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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-05616

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Reform UK
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 March 2026
Current Status: Due to be taken in the Chamber on 11 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to make records on the Scotland's People website more readily available elsewhere.

Question reference: S6W-43579

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Reform UK
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 February 2026
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 17 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether Scotland-based retail, hospitality and leisure firms that will be liable for the higher property rate in 2026-27 will be better placed to pay a higher non-domestic rate than their counterparts in England in similar sized premises.

Following the extended relief announced at Stage One of the Budget Bill, the Budget ensures the estimated revenues raised from non-domestic rates in 2026-27 will be 7% lower in real terms measured by the Consumer Price Index than pre-COVID despite the number of properties on the valuation roll increasing in that time. It sets out a decrease in the three non-domestic property rates, including a 3.5% decrease in the Higher Property Rate, from 56.8p to 54.8p.

Decisions on Budget are made in the context of the prevailing economic conditions and government priorities. We have had to consider how best to target support within limited finances but also acknowledge that it is no longer possible to directly compare tax rates between Scotland, England and Wales due to differences in the tone dates used to derive Rateable Values. Different tone dates and by extension different impacts on Rateable Value growth, merit different decisions on tax rates and do not necessarily translate to higher liabilities.

The non-domestic rates liability that applies to a property depends on the interaction between its rateable value, the tax rate that applies and any reliefs that it is in receipt of. Total rateable value (local list) is expected to rise by 19% at the 2026 revaluation in England but only 12% in Scotland.

By way of example, shops are expected to see an increase in total rateable value of 6% in Scotland and 10% in England. Hotels’ total rateable value is expected to rise by 28% in Scotland but 79% in England, while for pubs this is 15% in Scotland but 30% in England. For restaurants the overall increase is expected to be 8% in Scotland while the total rateable value increase of restaurants and cafes in England is expected to be 15%.

Given the context of higher rateable value growth in England, the relief available to retail, hospitality and leisure properties liable for the Basic and Intermediate Property Rates in Scotland still compares well with the support available to equivalent properties in England.

The Budget continues to support businesses and communities, with a strong non-domestic rates package, including more than £180million of forecast support through transitional relief schemes over the next three years.

We believe that the relief package proposed in Budget strikes a fair balance and estimate that 96% of retail, hospitality and leisure properties could benefit from some form of relief in 2026-27.?

Question reference: S6W-43578

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Reform UK
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 February 2026
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 13 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the proposal in the draft Budget 2026-27 that retail, hospitality and leisure firms liable for the basic and intermediate property rate will be eligible for 15% non-domestic rates relief, how much it would cost to extend this to premises in this sector that are liable for the higher property rate.

Internal Scottish Government estimates are that extending the 15% relief to non-domestic rates (NDR) for Retail, Hospitality and Leisure (RHL) properties liable for the Basic or Intermediate Property Rate, capped at £110,000 per business per year, announced in the draft Budget 2026-27, to include premises in these sectors liable for the Higher Property Rate, would cost an additional £36m in 2026-27, rising to £37m in 2027-28 and £38m in 2028-29.

The identification of properties in the RHL sectors are based on criteria used to identify eligible properties for the purpose of forecasting relief costs. Property class is used by the Scottish Assessors to describe the type of a property and may not accurately reflect its use in all cases. For example, a property classified as a ‘shop’ may in fact be used to offer financial services.

Question reference: S6O-05494

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Reform UK
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 February 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 11 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to reduce waiting times for cancer patients.

Question reference: S6O-05439

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Reform UK
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 January 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to protect hospice care services over the coming year.

Question reference: S6O-05356

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Reform UK
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 January 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 14 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government under what circumstances it expects to be able to return Ferguson Marine to the private sector.

Question reference: S6W-41038

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Reform UK
Date lodged: Monday, 06 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 4 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Glasgow Life regarding the reported proposal to reduce the number of indoor tennis courts at Scotstoun Sports Campus to accommodate padel courts; what assessment it has made of the potential impact that such a proposal would have on tennis development programmes, local and national tournaments, and community access, and whether it will encourage Glasgow Life to consider alternative locations for padel courts that would allow Scotstoun to retain its current status as Scotland’s leading indoor tennis venue.

The Scottish Government places great importance on community sports and leisure facilities and we recognise the crucial role facilities play in supporting the wellbeing of our population.

We acknowledge the importance of Glasgow Club Scotstoun as a leading indoor tennis venue in Scotland and the importance of this facility for the community and players, as well as for international and domestic tennis events. The proposal to convert two indoor tennis courts into three indoor padel courts at Glasgow Club Scotstoun is a decision for Glasgow Life and Glasgow City Council, and is not a matter for the Scottish Government. We understand that Glasgow Life have explored options to ensure the venue can continue to deliver quality sports facilities, while also maximising efficiency and income.

Our national agency for sport, sportscotland, continues to be updated on progress and will continue to provide support where appropriate.

Question reference: S6W-40334

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Reform UK
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 16 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will discuss a potential ban on the sale of rhododendron ponticum at the next meeting of the British-Irish Council.

Question reference: S6W-40332

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Reform UK
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 16 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on a potential ban of the sale of rhododendron ponticum in Scotland.

We are aware that there have been calls for a ban on sale of Rhododendron ponticum, most recently in the Woodland Trust’s 2021 Rhododendron in the Rainforest report. However, there are challenges associated with such a ban.

The taxonomy of invasive rhododendron is complex. Rhododendron ponticum is used as a root stock and sold as different domesticated varieties; it is not known to be particularly invasive. The invasive rhododendron in the countryside and older garden plantings is thought to be the result of hybridization with the Appalachian species Rhododendron catawbiense. A significant amount of genetic research would be required to define what the hybrid is before its sale could be prohibited and to develop a reliable genetic test that could be used in inspections and enforcement. It is believed currently that only a small proportion of the plants sold as Rhododendron ponticum are thought to be invasive hybrid rhododendron.

In addition, the UK Internal Market Act 2020 would have potentially raised questions as to the legal effect of any Scotland-only ban.

Question reference: S6W-40331

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Reform UK
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 16 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how much its agencies have spent on the (a) removal and (b) control of rhododendron ponticum in each year since 2020-21.

Since 2021, Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) have worked with the Alliance for Scotland’s Rainforest to identify landscapes where they can work co-operatively with other land managers to effectively control rhododendron at the landscape scale. FLS accounting systems do not differentiate rhododendron control from other environmental expenditure such as Invasive Non-Native Species control. Therefore, it is not possible to provide exact figures of expenditure on a) removal and b) control of Rhododendron ponticum in each year since 2020-21. However, between 2022-23 and 2024-25 £1.685 million was spent on INNS and rhododendron removal and follow-up control in priority rainforest areas. During the current financial year, £1.397 million has been made available for INNS and rhododendron control.

Scottish Forestry has agreed £1.793 million of grant support for the eradication of rhododendron since the 2020-21. The funding provided is to support works that secure the removal of rhododendron from the funding area.

In addition, a number of Nature Restoration Fund projects aimed at improving and restoring areas of Atlantic rainforest include rhododendron control and removal. NatureScot does not hold precise information on the elements of those project costs that are solely directed at rhododendron control, but the total of the awarded costs of these projects from 2020-21 to 2024-25 is £1.734 million. The total of the awarded costs for 2025-26 is £1.322 million.