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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: S6F-02987

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 25 March 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 March 2024

To ask the First Minister, further to the regulations relating to XL Bully-type dogs coming into force, to whom a dog owner can apply for advice on whether their dog fits the conformation of the XL Bully-type, in light of reports that a substantial number of dog owners in England are now applying to deregister their dogs having established retrospectively that their pet does not conform to the Defra definition of an XL Bully-type dog.

Question reference: S6W-26106

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 19 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-25875 by Jim Fairlie on 11 March 2024, in light of it being two years since its discussions with the UK Government on a UK-wide dog microchipping database, whether it will revisit this issue.

Question reference: S6W-25875

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 11 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that there are 15 separate dog microchipping databases that are compliant with the UK Government Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), and that every dog in the UK must be microchipped once they are eight weeks old, what discussions it has had with DEFRA regarding having a UK-wide microchipping database, and what the estimated cost is of the Scottish Government developing a standalone Scottish database to enable the traceability of all dogs and their owners and/or breeders in Scotland.

The Scottish Government recognises the benefits of having a single point of access to microchipping data to aid with the identifying and reuniting owners and their pets and Scottish Ministers remain committed to working jointly with other administrations where it is both sensible and logical to do so in the interests of animal welfare.

Officials had discussions with DEFRA and other UK administrations regarding the possibility of a single UK-wide microchipping data base and other possible database reforms when Defra consulted on microchipping in 2022. We have not costed a Scotland-only database as we are seeking a consistent UK approach to database reform.

The Microchipping of Dogs Regulations (Scotland) 2016 requires database operators to provide and share information with persons authorised by Scottish Ministers or a local authority.

Question reference: S6O-03106

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S6O-03023

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 January 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 31 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what support it can offer to assist in the establishing of a small museum or exhibition centre in Galashiels to celebrate the life and times of Robert Coltart, the author of the children’s song, Ally Bally Bee.

Question reference: S6W-24479

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 12 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 24 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it made of how many XL bully dogs there were in Scotland before (a) the UK Government’s announcement on 31 October 2023 of the changes to the Dangerous Dogs Act that ban XL bully dogs in England and Wales and (b) the First Minister’s announcement on 11 January 2024 that the Scottish Government it will, in essence, replicate in Scotland the legislation that exists in England and Wales.

The number of XL Bully dogs in the UK and Scotland is unknown and estimates vary significantly.

During the House of Commons scrutiny of the new safeguards in England and Wales, many expert witnesses highlighted the challenges of estimating numbers as XL Bully dogs are not a recognised breed of dog. Those witnesses were concerned about how many of these dogs may be registered as crossbreeds on veterinary practice management systems and pointed towards seeing various estimates of the number of XL Bully dogs, ranging from 50,000 to 150,000 in England and Wales.

If there were 50,000 XL Bully dogs in England and Wales, this may suggest an estimated population of 5,000 XL Bully dogs in Scotland. This figure carries a considerable degree of uncertainty.

Question reference: S6W-24481

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 12 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 24 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what it considers to be the defined characteristics of an XL bully dog.

Question reference: S6W-24486

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 12 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 24 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the XL bully dog breed having been added to the list of dogs banned under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, what evidence it is aware of that adding a dog breed to this list has reduced dog attacks, and whether it will provide details of all dog attacks reported in Scotland since January 2004 to date, including (a) whether any resulted in a fatality and (b) the breed or cross breed of the dog(s) involved.

In light of the UK Government failing to ensure English and Welsh XL Bully dog owners cannot evade the new safeguards through selling or otherwise disposing of their dogs in Scotland, the Scottish Government has been left with little choice to decide to replicate the new safeguards in Scotland. Through replicating the new regime, this will ensure owners have no ability to evade the new controls.

More generally on the effectiveness of breed specific legislation, there is no central database within Scotland or the UK that provides available data on breakdown by breed or crossbreed dogs, involved in dog attacks.

However, National Records Scotland collects data in relation to ‘Deaths from being bitten or struck by a dog in Scotland’. There have been three deaths from being bitten or struck by a dog in Scotland between 2004 and 2022. Information for 2023 is not yet available. Data on the breed or type of dogs involved is not recorded.

In addition, Public Health Scotland collects data on the number of inpatient and day case admissions to hospital where a diagnosis of dog attack (bite or strike) was recorded. The available data from 2004 to 2022 is included in the following table:

Calendar year	Admissions
2004	340
2005	399
2006	431
2007	421
2008	492
2009	501
2010	487
2011	559
2012	608
2013	598
2014	676
2015	706
2016	776
2017	765
2018	834
2019	905
2020	765
2021	854
2022	933

These figures are based solely on admissions to hospital for acute care as an inpatient or day case. Care should be taken when interpreting these figures as dog attacks can be treated also in other healthcare settings which are not included here, such as accident and emergency department, out of hours, outpatient or general practice services.

Question reference: S6W-24489

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 12 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 24 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it has not yet established a publicly accessible national database of dog control notices under the Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act 2010, which would allow the tracking of dogs Scotland-wide whose behaviour gives cause for concern.

The Scottish Government introduced a national dog control notice database in February 2022 which is helping local authorities and Police Scotland access information on dog owners where notices have been issued.

The national database brought together the dog control notice records of all local authorities into a centralised database that is accessible by all 32 local authorities and Police Scotland.

Where a person subject to a dog control notice moves from one local authority to another, the national database is a valuable tool in helping to enforce that notice.

The 2010 Act already allows for and requires local authorities to co-operate with the police and other local authorities in all matters relating to the control of dogs arising under or by virtue of this Act, the Dogs Act 1906 or the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991. It is for local authorities to assess how and when information can be shared more widely and in so doing, local authorities will carefully consider data protection under GDPR.

Question reference: S6W-24478

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 12 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 24 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many meetings its ministers have had with organisations or campaign groups regarding the consideration of replicating in Scotland the UK Government’s legislation on XL bully dogs; on what date any such meetings took place; what organisations were involved, and what views were expressed by those organisations or campaign groups.

I can confirm I have met with a range of stakeholders over the winter period to discuss XL Bully dogs and the restrictions in England and Wales.

I met with:

The Scottish SPCA and the Dogs Trust on 21 November 2023

The National Dog Warden Association on 21 November 2023

Dog Control Coalition on 22 November 2023

The Kennel Club on 30 November 2023

Blue Cross on 6 December 2023

Edinburgh Cat and Dog Home on 15 December 2023

Communication Workers Union on 9 January 2023

Police Scotland on 11 January 2023

These meetings revealed concern about the UK Government decision to introduce new safeguards for XL Bully dogs in England and Wales and caution about doing so in Scotland.

However the Scottish Government has now been left with little choice given the failure of the UK Government to ensure XL Bully dog owners living in England and Wales cannot evade the new safeguards through selling or otherwise disposing of their dogs in Scotland.