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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: S6T-02772

Asked by: Clare Haughey, MSP for Rutherglen, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 24 November 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the warning from Scottish Care that the UK Government’s immigration proposals risk destabilising care provision in Scotland.

Question reference: S6F-04480

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 24 November 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 November 2025

To ask the First Minister how the Scottish Government plans to commemorate the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence.

Question reference: S6F-04475

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 24 November 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 November 2025

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6F-04483

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 24 November 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 November 2025

To ask the First Minister, in light of ExxonMobil's announcement of the closure of the Mossmorran ethylene plant, what action the Scottish Government is taking to mitigate any damage this will cause to the Cowdenbeath area and the wider Scottish economy.

Question reference: S6F-04479

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 24 November 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 November 2025

To ask the First Minister what impact the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement will have on Scotland.

Question reference: S6F-04477

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 24 November 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 November 2025

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6F-04476

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 24 November 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 November 2025

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6W-41785

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 10 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 24 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to promote collaboration between local authorities, enterprise agencies and the UK Government on regional growth.

As outlined in the Programme for Government this year, we are considering how best we can empower regional partnerships, so that local authorities can work together more with enterprise agencies, businesses, and the third sector at regional scale to drive growth.

We have for many years promoted collaboration between local authorities, enterprise agencies, the Scottish and UK Governments. We have seen successful partnership delivery between the Scottish and UK Government at regional scale through the City and Regional growth deals, our Green Freeports and the development of Investment Zones in Glasgow City Region and the North East.

Our enterprise and skills agencies have been key contributors to the success of these programmes, and play a key role in promoting economic and business growth and supporting capital investment in Scotland’s places and industries of the future. We allocated over £321 million for the enterprise agencies in 2025-26 – an increase of £14 million - to help businesses across Scotland to grow, create jobs and attract investment.

We will continue to welcome strong working relationships between the Scottish Government, local authorities and the UK Government, as long as the UK Government does not ignore the devolution settlement and the role of the Scottish Parliament – which it did repeatedly through programmes such as the Shared Prosperity Fund, and which this government seems intent to do with funds such as Pride in Place.

Question reference: S6W-41773

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 10 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 24 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to maintain research quality in universities under the current funding model.

Scotland hosts world-class research and innovation, with each of our unique universities conducting cutting edge, collaborative research across a broad range of disciplines. A suite of innovation activity occurs within Scottish research organisations and businesses. This generates a wide range of economic, societal and environmental impacts, and means we are highly successful in leveraging competitive funds from other sources. Recent analysis was undertaken by Elsevier on Scotland’s research and innovation performance.

The Scottish Government remains committed to research, which sits at the heart of a number of our key policies and strategies, such as NSET, the National Innovation Strategy and the International Education Strategy. We continue to support high-quality research and innovation across Scotland, increasing the investment in HE capital (which includes funding for research) to over £368m – an increase of 3.2% (or over £11m) for AY 25-26. We also continue to fund a portfolio of knowledge exchange and innovation investments, including the Innovation Centres, Interface and Alliances for Research Challenges (ARCs), and funding supporting international research collaboration.

Decisions around the Scottish Government’s Budget are being considered over the coming months. The Scottish Government will continue to work collaboratively with Universities Scotland on developing a framework for the sustainability of universities, including research activity.

Question reference: S6W-41798

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 10 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 24 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to use the Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund to drive growth and sustainability in coastal communities and the fishing sector, and how it expects the fund will halt or reverse the decline in the number of (a) fishers and (b) fishing vessels, as outlined in the recent Scottish Sea Fisheries Statistics for 2024.

The allocation of just £28m of the £360 million Fishing and Coastal Fund is a hammer blow for our fishing sector. Scotland accounts for over 60% of the UK’s fishing capacity and seafood exports, with Scottish vessels landing over 75% of UK quota species. Scotland’s allocation should be at least 46%, reflecting our share of the UK’s EU fisheries funding.

We understand from the UK Government that the funding will not be provided until the financial year 2026-27, and that it will be spread over 12 years. The Scottish Government will make funding decisions for 2026-27 and future years in the upcoming Scottish Budget and Spending Review. When that process concludes we will be able to provide more detail on future years of marine funding in Scotland. However, this unfair allocation severely restricts our ability to support our industry which faces mounting pressures, and the very small allocation will do little to address these. I am strongly urging the UK Government to reconsider this decision.

Meanwhile, our Marine Fund Scotland (MFS) has been supporting new entrants into Scotland's Fishing industry and innovation withing the sector since 2021. Since the MFS's launch, a total of over £40 million in grant funding has been awarded to the fishing sector, supporting 45 new entrants into the sector and enabling £85 million investment. The Scottish Government remains committed to working with industry, coastal communities and stakeholders to ensure a sustainable and thriving future for Scotland's Fisheries. I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-41725 on 13 November 2025 which sets out the Scottish Governments full response to the 2024 Scottish Sea Fisheries Statistics.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.