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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: S6F-04213

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 23 June 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 June 2025

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6W-38478

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 06 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 23 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in order to safeguard Scotland's hand-dived scallops' global reputation for both quality and sustainability, how it plans to work with organisations such as Seafood Scotland, Michelin and the AA to demonstrate support for low-impact seafood, including by encouraging transparent, evidence-driven certifications, and requiring the inclusion of provenance and catch methods on menus.

Scottish Government fully recognises the vital contribution of all our fishermen, including those that hand dive, who work tirelessly to provide high-quality seafood. Their efforts are vital to the Scottish economy, and for our coastal and island communities in particular, and give Scotland its rightful reputation as a producer of world-class fish and shellfish.

As our national trade and marketing body for the Scottish seafood industry, Scottish Government works closely with Seafood Scotland. The Scottish Government, alongside Seafood Scotland, supports transparency in seafood sourcing and welcomes informed consumer choice. Catching and production information is already accessible to buyers through labelling and supply chain data.

Scottish Government does not however have a role in relation to how menus are written. Food Standards Scotland has responsibility for the provision of food information to consumers, including fish labelling. While there is no legal requirement to provide provenance and catch methods on menus, food businesses may provide this information on a voluntary basis. As with all food information, it must be accurate and not mislead the consumer.

We continuously improve how we manage our waters based on the best available evidence, and are always working towards more sustainable inshore fisheries that balance economic, social and environmental outcomes.

Question reference: S6W-38387

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 23 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-02239 by Roseanna Cunningham on 20 September 2016, which states that the Scottish Law Commission had agreed to consider the Division of Commonties Act 1695 as part of its work on statute law repeals, what the outcome was of that work.

The Division of Commonties Act 1695 was discussed at the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee’s stage 2 consideration on 17 June 2025 and I undertook to provide an update on the Scottish Law Commission’s work on it as part of its work on statute law repeals. I can confirm that following a request by the Scottish Government, the Scottish Law Commission undertook preliminary work on the Division of Commonties Act 1695, and the issues arising in relation to it. The Commissioners took the view that a review of the Act would not be an appropriate law reform project for the Scottish Law Commission and advised Scottish Government of this in August 2018.

Question reference: S6W-38670

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 23 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what contingency plans it has in place to maintain legal representation services in the event of industrial action by the Solicitor Contact Line.

I have asked Colin Lancaster, Chief Executive of the Scottish Legal Aid Board to respond. His response is as follows:-

Business continuity arrangements already exist for the Solicitor Contact Line (SLC). Should the GMB Union notify SLAB that their SCL members intend to progress to industrial action, SLAB will consider whether further contingency planning is needed to mitigate any potential impact of that action on those in police custody who do not already have a solicitor.

SLAB’s approach to discussions with the GMB has been collaborative and consultative. SLAB continues to engage regularly with the GMB and SCL staff. GMB is supportive of engaging with ACAS, which SLAB is currently arranging.

Question reference: S6W-38673

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 23 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what funding has been allocated to the cladding remediation programme to date, and how much of this funding has been spent.

Question reference: S6W-38404

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 06 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 23 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what immediate action it is taking to protect classroom support staff, in light of reports that 100% have witnessed or experienced violence.

Violence towards pupils or staff is unacceptable.

Responsibility for addressing concerns in specific local authority areas rests with the local authority, as the employer of school staff.

In August, we published our action plan on relationships and behaviour in schools, jointly owned with COSLA. The plan sets out 20 actions to be taken by 2027, including actions to reduce violence in schools. In March we published the first progress report on delivery against the plan, which highlighted progress has been made across all 20 actions.

In response to the findings of the Behaviour in Scottish Schools Research 2023 about support staff’s experiences of violence, the Scottish Government provided £900k funding for training of support staff in direct response to findings of the research that staff would welcome such training.

As part of Programme for Government, we are investing £29m to support the recruitment, retention and training of the ASN workforce via local and national programmes.

On 17 June I published new guidance to support school staff on fostering a positive, inclusive and safe school environment, including the use of consequences. I also published guidance on risk assessments for violent, aggressive, and dangerous behaviour.

Question reference: S6W-38677

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 13 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 23 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to protect households from any cold-call scams linked to green energy grants.

Consumer Scotland, as the statutory independent consumer body in Scotland, has responsibility for overseeing scams prevention and awareness work. In addition, the Scottish Government funds a post in Trading Standards Scotland to help minimise the scale and impact of energy efficiency related scams before they cause any consumer detriment.

The Scottish Government funds the Home Energy Scotland (HES) advice service, which provides free, impartial and bespoke advice and support for energy efficiency, clean heating and fuel poverty for all households in Scotland. HES is also the route for access to various Scottish Government grants and loans. No Scottish Government funding schemes participate in cold calling. We recommend that households call HES if they are unsure if a Scottish energy efficiency scheme is genuine.

Consumers can also contact the Scottish Government-funded consumer helpline, Advice Direct Scotland, to report any suspicious schemes and seek guidance on action.

Question reference: S6W-38534

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 23 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking in response to reported findings from the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) survey that 44% of teachers work the equivalent of an extra day each week.

The Scottish Government values the teaching profession and the important work that teachers do.

We are clear that reducing teachers’ class contact time by 90 minutes per week will help address critical concerns around teacher workload, thereby creating the space to drive improvement and reform in our schools and improve outcomes for pupils.

Reduction of teachers class contact time is ultimately a matter which will require agreement from the whole Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers, and we will continue to work with COSLA and the teaching unions to make meaningful progress on this important commitment.

Question reference: S6W-38539

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 23 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it has measured any return on investment at Prestwick Airport since it was brought into public ownership.

Scottish Government officials have commissioned an Economic Impact Assessment of the value delivered by our investment in Glasgow Prestwick Airport. As previously set out to Parliament, a market testing exercise evaluating the potential for returning the airport to private ownership is ongoing and I will update Parliament when a significant development has been made.

We will publish key findings from the Economic Impact Assessment when the market testing exercise has been concluded.

Question reference: S6W-38480

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 09 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 23 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that the Scottish Prison Service allows prisoners to watch 18-certificated films that contain graphic violence, and that the Prison Officers’ Association is calling for a review of the films available to prisoners.

I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

SPS are committed to prepare those in our care for a return to their communities and, for some, this includes access to personal items and various forms of media.

As defined in The Prisons and Young Offenders Rules (Scotland) 2011, the Governor in Charge (GiC) must establish a System of Privileges, taking into consideration a number of factors, including security.

Access to watching DVDs is at the Governors discretion and remains a privilege and not a right.

Currently, there are no plans to review this current practice.