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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: S6W-40312

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 05 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 10 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will recognise podcasting and audio as a part of the creative sector.

The Scottish Government Statement on Creative Industries in 2019 did not include podcasting and audio as part of the Creative Industries sector.

Since the publication of that statement it is clear that consumers are now using both a wider range of devices to access media content as well as a larger variety of services.

Whilst there are no plans at present to revise the definition of the creative industries within Scotland the expanded, and continually innovating, variety of delivery channels will be a crucial factor to consider in any future work.

Question reference: S6W-40385

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 08 September 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 23 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its international development strategy, what its position is on discussing with the UK Government (a) legislating to compel private creditors to participate in debt restructuring on equal terms with other lenders and (b) supporting the establishment of a UN debt workout mechanism.

Question reference: S6W-40386

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 08 September 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 23 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its international development strategy and reported evidence suggesting that over 60% of African nations spend more on external debt repayments than on healthcare or education, what steps it is taking to support international efforts to address the global debt crisis,

Question reference: S6W-40366

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 September 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 19 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-37772 by Gillian Martin on 3 June 2025, how it will track (a) how local authorities spend extended producer responsibility funds dispensed to them and (b) any subsequent improvement to waste services arising from such spend.

Question reference: S6O-04915

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 September 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 11 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting entrepreneurship.

Question reference: S6W-40007

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 3 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the number of dog thefts reported in each or the last five years, and how many of those dogs reported stolen were reunited with their owners.

Information is not held centrally on the number of dog thefts in Scotland. When the theft of a dog is reported to the police, it may be recorded under a number of crimes, depending on the circumstances (for example theft, housebreaking or robbery). The data the Scottish Government receive from Police Scotland on recorded crime is a simple count of recorded crimes by crime type and does not contain any detail on the specifics of each crime e.g. the type of item stolen.

Question reference: S6W-39543

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 July 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 21 August 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has conducted on the impact on (a) retail crime and (b) the safety of shop workers in Scotland of the proposals in the UK Tobacco and Vapes Bill.

The UK-wide impact assessment on the Tobacco and Vapes Bill noted that there is not sufficient evidence to be able to provide an estimate for how this policy may impact the number of incidences of violence or abuse towards retail workers or monetise the impact. Further impact assessments will be undertaken by the Scottish Government before making any Regulations under powers in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill that rest with the Scottish Ministers.

Retail workers (as well as all other workers) are protected by a wide range of criminal laws (i.e. the statutory offence of threatening or abusive behaviour; the common law offence of assault; and the common law offence of breach of the peace).

In addition, the Protection of Workers (Retail and Age-Restricted Products) (Scotland) Act 2021(“the 2021 Act”) came into force in August 2021 and created a statutory offence of threatening, abusing, or assaulting a retail worker, adding to the offences that can already be used to prosecute those who abuse retail workers.

Scottish Government partners, like the Scottish Retail Consortium (SRC) and Scottish Grocers’ Federation (SGF), share best guidance and resources, such as the free Grocery Aid helpline, and Victim Support, for victims of violence and abuse in a retail setting. We will continue to work closely with retailers to support them in preparing for and implementing the Bill.

As part of its budget for 2025-26, the Scottish Government is making an additional £3 million available for Police Scotland to work with the sector to tackle retail crime.

Question reference: S6W-39545

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 July 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 18 August 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what additional measures it plans to introduce to support cessation among smokers who wish to quit, in light of the proposed restrictions of nicotine vaping products set out in the UK Tobacco and Vapes Bill.

Our Tobacco and Vaping Framework renewed our commitment to cessation services as part of decisive action to reduce smoking rates to ensure we meet our 2034 Tobacco-Free Scotland target.

The Scottish Government are continuing to implement the recommendations from the Public Health Scotland (PHS) Review of Smoking Cessation Services in Scotland and to consider how these important services can continue to develop in the future. This includes the Public Health Action Team on Smoking Cessation, a collaboration between PHS, Scottish Government and NHS Boards, which is supporting the continuous improvement of local smoking cessation services.

The NHS stop smoking service Quit Your Way Scotland offers free expert advice and direct users to local services where they can access a range of support, medications and products.

Question reference: S6W-39544

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 July 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 18 August 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the use of nicotine vaping products as a tool for adult smokers seeking to quit.

Question reference: S6W-39538

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 July 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 18 August 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding its implementation in Scotland, what engagement it has had with the UK Government regarding the UK Tobacco and Vapes Bill over the last 12 months.

The Scottish Government has had regular engagement with the UK Government regarding the UK Tobacco and Vapes Bill over the last 12 months. The Minister for Public Health and Women’s Health met with the former Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health and Prevention on 4 November 2024 to discuss the Tobacco and Vapes Bill where she reaffirmed Scottish Government support for this historic piece of legislation and highlighted how it could positively impact health inequalities in Scotland.

The Bill’s subsequent re-introduction on 5 November 2024 followed close collaborative work across the 4-nations over the content of the Bill. Officials across the 4-nations continue to meet regularly to discuss the Bill to ensure coherence and alignment of implementation, where this is possible and appropriate.