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: S6O-05006

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 September 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what provisions are in place to support people in hospitals and care settings who have serious spinal injuries resulting in paralysis from the neck down.

Question reference: S6O-04998

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 September 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the agriculture minister has had with the justice secretary regarding support for farmers in relation to rural crime.

Question reference: S6W-40169

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 24 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when the Minister for Social Care and Mental Wellbeing last met with the Chief (a) Executive of NHS Grampian and (b) Officer of Health and Social Care Moray.

Question reference: S6W-40398

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 08 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 24 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many high-rise residential buildings are currently assessed as high-risk due to Large Panel System construction.

The Scottish Government does not hold this information. Ensuring the safety of Large Panel System buildings is a shared responsibility, where there are multiple property owners in a shared residential block they hold joint accountability.

While building owners have responsibility for their properties, the matter of Large Panel System buildings has been considered by the Ministerial Working Group on Building and Fire Safety and discussed within the Cross Sector Building Safety Forum. The forum includes key sector leads in this area including local authorities and NHS assure. This forum helps to inform the Scottish Government approach to such buildings in Scotland.

Owners are advised to engage appropriate expert consultants to advise them using the authoritative guidance on Large Panel Systems from the Building Research Establishment and the Institution of Structural Engineers.

Question reference: S6W-40179

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 29 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 24 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-39818 by Jamie Hepburn on 28 August 2025, whether it can confirm the value of the print that was donated in 2023.

In June 2023, as Minister for Higher Education, Further Education & Minister for Veterans, I was gifted a framed piece of ceramic artwork of the Hotel de Ville from the Mayor of Arras. The value of the gift was estimated to be in the region of £80 of which was declared on my proactive release entry available on the Scottish Government website at the following link: https://www.gov.scot/publications/ministerial-engagements-travel-and-gifts-june-2023/

In May 2025, I also received a limited edition (2/20) Nicolaus Widerberg lithograph – liberation convoy from Dag Lee CEO, the Chairman and Board Member Entrepreneurial VC and PE Investor. The value of the gift was estimated to be in the region of £340 of which will be declared on my proactive release entry for May 2025 due to be published late September.

Gifts under the value of £140 are not recorded by the Scottish Government or published. However, on this occasion the gift from June 2023 was recorded and published.

Question reference: S6W-40177

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Friday, 29 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 24 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its position on gene editing.

Question reference: S6W-39338

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 29 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 24 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to the supplementary to question S6O-04376 by Jenny Gilruth on 27 February 2025, following the issuing of a joint letter to all education authorities on best practice for supporting children and young people, which local authorities have adopted such best practice, including "adopting the agreed Scottish working definition of dyslexia, the dyslexia identification pathway within the toolkit, the free professional learning modules that are available for teachers to enhance their knowledge and skills and the professional recognition programme on dyslexia and inclusive practice".

Delivery of ASN continues to be a joint endeavour with Local Authorities, who retain the statutory responsibility for the delivery of education and responsibility to identify, provide for and review the needs of their pupils, including those with dyslexia.

I can confirm that the joint letter with COSLA, outlining key polices, best practice and available resources on support for dyslexia in Scottish schools is due to be issued shortly to all Education Authorities.

It will issue in the context of record investment in ASL - over £1bn was spent by local authorities in 2023-24. We have continued to invest £15m each year since 2020 to help schools respond to the individual needs of children and young people and the 2025-26 budget sets out a further £29m of additional investment for ASN.

Question reference: S6W-40178

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 29 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 24 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-39818 by Jamie Hepburn on 28 August 2025, which Scottish Minister was in receipt of the gifted print in 2023.

As Minister for Higher Education, Further Education & Minister for Veterans, I was gifted a framed piece of ceramic artwork in June 2023 and a lithograph in May 2025. The framed ceramic artwork was included in my proactive release entry for June 2023, and the lithograph will be included in the May 2025 release, which is due to be published in late September. These can be found on the Scottish Government website at the following link: https://www.gov.scot/collections/ministerial-engagements-travel-and-gifts/

Question reference: S6W-40542

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 24 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recent reported increase in shoplifting incidents across Lanarkshire, what action is it taking to address such retail crime, and how it is supporting businesses and communities impacted by this.

Police Scotland is using the additional £3 million additional funding provided this year by the Scottish Government to establish a Retail Crime Taskforce made up of uniformed officers, detectives and specialist analysts. The team is targeting repeat offenders of retail crime by using analytical data and intelligence to carry out proactive enforcement activities in areas most heavily impacted.

As highlighted in Police Scotland's recently published Quarter 1 performance report, their dedicated Edinburgh team has delivered significant results for the capital’s retailers, including 234 charges brought against retail crime offenders in the first three months of operations.

In terms of Lanarkshire, the Police Scotland-led Op Dynos involves the gathering intelligence on how retail theft is used by organised criminals in the region to fund the purchase of drugs and further criminal activity. Op Dynos is part of the work of the Retail Crime Taskforce and has resulted in the arrest and charging of a man in connection with organised crime and exploitation of young people over the summer.

The Scottish Government is fully supportive of this work and I hope to see further significant results in the coming months.

Question reference: S6W-40551

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 24 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the acquisition of the Griffin Forestry Estate by Gresham House FF VI LLP, which was concluded in July 2025, what assessment it has made of the potential impact of this on (a) community wealth building, (b) sustainable development, (c) local democracy, (d) environmental quality, and (e) biological diversity.