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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-41086

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 21 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, with regard to the concentration of land ownership, what action it is taking to increase community (a) ownership of (i) land and (ii) energy, and (b) wealth building.

Question reference: S6W-41083

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 21 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to increase the diversification of land ownership.

The Scottish Government has taken a number of important steps to support its Land Reform objectives including supporting diversity of land ownership.

The Land Reform (Scotland) Bill is currently being considered by Parliament and represents a significant step forward on Scotland’s Land Reform journey. The Bill will give communities more opportunities to use their Right to Buy and will stop sales of large landholdings from proceeding until Ministers can consider the impact on local communities. Ministers will be able to require land to be sold in lots, further supporting diversity of ownership. The Bill will also require landowners to engage with local communities, giving them more of a say in how land is used and managed, and will also improve the rights of tenant farmers.

The proposals in the Bill build upon the success of earlier legislation such as the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2016. This helped establish the Scottish Land Commission which provides evidence-based advice to inform land policy in Scotland and also works to support good practice in land ownership, management and use, and also the functions of the Tenant Farming Commissioner.

As Summary of Research and Recommendations has shown, concentrated land ownership and the associated lack of supply of land can lead to many important social, economic or environmental objectives being more difficult to achieve. That is why we are taking ambitious action to tackle it through the Bill and other work. These steps support the many sector-specific policies that apply to all land, irrespective of ownership.

Scotland has a proud history of land reform since devolution. The Government is committed to driving forward land reform and increasing diversity of land ownership in a way that is fair, proportionate and within the terms of the current devolution settlement.

Question reference: S6W-41087

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 21 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, with regard to the concentration of land ownership, what action it is taking to improve (a) community engagement and (b) local democracy regarding land ownership decisions.

Question reference: S6W-41089

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 21 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, with regard to the concentration of land ownership, what action it is taking to (a) improve sustainable development and (b) increase levels of rural (i) employment, (ii) housing provision, and (iii) repopulation.

Question reference: S6W-41082

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 21 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to the inclusion of a (a) public interest test assessment of potential buyers, (b) fit and proper person test of potential buyers, and (c) presumed limit against large-scale land ownership unless in the public interest, in the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill.

Question reference: S6W-40683

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 21 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has had any recent discussions with the UK Government regarding the potential legalisation of the traditional herbal medicine Ayahuasca for medicinal purposes.

Question reference: S6W-40956

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 21 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what work it has carried out regarding the establishment of (a) modern apprenticeships in construction and (b) a flexible modern apprenticeship model that could be delivered in rural areas.

The Scottish Government is committed to supporting a strong and sustainable construction skills pipeline through the Modern Apprenticeship (MA) programme, delivered in partnership with Skills Development Scotland (SDS) and the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB).

Modern apprenticeships in construction continue to be delivered across a wide range of occupational areas, and full details are available on the Skills Development Scotland website here: https://www.apprenticeships.scot/browse-frameworks/?frameworkAudience=Individual&searchTerm=&apprenticeshipType=ma#letterC. These frameworks have been developed and maintained through close collaboration with industry to meet the sector’s diverse needs. Construction and related occupations accounted for 25.6% of all MA starts in 2024-25.

The Scottish Government recognises the potential of the shared apprenticeship model to support small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) that may lack the capacity to employ an apprentice independently. Officials will continue to explore this model alongside other measures which may enable more SMEs to take on apprentices.

A key priority for the Scottish Government is also to promote apprenticeship delivery in island and rural communities, reflecting it's commitment to inclusive growth. To ensure equitable access to apprenticeships, particularly in remote and rural areas, the Scottish Government has introduced a rural uplift: an enhanced payment to training providers that incentivises delivery in these locations. This additional support enables providers to develop and deliver flexible, locally tailored apprenticeship programmes that meet the needs of learners and employers in these communities.

Question reference: S6W-41413

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 October 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 17 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how the latest economic inactivity rate in Scotland of 22.7% compares with the latest available rates in ITL 1 statistical regions of England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and with all other 37 member states of the Organisation for Economic Co operation and Development (OECD).

Question reference: S6W-41415

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 October 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 17 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will instruct Glasgow City Council and all of the city’s registered social landlords to establish a common housing register, either on a single city wide or on a district basis.

Question reference: S6W-41405

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 October 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 17 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government of the 21 transfers of engagements of housing associations approved and actioned across Scotland since 2010, which of those involved (a) the transfer of a community-based housing association (CBHA) to a neighbouring CBHA, thereby retaining local accountability and (b) the transfer of a CBHA to a larger registered social landlord.