Drug Partnerships and NHS Boards to develop a nationwide model for the early detection of alcohol-related liver disease. This builds on the learning from the innovative intelligent Liver Function Testing (iLFT) pilot pioneered by NHS Tayside. In addition, through the Centre for Sustainable Delivery, we have established a Specialty Delivery Group for Liver Disease to support improvements in care and outcomes.

The Food (Promotion and Placement) (Scotland) Regulations 2025 will come into force on 1 October 2026 to restrict volume price and location promotions of food and drink high in fat, sugar or salt (HFSS), both in-store and online. The Regulations deliver a key action under the Population Health Framework and seek to make the balance of products on promotion healthier, reduce overconsumption of HFSS foods, and contribute to reducing population levels of overweight and obesity and their consequent health harms.

Scottish Government also recognises the link between liver disease and an increased risk of liver cancer. Cancer remains a national priority, and the forthcoming ten-year Cancer Strategy will place a strong emphasis on prevention, including action on cancers with poorer survival rates, such as liver cancer. Supported by an initial three-year action plan, the strategy will take a comprehensive approach to improving outcomes, from prevention and diagnosis through to treatment and post-treatment care.

Question reference: S7W-02264

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 August 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 1 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the number of applications for support through the Strategic Research Programme 2022-27 that it has (a) received and (b) accepted.

Question reference: S7W-02254

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 August 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 1 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the review of measles preparedness in the North East, whether the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Care or the Minister for Mental Wellbeing, Public Health, Sport, Alcohol and Drugs will convene a meeting with Public Health Scotland, NHS Grampian, NHS Tayside and relevant local authorities and subsequently publish an update setting out agreed actions, responsible organisations and timescales.

Question reference: S7W-02243

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 August 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 1 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the answer to question S7W-01397 by Jenny Gilruth on 3 August 2026, regarding the selection of financial institutions to advise on and support its forthcoming bond-issuance scheme and motion S6M-18686, does not make reference to either Barclays Bank or motion S6M-18686, and whether it will now address the relevant point raised in the initial question.

Question reference: S7W-02261

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 August 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 1 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding its proposed mandatory price cap on essential food items, what its response is to the reported concern raised by the Scottish Retail Consortium that a food price cap policy in Hungary led to shortages of some food products, an increase in abuse towards shop workers and food domestically produced losing out to imports.

Question reference: S7W-02260

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 August 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 1 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to a targeted approach to alleviating cost of living pressures, including the enhancement of the Best Start Foods and Scottish Welfare Fund schemes or the introduction of shopping vouchers, similar to those implemented by Glasgow City Council in 2022.

Question reference: S7W-02249

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 August 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 1 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how many children residing in (a) Dundee City, (b) Aberdeen City, (c) Angus and (d) Aberdeenshire are currently recorded as having received (i) no dose, (ii) one dose and (iii) two doses of the MMR or MMRV vaccine, broken down by the latest available age groups.

Question reference: S7W-02255

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 August 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 1 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide the names of all current standing or ad hoc (a) boards, (b) committees, (c) working groups, (d) subgroups, (e) taskforces, (f) advisory groups, (g) forums and (h) other governance arrangements that it is involved in and consider (i) measles, (ii) vaccination and immunisation, (iii) infectious-disease outbreaks and (iv) wider health-protection and outbreak preparedness, and whether it will provide, for each one, information on the (A) remit, (B) chair, (C) participating organisations, (D) date of establishment and (E) dates of meetings since 1 January 2025.

Question reference: S7W-02248

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 August 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 1 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the uptake of the second dose of the MMR vaccine by age five, what assessment it has made of the latest Public Health Scotland data, which indicates uptake rates of 85.0% in Dundee City and 87.1% in Aberdeen City in the year ending 31 March 2026, compared with 89.7% across Scotland and the World Health Organization’s recommended level of at least 95%, and what targeted action it is taking in these areas in response to this data.