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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: S6O-05559

Asked by: Maggie Chapman, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 February 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment the finance secretary has made of the impact of lengthy national budget consultation processes on the financial sustainability of third sector organisations in north east Scotland.

Question reference: S6O-05556

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 February 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish responses to its consultation on a potential point of entry levy.

Question reference: S6W-43709

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 February 2026
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 18 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to bring into force part 1 of the Domestic Abuse (Protection) (Scotland) Act 2021.

The Scottish Government is committed to fully implementing Part 1 of the 2021 Act, but it is a complex piece of legislation with recognised operational challenges, as identified by justice partners and stakeholders. Following a workshop in March 2025, key stakeholders were of the view that fundamental changes were needed to the legislation to ensure that the policy aims of a domestic abuse protection order could be realised in a sustainable way. A short life working group was therefore established to consider possible legislative changes to ensure that the Act can be implemented as intended. That group has now met five times following the first meeting on 11 September 2025. This work will inform a consultation in early 2026 on possible changes to the legislation.

Question reference: S6W-43633

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 February 2026
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 18 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish updates on the (a) progress made and (b) costs associated with the major harbour development projects outlined in its Infrastructure Investment Plan 2021-26

The Scottish Government remains committed to continued investment in new vessels and supporting infrastructure at our ports and harbours across the ferry network. Full detail on the Scottish Governments ambitious vessel renewal and port upgrade programmes was published in May 2025 as part of the Islands Connectivity Plan – Vessels and Ports Plan.

This includes 13 new vessels across the CalMac fleet. Major infrastructure investment has also been achieved with the Islay enabling works and the Little Minch Infrastructure Programme: Tarbert (Harris), Lochmaddy (South Uist) and Uig (Skye) along with other smaller projects. Work also continues on major projects including Port Ellen Terminal Development, Ardrossan and Gasay works.

The MV Glen Sannox entered service in Jan 2025 and the MV Isle of Islay has been handed over to CalMac and is enroute to Scotland. In addition, CMAL purchased the MV Loch Frisa in 2021 and works recently commenced on the Cumbrae Slipway Replacement Project.

Our new four-year Infrastructure Delivery Pipeline which was published in January, contains projects over £5 million and programmes over £20 million which have agreed outline business cases (or equivalent) and agreed funding. These include a number of vessels, ports and harbours inclusions and we will report on the progress of delivering these every six months following the Scottish parliamentary election in May.

Question reference: S6W-43642

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 February 2026
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 18 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-42567 by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 6 January 2026, whether it will provide an update on any issues with the delivery of the Winter Heating Payment, in light of reports of many Edinburgh Western constituents having yet to receive it.

Social Security Scotland is committed to ensuring that everyone who is eligible for Winter Heating Payment receives their payment automatically.

As of 24 January 2026, over 454,500 Winter Heating Payments had been made to eligible clients across Scotland.

As noted in the response to S6W-42597, Social Security Scotland contacts clients before payments are issued. While most people received their Winter Heating Payment by the end of December 2025, payments will continue until the end of February 2026.

Further details are available on Social Security Scotland’s website at: Winter Benefits management information release to 24 January 2026

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.

Question reference: S6W-43634

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 February 2026
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 18 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish updates on the (a) progress made and (b) costs associated with the procurement of replacement vessels for the passenger services outlined in its Infrastructure Investment Plan 2021-26.

Question reference: S6W-43615

Asked by: Maggie Chapman, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 06 February 2026
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 18 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reported concerns regarding a greater need for agility and clear information, whether it will support SCOTS (Scottish Collaboration of Transportation Specialists) and others to develop a database of equipment, including vehicles and other kit, that can be mobilised to support local responses to severe weather events.

The Scottish Government recognises the importance of effective coordination, clear information and agility in responding to severe weather. We work closely with local authorities, SCOTS and resilience partners to strengthen preparedness and support local decision-making.

Mutual aid arrangements already enable partners to share equipment and expertise when required and are kept under review within our wider resilience framework. While understanding available assets can be beneficial, any proposal for a national equipment database would require careful consideration of scope, governance, cost and alignment with existing systems and responsibilities.

Transport Scotland engages extensively with winter service partners at local, national, and international levels and works closely with contractors and Scottish Government colleagues to plan and respond to network disruption. Through Multi-Agency Response Team (MART) arrangements with partners including the Met Office, Police Scotland and SCOTS, transport agencies coordinate operations, communications and recovery efforts to minimise disruption and support effective local and national responses during severe weather events.

Question reference: S6W-43607

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 February 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 18 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made towards implementing a ban on the sale of glue traps, in light of the UK Parliament's completion of the process for applying the UK Internal Market Act's market access principles for the sale of such traps.

In order to ban the supply, and not just the use, of glue traps, the Scottish Government required an exclusion from the Market Access Principles under the Internal Market Act 2020 (“the IMA”).

The United Kingdom Internal Market Act 2020 (Exclusions from Market Access Principles: Glue Traps) Regulations 2025 was made on 29 January 2026 under section 10(2) of the United Kingdom Internal Market Act 2020. However, the regulations do not come in to effect until 20 February 2026.

We will be communicating to stakeholders and industry our plans to bring into force the ban on use, sale and possession of glue traps in Scotland once the regulations to implement the exclusion from the IMA have come in to effect.

Question reference: S6W-43608

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 February 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 18 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the provisions in the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Act 2024 to ban glue traps, what measures it will put in place to ensure that online retailers do not circumvent the ban by continuing to ship traps to customers in Scotland.

Section 2 of the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Act 2024 makes it an offence for a person to supply or offer for sale a glue trap, or to knowingly cause or permit an unauthorised person to do so.

These offences are liable on summary conviction to a maximum penalty of 12 months’ imprisonment, or a £40,000 fine, or both, or on conviction on indictment to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 5 years or to a fine (or both).

These offences and associated penalties will be fully communicated to the sector and retailers ahead of a ban coming into force.

Question reference: S6W-43606

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 February 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 18 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what data it holds on the number of birds and other non-target species that have been trapped or died in glue traps since the introduction of the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Act 2024.