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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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

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Question reference: S6W-44234

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 19 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has plans to review the licensing of vape shops.

Scotland is the only country in the UK with a Tobacco and Vapes Retail Register. All businesses, regardless of size, need to be registered to be able to sell these products in Scotland. The register exists to support the enforcement of regulation on age restricted products given the public health harms of tobacco and vaping.

We remain committed to considering how the register could be improved including possible further conditions on registration to support our public health aims of reducing the use of tobacco and vapes.

Individual business owners are responsible for registering any business selling tobacco and/or vapes. Failure to do so could result in a fine of up to £20k and possible imprisonment not exceeding 6 months. It is the responsibility of local authorities to enforce compliance with the register in their local areas.

Question reference: S6W-44235

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 18 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has had any discussions with COSLA or any local authorities about reviewing the licensing of vape shops.

Scottish Government officials meet quarterly with the Trading Standards Policy & Co-ordination Group, attended by COSLA and representatives of Local Authorities, and regularly with Society of Chief Officers of Trading Standards (SCOTSS) to discuss issues around enforcement of existing legislation on tobacco and vapes.

Scotland is the only country in the UK with a Tobacco and Vape retail register, which is designed to support the enforcement of regulation on age restricted products given the public health harms of tobacco and vaping.

As set out in our Tobacco and Vaping Framework, we are committed to considering how the register could be improved including possible further conditions on registration to support public health aims of reducing the use of tobacco and vapes.

Question reference: S6W-44400

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 17 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its discussions with the UK Government regarding the abolition or reform of the Energy Profits Levy.

UK Government decisions in reserved areas of offshore energy policy are driving an accelerated decline in North Sea oil and gas and opening up a gap with the renewables industry – a gap into which jobs and livelihoods are being lost. That is why we are calling for an immediate end to the Energy Profits Levy and a sensible future fiscal regime in the North Sea. This is essential to ensure a just transition from oil and gas to renewables that protects jobs and skills and delivers a pipeline of future investment.

These matters continue to be raised by Scottish Ministers with UK Government counterparts at every opportunity. The First Minister raised them with the Prime Minister on 5 December and again on 16 February. The Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy and myself both wrote in advance of the Spring Forecast. The Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy has also written again following the Forecast and in light of volatility in global oil and gas prices.

Question reference: S6W-44233

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 16 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider running a safety campaign with local authority and Scottish Fire and Rescue Service partners aimed at highlighting the safe storage of products in vape shops and other businesses that deal with products with lithium batteries.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) already carry out regular lithium-ion battery fire safety campaigns, most notably alongside Glasgow City Council highlighting the need for proper use and disposal (here). SFRS also have dedicated advice on their website. The Scottish Government will consider if more should be done and support any further safety campaigns across Scotland alongside SFRS and Local Authorities.

Question reference: S6W-44236

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 16 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service visits vape shops as part of its fire prevention work.

Dutyholders (the employer, as well as any other person who may have control to any extent of any part of the premises) are responsible for complying with the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 and the associated Fire Safety (Scotland) Regulations 2006 to ensure the safety of others from fire. This includes ensuring a fire risk assessment is carried out by a competent assessor. However, SFRS do work with dutyholders in relevant premises to achieve compliance in fire safety through partnership working, providing advice and support when requested.

It should be noted that SFRS base their auditing programme around high risk premises with sleeping accommodation – this includes care homes, hospitals, hotels and houses of multiple occupation (HMOs) which can include student accommodation.

SFRS remains the enforcing authority for general fire safety legislation in non-domestic premises, including vape shops, and its audit programme is informed by risk-based criteria, for example this includes where a complaint about a premises is received or a previous fire has happened.

Question reference: S6W-44401

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 25 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its actions to advance the Acorn Carbon Capture and Storage project.

Question reference: S6O-05645

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it will consider increasing the resources and staffing available to the Non-Government Bills Unit.

Question reference: S6F-04746

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 09 March 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 12 March 2026

To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking to promote vaccinations to combat measles, in light of reports of recent diagnoses in the NHS Grampian area.

Question reference: S6W-43764

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 16 February 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 25 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider having discussions with COSLA, local authorities and the third sector to promote the expansion of Housing First.

Housing First is delivered through close partnership between the Scottish Government, COSLA, local authorities, and third sector organisations. Discussions between partners about the scaling up of Housing First take place, among many others, at the Rapid Rehousing Transition Plans sub-group - gov.scot. The Scottish Government will continue to work with this group to support delivery and the planned expansion of Housing First in line with local and national priorities.

Question reference: S6W-43757

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 16 February 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 25 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government which third sector organisations are involved in supporting Housing First tenancies.

The Scottish Government has published national monitoring reports on Housing First since 1 April 2021. These monitoring reports are publicly available on the Scottish Government website: Housing First: monitoring reports - gov.scot.

The Scottish Government does not collect or hold information identifying which third sector organisations deliver Housing First support. Support services are commissioned by individual local authorities