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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: S6W-39112

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 July 2025
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 24 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what mechanisms it has in place to monitor any potential impact of the Scottish National Investment Bank’s investments on housing supply, including the number of homes delivered as a result of those investments.

Question reference: S6W-39367

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 July 2025
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 24 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government which actions in the 2025 Report from the Independent Working Group on Antisocial Behaviour have been implemented, and whether it will provide an update on which of the remaining actions will be implemented, and when.

The Scottish Government remain committed to addressing anti-social behaviour in partnership with COSLA and Police Scotland who have statutory responsibility for developing strategies to tackle antisocial behaviour at local level.

Recent actions of the Scottish Government contribute to a number of recommendations. For example, we recently announced a £26 million investment in the next phase of the CashBack for Communities programme. The programme’s focus on supporting projects that divert young people from anti-social behaviour and towards positive opportunities is closely aligned with the report’s findings and overall direction.

Further actions from the report are currently under active consideration, and we will provide a full update on implementation plans and timelines in due course. A formal response to the report is expected to be published later this summer.

Question reference: S6W-39107

Asked by: Clare Haughey, MSP for Rutherglen, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 July 2025
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 24 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has given to Clyde Gateway in each year since it was established, broken down by the purpose of the funding.

The Scottish Government has awarded over £213 million of regeneration funding to Clyde Gateway Urban Regeneration Company (URC) from 2007 for the purpose of supporting the delivery of its 20-year operating plan. This includes direct support through annual capital and resource funding to develop and regenerate key sites identified in the plan, support core running costs and other activities it delivers in support of local communities.

Grant awards were made in each financial year are provided in the following table:

Financial Year	Capital funding £000	Resource funding	Comment
2006-07	3,022
2007-08	5,000
2008-09 to 2010-11	57,000		Three-year funding from 1 April 2008 to 31 March 2011
2011-12	11,554	746
2012-13	17,725	1,525
2013-14	19,525	1,525
2014-15	9,290	1,850
2015-16	1,816	184
2016-17	3,070	500
2017-18	5,000	500
2018-19	5,000	500
2019-20	6,130	500
2020-21	6,000	1,000	£500k revenue funding provided to support COVID-19 response.
2021-22	9,000	500
2022-23	5,500	500
2023-24	5,000	500
2024-25	1,000	500
2025-26	3,000	500

Additionally the Scottish Government agreed to a contribution of £3.8 million in capital funding from the Net Zero portfolio in 2024-25 toward the ongoing remediation works at Shawfield.

We understand that Clyde Gateway in delivering their strategic operational plan have, since their formation in 2007, developed numerous projects to support the communities. Information on all of the grants Clyde Gateway may have received from various funding bodies supported with Scottish Government funding is not held centrally in the format requested

Question reference: S6W-39467

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 18 July 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 24 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many full-time equivalent (FTE) staff it estimates there are in each relevant agency and central government who are currently involved in the regulation of salmon farming and smolt production, including fish health, human safety, food standards, planning, environmental, fisheries interactions, licensing and leasing.

Question reference: S6W-39334

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 11 July 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 24 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish its consultation on the use of electric shock collars for training dogs.

We are continuing to give the SAWC reports on remote control static pulse devices and other aversive training devices careful consideration, along with the findings of our review into whether further provisions for wearable static pulse training devices are required, which was undertaken as part of the review of the Animals and Wildlife (Penalties, Protections and Powers) (Scotland) Act 2020. Once we have finished our deliberations, we will announce our timeline for a further consultation.

Question reference: S6W-39333

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 11 July 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 24 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding its plans to consult on a proposal to ban the use of electric shock collars for training dogs, what information it holds on which animal welfare organisations (a) support and (b) oppose such a ban.

Question reference: S6W-39335

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 11 July 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 24 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with representatives of the independent Scottish Animal Welfare Commission regarding the Commission's recommendation that the use of electric shock collars to train dogs should be banned.

Question reference: S6W-39336

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 11 July 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 24 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding its plans to consult on a proposal to ban the use of electric shock collars for training dogs, what information it holds on which veterinary organisations (a) support and (b) oppose such a ban.

Question reference: S6W-39278

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 July 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 24 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported calls from the RSPB for a moratorium on gamebird and Mallard releases in 2025 due to the risk of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in wild birds in Britain being formally classed as "high".

The SG has no plans to bring forward a moratorium on gamebird and Mallard releases in 2025.

Where release of gamebirds may adversely affect the natural features of a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) (and so is listed as an Operation Requiring Consent), the owners or the occupiers of the site must apply for consent from NatureScot. NatureScot can then give consent with or without conditions, refuse, modify or withdraw a consent as appropriate. The prevalence of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in the local area can be a reason for consent to be withheld/withdrawn.

Due to the frequency of wild bird findings in the current outbreak season, an Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) has been in place in Scotland (and across GB) since January 2025 to mitigate the risk of the disease spreading amongst poultry (which includes gamebirds) and other captive birds. This introduced a legal requirement for all bird keepers, including gamekeepers, to follow strict biosecurity measures to help protect their flocks from the threat of avian flu and protect the environment from onward spread.

The measures also include a requirement that that birds taken from the wild for the purpose of restocking supplies of game must not be moved from the premises into which they are taken until a period of 21 days from the date of taking of the last bird has elapsed, unless the movement is direct and licensed by a veterinary inspector or by an inspector under the direction of a veterinary inspector.

It is a legal requirement for suspicion of a notifiable avian disease to be reported to the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA).

Question reference: S6W-39301

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 July 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 24 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the effectiveness of the enforcement of the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (Scotland) Regulations 2021.