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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-05697

Asked by: Bob Doris, MSP for Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 March 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has paid to the agricultural sector in direct support payments over the course of the current parliamentary session.

Question reference: S6O-05710

Asked by: Sandesh Gulhane, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 March 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any increase in caseload for the Adult Disability Payment, particularly in regard to mental and behavioural disorders.

Question reference: S6O-05707

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

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any excess deaths associated with long waiting times in A&E departments, including the action it is taking to reduce preventable mortality.

Question reference: S6W-44457

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 18 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how it is monitoring the effectiveness of the pavement parking ban in (a) South Lanarkshire and (b) Glasgow since its implementation.

The Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 places a duty upon all local authorities to enforce the new parking prohibitions. It is for each local authority to determine how best to monitor the effectiveness of enforcement in their area. However, Transport Scotland does collate figures on annual income/expenditure and Penalty Charge Notices issued, which now includes pavement parking. Scottish Ministers publish an annual report and the most of which, covering 2024-25, was published in January 2026 and can be found at the following link: Decriminalised Parking Enforcement (DPE) Report 2024-2025 | Transport Scotland

Question reference: S6W-44448

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 18 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what data it collects on how early learning and childcare funding is spent in local authorities.

Local Authority level expenditure data is published annually in the Scottish Local Government Finance Statistics (SLGFS). This Official Statistics publication includes details of Local Authority spending on all pre-primary education and details spending on the 1140 funded early learning and childcare offer.

The most recent SLGFS publication was published on the 3rd of February 2026 and covers expenditure from the financial year 2024-25. This data is available online at: Scottish Local Government Finance Statistics 2024-25 - gov.scot, with individual workbooks available at: Scottish local government finance statistics (SLGFS) 2024-25: workbooks - gov.scot

Question reference: S6W-44487

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 18 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will introduce new fire safety standards specifically for retail premises that store high volumes of lithium-ion batteries and flammable lighters and lighter fluid, and what assessment it has made of the risk that these products can pose to historic, timber-framed buildings and critical infrastructure, such as Glasgow Central Station.

Under existing legislation, Dutyholders (the employer, as well as any other person who may have control to any extent of any part of the premises) are already 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. As part of this, all relevant non-domestic premises must have an active fire risk assessment in place, carried out by a competent person. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) also work with dutyholders in relevant premises to achieve compliance in fire safety through partnership working, providing advice and support when requested.

The use of premises as a shop, including for vape sales, falls within Class 1A of the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) (Scotland) Order 1997. Decisions on planning applications and other local planning matters are, in the first instance, the responsibility of the planning authority, in this case Glasgow City Council. This applies both to full planning applications and to associated listed building consent applications. It is for the authority to interpret and apply the development plan and any other material considerations as they consider appropriate in the circumstances of each case.

Question reference: S6W-44315

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Kaukab Stewart on 18 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what account it takes of the additional costs associated with rurality when making funding provisions for rape crisis centres across the country.

The Scottish Government is committed to tackling all forms of violence against women and girls and to supporting specialist services, including Rape Crisis Centres, that provide vital support to victims and survivors of gender based violence.

Our Equally Safe strategy recognises that women in rural and island communities, and the specialist organisations that support them, can face particular challenges, and that abuse may be even more hidden than in urban areas.

Through our Delivering Equally Safe Fund we are supporting services across every local authority in Scotland. From the £21.6 million allocated in 2025-26, almost £2 million is going directly to Rape Crisis Centres that support women and girls in our most rural and island communities. We have provided a 5% uplift to the Delivering Equally Safe Fund from 2026-27.

At the time of awarding funding to the Delivering Equally Safe fund, applications were sought from service providers who were able to direct operational activity towards those most in need of assistance, based on an independent expert assessment of local and sectorial priorities. Funding decisions were determined by a range of measures including what funds were requested, ensuring funding coverage in every local authority area of Scotland and the overall amount of funding available.

Funding to Rape Crisis Centres is also provided through Victim Centred Approach funding of £2,017,872 for the National Advocacy Project, which supports advocacy for survivors within the criminal justice system and is distributed to the rape crisis network by Rape Crisis Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-44305

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 18 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of how much it has spent on international development funding in each year since 2021.

The Scottish Government reports its calendar-year official development assistance (ODA) to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) through the UK Government. These figures are published annually as part of the UK Statistics on International Development. Within these statistics, the Scottish Government’s contributions are reported under the category ‘Other contributors of UK ODA’. Provisional 2025 UK Official Development Assistance statistics will be published on 9 April 2026.

The Scottish Government has also separately reported through its regular series of “Contribution to International Development Reports” and its more recent International Strategy Annual Report 2025.

Details of how much the Scottish Government has spent on international development in each year since 2021 are therefore contained within these published ODA figures in the following table:

Individual Contributor	2021 £ Million	2021 % UK ODA	2022 £ million	2022 % UK ODA	2023 £ million	2023 % UK ODA	2024 £ million	2024% UK ODA
Scottish Government	26	0.23%	16	0.12%	16	0.11%	22	0.16%
Total UK Net ODA	11,423	100%	12,786	100%	15,344	100%	14,082	100%

Sources:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/68cad7a85e09a4a59af0c01d/Tables-Statistics-on-International-Development-final-UK-ODA-spend-2024.ods (Table 3. Breakdown of UK ODA: by Government Department and Other Contributors of UK ODA, 2020, 2023 and 2024)
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/66167f2f56df202ca4ac058e/Excel-tables-Statistics-on-International_Development-Final-UK-AID-Spend-2022.ods (Table 3. Breakdown of UK ODA: by Government Department and Other Contributors of UK ODA, 2018, 2021 and 2022)
Figures may not sum to totals due to rounding.
Notes and definitions: Statistics on International Development: Annexes 1 to 3
Contribution to international development: report 2021 to 2023 - gov.scot
International strategy: annual report 2024 to 2025 - gov.scot(tables 14 and 15 ODA spend).

Question reference: S6W-44283

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 18 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has with solicitors about (a) the timely conclusion of missives and (b) conveyancing delays.

Question reference: S6W-44284

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 18 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what the most up to date total cost is of the (a) MV Glen Sannox and (b) MV Glen Rosa, including ongoing repairs.