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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-05670

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 19 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what recent engagement it has had with Police Scotland and law enforcement agencies regarding actions to disrupt illegal drug activities, including cannabis farming.

Police Scotland is a key partner on Scotland’s Serious Organised Crime Taskforce, which I chair. At our meeting in February, Police Scotland updated members on a range of SOC-related issues including illegal drugs. In 2025 Police Scotland seized almost 80 million pounds worth of drugs including multiple high-value cannabis cultivations.

The largest cultivation found in Scotland to date was in Kirkcaldy in June, when plants with an estimated value of 12 million pounds were seized.

Question reference: S6W-44238

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 18 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration is given to patients having to travel long distances for health treatments including breast assessment clinics.

The Scottish Government wants people to be treated as close to home as clinically possible. However, it may not always be possible for Health Boards to provide access locally for all patients and for all services where Health Boards are, for example, constrained by geography or specialist services. In addition, some patients may be offered alternatives out with their local health board area to reduce their waiting time.

We continue to work with NHS Boards to limit the need for travel where possible and clinically appropriate. This includes through increased use of digital and technological solutions, such as Near Me, to improve flexibility of care.

Where travel is necessary, the Scottish Government expects local Health Boards to work collaboratively with each other and transport providers to make suitable arrangements to ensure that the necessary treatment can be provided in a patient-centred way and that disruption to key appointments is kept to a minimum.

Financial support for travel is available for patients and authorised escorts, according to eligibility criteria and medical requirements.

All Boards are expected to support patients and their families in identifying and accessing available support and Board patient travel contacts can provide advice on eligibility and assistance available with bookings and advance payments, where necessary.

Question reference: S6W-44239

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 18 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to operate breast assessment clinics within Dumfries and Galloway.

Question reference: S6W-43772

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 February 2026
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 3 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any impact on the lack of funding for rural bus transportation on the provision of competitive sports, including rugby in schools in rural areas.

No specific assessment has been undertaken. However, improving young people’s access to sport remains a priority, and a key element of this is the nationwide free bus travel scheme for under-22s, which aims to reduce travel barriers for children and young people, including those in rural and island communities.

Through the under-22s concessionary scheme, eligible young people can travel at no cost on registered bus services, helping to ease the financial burden of travelling to training sessions, matches, and competitions. This is part of a wider Scottish Government investment in bus services and concessionary travel, which will rise to over £530 million in 2026–27. In addition to this, sportscotland works with local authorities and island communities to improve access to facilities and support athlete travel. This includes the Athlete Travel Award Scheme (ATAS), which provides up to £1,500 to help schools, sports clubs, and talented athletes with travel and accommodation for mainland training and competitions.

Most local bus services operate commercially, with operators determining routes and frequency. Local authorities can also subsidise services they consider socially necessary, at their discretion; £56 million on subsidised services in 2023–24. Community transport may also be provided locally by schools, local authorities, or community groups, supported through the local government finance settlement, and annual funding to Community Transport Association Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-43771

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 February 2026
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 3 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what funding is in place to provide access to bus transportation to sporting clubs that support school-aged children in rural areas.

The Scottish Government supports access to transport for school-aged children and young people in rural areas primarily through its nationwide commitment to free bus travel for under-22s. This universal entitlement allows all young people aged 5–21 to travel by bus at no cost, helping them reach sporting clubs, training sessions, and competitions across Scotland. This is part of a wider Scottish Government investment in bus services and concessionary travel, which will rise to over £530 million in 2026–27.

Alongside this, sportscotland, our national agency for sport, provides targeted support through the Athlete Travel Award Scheme (ATAS), delivered in partnership with the four Highlands and Islands local authorities. ATAS offers up to £1,500 to schools, clubs and young athletes to help with the additional travel and accommodation costs often faced when travelling for training or competition from rural and island areas.

Local authorities can also subsidise socially necessary bus services at their discretion through funding provided in the general revenue grant. Authorities spent £56 million on such services in 2023–24. Local authorities and schools may also provide community transport where required, supported through the local government finance settlement, and Community Transport Association Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-43770

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 February 2026
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 3 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any impact of poor local transport connectivity on the ability of school-aged children in rural areas to access grassroots sport.

The Scottish Government understands the important role that sport and leisure services play in improving people’s lives and believes everyone should have access to these services locally.

The Scottish Government has not carried out any specific assessment on the impact of transport connectivity on the ability of school-aged children’s access to grassroots sport in rural areas. However, we recognise that travel time and cost can be barriers for young athletes in rural and island areas.

To help address these challenges, sportscotland works with local authorities to improve local facilities, and the Athlete Travel Award Scheme (ATAS) provides up to £1,500 to support travel and accommodation for talented athletes in remote communities.

In addition, the provision of free bus travel for under-22s reduces the cost burden on young people and their families and helps make regular participation in grassroots sport more achievable, particularly in areas where distances between home, school, and sporting opportunities are greater. This sits alongside wider support, including local authority powers to subsidise socially necessary bus routes, and funding for community transport through local government resources and Community Transport Association (CTA) Scotland, which helps ensure that young people have more reliable and affordable options to reach sporting opportunities.

Question reference: S6O-05558

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S6O-05519

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 February 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how much it anticipates it will spend on matters relating to constitutional policy and strategy in 2025-26 and 2026-27.

Question reference: S6W-43278

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 23 January 2026
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 6 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reported suggestions from independent analysts of significant council tax rises, what assessment it has made of any impact on public understanding of local government finances of its presentation of a headline 2% real-terms increase in its draft Budget 2026-27.

Question reference: S6W-43277

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 23 January 2026
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 6 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether its presentation of the local government settlement announced in its draft Budget 2026-27 as a fair deal risks overstating local authorities’ room for manoeuvre when they are facing ongoing cost pressures that were funded through in-year top-ups in 2025–26.