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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: S6F-04057

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 May 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 May 2025

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to water scarcity alerts issued by SEPA for the east of Scotland, in light of low rainfall and warm temperatures.

Question reference: S6F-04052

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 May 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 May 2025

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6F-04067

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 May 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 May 2025

To ask the First Minister when the landslip shelter on the A83 at the Rest and Be Thankful will be complete.

Question reference: S6F-04054

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 May 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 May 2025

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6F-04062

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 May 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 May 2025

To ask the First Minister, in light of the publication of the Programme for Government, what action the Scottish Government is taking to ensure that prevention is more strongly integrated into the health system.

Question reference: S6W-37130

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 6 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what recent analysis it has conducted of the amount of higher education funding per student in Scotland compared with other UK nations, and what steps it will take to close any identified gap.

It is not appropriate to undertake such analysis given Scottish and rUK education systems are not comparable due to several key reasons, including but not limited to:

Higher education is 'free' at the point of delivery in Scotland, and not in the rest of the UK (rUK) and hence student numbers and cost per student are not comparable.

Scottish Colleges provide a higher proportion of Higher Education in Scotland than rUK equivalents.

Degrees are typically longer in Scotland (4 years versus 3 in rUK) and Scottish students start university at a younger age.

The English landscape changed following the Higher Education & Research Act 2017 which meant that the way in which Higher Education Institutions and Alternative Providers were funded, badged and treated changed. The governance and funding of HEIs and Alternative Providers in Scotland have remained unchanged over the same time period.

Question reference: S6W-37111

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 6 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it proposes to mitigate any knock-on effects of closures or reductions in provision from independent schools on public sector schools, in light of the UK Government's decision to make independent schools liable for VAT.

Scottish Government continues to work with local authorities and the independent sector to understand the impact of the UK Government policy on Scottish schools to date. Scottish Ministers have received assurance from local authorities that they have the capacity to support increased school rolls.

The distribution methodology for calculating the block grant is agreed with local authorities and is informed by a number of indicators, including pupil numbers from the latest annual school census.

Question reference: S6W-37102

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 6 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether any consideration has been given to an emergency dental scheme that prioritises dental treatment for vulnerable groups who lack access.

Patients who are not registered with a dentist can access emergency and urgent dental care via the Public Dental Service.

The Scottish Government also has a range of programmes to support those in vulnerable groups to maintain and improve their oral health:

'Childsmile' our flagship programme designed to reduce oral health inequalities and improve oral health among children;
'Caring For Smiles' for dependent older people over 65;
'Smile4Life' for people experiencing homelessness;
'Mouth Matters' for people with experience of the justice system;
'Open Wide' for adults between 16-64 years of age with additional care needs.

More information on our oral health improvement programmes is available online at: Oral Health Improvement – Scottish Dental

Question reference: S6W-37101

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 6 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason naturalised beaver populations that arose through illegal release, accidental release or natural dispersion from authorised populations are not considered "within range" by the existing definition of "natural range" for beavers in Scotland.

As set out in their Beaver Management Report it is NatureScot policy to consider authorised populations and catchments where licensed release has already taken place are considered to form beaver’s natural range in Scotland.

Therefore, in considering the definition of ‘within range’ are essentially talking about catchments where there have been licensed translocations or reinforcements, or as in the case of Tayside and Knapdale the population has been officially permitted to remain, i.e. rather than a definition based on current distribution.

Question reference: S6W-37159

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 6 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether any decrease in police budgets has had an impact on retail crime levels and worker safety.

The Scottish Police Authority Budget has not decreased. We have increased police funding year-on-year since 2016-17, investing more than £14.6 billion since the creation of Police Scotland in 2013. This includes a record £1.64 billion investment in policing in 2025-26, an increase of £90 million compared to 2024-25.

In addition, £3 million has been made available to Police Scotland to enable it to work in partnership with the Retail Industry Leadership Group, to help tackle retail crime. We recognise that this issue costs businesses millions of pounds each year, and has a knock-on effect on the prices we pay in the shops.