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Seòmar agus comataidhean

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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

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Dates of parliamentary sessions
  1. Session 1: 12 May 1999 to 31 March 2003
  2. Session 2: 7 May 2003 to 2 April 2007
  3. Session 3: 9 May 2007 to 22 March 2011
  4. Session 4: 11 May 2011 to 23 March 2016
  5. Session 5: 12 May 2016 to 4 May 2021
  6. Current session: 13 May 2021 to 1 February 2026
Answer status
Question type
Ath-shuidhich an lorg

Displaying 2853 questions Show Answers

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Question reference: S6W-42465

  • Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Independent
  • Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 December 2025
  • Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 23 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the decision taken in the UK Budget to provide a permanent business rate discount for retail and hospitality in England from April 2026, what analysis or assessment it has undertaken of the potential risk to commercial investment in retail and hospitality moving to England, in the event that Scotland does not introduce a commensurate reduction in the business rate.

Question reference: S6W-42464

  • Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Independent
  • Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 December 2025
  • Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 23 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the decision taken in the UK Budget to provide a permanent business rate discount for retail and hospitality in England from April 2026, what steps it is taking to ensure that the New Deal for Business Group Implementation Plan recommendation to maintain the "most competitive environment to do business" on business rates is delivered in respect of these two industry sectors.

Question reference: S6W-42627

  • Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Independent
  • Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 December 2025
  • Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 22 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported comments in The Scotsman on 16 December 2025 from the Scottish Retail Consortium, Scottish Tourism Alliance, UKHospitality Scotland, ukactive and the UK Cinema Association that, if Scotland does not follow England and introduce a permanent business rate discount for all retail, hospitality and leisure premises, it “would likely shift investment to other parts of the UK”.

Question reference: S6W-42626

  • Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Independent
  • Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 December 2025
  • Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 22 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported comments in The Scotsman on 16 December 2025 from the Scottish Retail Consortium, Scottish Tourism Alliance, UKHospitality Scotland, ukactive and the UK Cinema Association that Scotland should follow England and introduce a permanent business rate discount for all retail, hospitality and leisure premises.

Question reference: S6W-42628

  • Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Independent
  • Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 December 2025
  • Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 22 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported comments in The Scotsman on 16 December 2025 from the Scottish Retail Consortium, Scottish Tourism Alliance, UKHospitality Scotland, ukactive and the UK Cinema Association that, if Scotland does not follow England and introduce a permanent business rate discount for all retail, hospitality and leisure premises, it will be at odds with the vision of the Scottish Government’s New Deal for Business Group Implementation Plan to deliver the most competitive business rates regime.

Question reference: S6W-42468

  • Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Independent
  • Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 December 2025
  • Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 22 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the decision taken in the UK Budget to provide a permanent business rate discount for retail and hospitality in England from April 2026, what discussions it has had with its Non-Domestic Rates consultative subgroup regarding the possible implications of this for retail investment in Scotland.

Question reference: S6O-05352

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to devise, and deliver to every school pupil, a programme that provides the opportunity to learn how to touch type.

Question reference: S6W-42252

  • Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Independent
  • Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 December 2025
  • Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 16 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what communication its ministers have had with Crown Estate Scotland regarding the provision of financial support for the Offshore Solutions Group in relation to its proposal to develop the Moray FLOW-Park; whether Crown Estate Scotland advised its ministers of any intention to provide financial support, and whether it will publish any correspondence with Crown Estate Scotland on these matters.

Question reference: S6W-42251

  • Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Independent
  • Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 December 2025
  • Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 16 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what funding (a) it has and (b) any Scottish public agencies have provided to the Offshore Solutions Group, which is developing the Moray FLOW-Park, in each year since the company was founded in 2020.

Question reference: S6W-42466

  • Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Independent
  • Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 December 2025
  • Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 16 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the decision taken in the UK Budget to provide a permanent business rate discount for retail and hospitality in England from April 2026, what discussions it has had with its Retail Industry Leadership Group regarding the possible implications of this for retail investment in Scotland.