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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: S6W-40084

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 25 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 9 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many members of the public have visited the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh in each year since 2021.

Question reference: S6W-40032

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 22 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 9 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met the (a) Coalition of Care and Support Providers in Scotland and (b) Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland.

The Scottish Government regularly meet with the Coalition of Care and Support Providers in Scotland (CCPS) and the Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland (The ALLIANCE) at both official and ministerial level. Both organisations are key stakeholders who have been heavily involved in the work on the National Care Service, social care workforce and our reform and renewal programme through their membership of the Key Stakeholder Steering Group (KSSG) as well as through other regular policy engagement.

The most recent ministerial meeting with the CCPS was with the Minister for Public Finance, Mr Ivan McKee, who met with Rachel Cackett, CCPS CEO, on 25 August 2025.

I chaired the most recent meeting of the KSSG on 8 July 2025, which was attended by Sara Redmond, Chief Officer at the ALLIANCE.

Question reference: S6W-39951

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 9 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown by local authority of the number of times that Land and Buildings Transaction Tax first-time buyer relief has been used in each year from 2021 to 2024.

As the tax authority with responsibility for the collection and management of Scotland’s devolved taxes, Revenue Scotland publishes data on its website regarding Land and Buildings Transaction Tax.

Revenue Scotland has published a local authority breakdown of the numbers claiming Land and Buildings Transaction Tax first-time buyer relief for the years 2021-22 to 2024-25. The relevant table can be accessed at: Land and Buildings Transaction Tax Statistics | Revenue Scotland

Question reference: S6W-39955

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 9 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to further review the change in the Additional Dwelling Supplement rate following the completion of the current Land and Buildings Transaction Tax review.

Question reference: S6W-39930

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 18 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 9 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what the total cost to the taxpayer has been of police overtime in each of the last five years.

The Scottish Government has increased police funding year-on-year since 2016-17, investing more than £14.6 billion since the creation of Police Scotland in 2013, and £1.64 billion in 2025-26.

Decisions on how these resources are allocated, including the deployment of police officers, is a matter for the Chief Constable, under the oversight of the Scottish Police Authority.

The total costs of overtime paid by Police Scotland to its workforce over the last five financial years are detailed in the following table.

Financial Year	Total Police Overtime (£)
2020-21	£16,892,359
2021-22	£40,617,918
2022-23	£47,125,211
2023-24	£28,711,099
2024-25	£31,550,640

Question reference: S6W-39932

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 18 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 9 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the current level of police overtime expenditure indicates a crisis in workforce planning.

The deployment of officers and staff are matters for the Chief Constable. Police Scotland has stated that, “The nature of policing is unpredictable, and overtime is a flexible mechanism which can help to ensure we maintain an effective service for all our communities”

The Scottish Government is investing a record £1.64 billion in policing in 2025-26, an increase of almost £90 million of additional funding from the 2024-25 budget to support police capacity and capability. Our investment in policing has enabled Police Scotland to undertake the highest level of recruitment since its inception in 2024-25. Police Scotland has stated that it has a healthy recruitment pipeline.

Police Scotland’s three-year Business Plan 2024-2027 sets out an ambitious programme of workforce modernisation which aims to bring frontline policing to its strongest possible position.

Question reference: S6T-02649

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 08 September 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that Scottish local authorities spent over £100 million last year on bed and breakfast and hostel accommodation for homeless people.

Question reference: S6T-02658

Asked by: Sandesh Gulhane, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 08 September 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking in response to reports that the synthetic drug, spice, has been found in vapes that are being sold to school children.

Question reference: S6F-04287

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 08 September 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 11 September 2025

To ask the First Minister what additional support the Scottish Government is giving to the Public Dental Service, in light of reports that there has been a 10% rise in spending over the last two years due to increased demand.

Question reference: S6F-04291

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 08 September 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 11 September 2025

To ask the First Minister whether the Scottish Government will review its policy on public sector settlement agreements, in light of reports that £4 million of public money was spent on public sector pay-offs in 2023-24.