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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-40212

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 16 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many breaches of the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010 that were recorded in each of the last five years related to (a) a prohibited fishing activity, (b) a marine protected area infringement, (c) a licensing offence and (d) any other category.

Question reference: S6W-40274

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 16 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made on the impact on Scotland's economy of the report by Offshore Energy UK suggesting that, without replacing the Energy Profits Levy in the next year with a profits-based mechanism to encourage investment and output, North Sea oil and gas production could disappear “within years, not decades”.

The fiscal regime for offshore oil and gas, as well as the regulatory regimes for licensing and consenting, are all matters that are currently reserved to the UK Government.

We continue to call on the UK Government to listen carefully to concerns being expressed by businesses and trade bodies around the impacts of its Energy Profits Levy.

We are now awaiting the UK Government’s response to its recent consultation, which must clearly set out how a stable and long-term fiscal regime will be used to deliver business and investor certainty for the North Sea. The Energy Profits Levy was always supposed to be a temporary measure and we must see the earliest possible end date, as it is now affecting investment and jobs in the North East.

Question reference: S6W-40275

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 16 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with the UK Government regarding reform of the energy profits levy.

The fiscal regime for offshore oil and gas is reserved to the UK Government.

We have continued to call on UK Government to listen carefully to concerns being expressed by businesses around the impacts of its Energy Profits Levy, this was repeated by the Deputy First Minister at Offshore Europe on 2 September.

We are now awaiting the UK Government’s consultation response, which must clearly set out how a stable and long-term fiscal regime will be used to deliver business and investor certainty for the North Sea. The EPL was always supposed to be a temporary measure and we must see the earliest possible end date, as it is now affecting investment and jobs in the North East.

Scottish Government Ministers and officials engage with UK Government, including HMT Treasury counterparts and a wide range of stakeholders when considering all of these issues and will continue to do so.

Question reference: S6W-40285

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 16 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the proposed draft regulations to add the characteristic of sex to the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021, what evaluation process will be used to assess whether embedding the characteristic of sex in hate crime law is effective in tackling gendered violence patterns, and how it will ensure that any feedback from frontline practitioners, victims and experts directly shapes any iterative updates in the future.

Implementation of Sections 14 and 15 of the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021 enable ongoing evaluation of the effectiveness of the legislation by ensuring systematic data collection and public reporting. If the draft SSI is approved by Parliament when it is laid following the current consultation period, these reporting requirements will enable a deepening of the understanding of the impact of implementing the sex characteristic legislation, while also supporting meaningful engagement with communities to assess how commencement will affect them.

Further, we will continue to monitor our wider activity to tackle hate crime as set out in the terms of reference for the Hate Crime Strategic Partnership Group which is chaired by the Minister for Victims and Community Safety.

Question reference: S6W-40271

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 16 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of it declaring a housing emergency, how it will respond to the reported loss of 12,000 homes from the landlord register since May 2023.

It is unclear where the figure for the reported loss of 12,000 homes from the landlord register since May 2023 has come from. The most recently published figures show an increase in registered properties of almost 8,000 from May 2023 to July 2025.

According to official published statistics derived from the Scottish Landlord Register, in May 2023 there were 238,787 registered landlords and 341,417 registered properties. By July 2025, the most recent data available, this had fallen to 232,922 landlords, while the number of registered properties had increased to 349,313:

Housing statistics: Scottish Landlord Register data - gov.scot

This represents a reduction of 5,865 landlords over the period. Importantly, while landlord numbers have declined slightly, the number of registered properties has risen by almost 8,000 homes.

While these changes may point to some landlords choosing to leave the sector, the evidence suggests that their properties are remaining in the sector, or new properties are being offered for rent.

It should be noted that there are some limitations to the administrative data from the landlord register, including the time-lag in landlords deregistering properties that are no longer available to rent. These statistics should therefore be treated with some caution.

Question reference: S6W-40203

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 01 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 16 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what oversight it has of the Strategic Network for the Long-Term Effects of COVID-19 and what assessment it has been made of the delivery of services.

The Scottish Government is represented on the Strategic Oversight and Programme Board of the National Strategic Network for the Long-Term Effects of COVID-19. The Strategic Oversight and Programme Board provides oversight of the workplan and programme outcomes of the Strategic Network.

On 23 December 2024 the Network published an evaluation the University of Leeds was commissioned to undertake of patient outcomes in those accessing NHS long COVID clinical services in Scotland. Analysis showed patients reported that they got somewhat better in symptoms and abilities over the first six months. Despite improvements, many reported that they still had major health issues compared to before having COVID.

The report notes that long COVID can be a fluctuating condition, meaning there is not necessarily a linear trend of improvement or deterioration in the symptom burden, functional disability, and overall health of patients. Therefore, care needs to be taken in drawing any conclusions from changes in patient reported outcome measure scores, particularly when over a short space of time. The full report is accessible at https://www.nn.nhs.scot/longcovid/2024/12/23/elaros-data-report/

Question reference: S6W-40137

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 16 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish and lay before Parliament a report on the operation of the Post Office (Horizon System) Offences (Scotland) Act 2024, as required to do so under section 6 of the Act.

Question reference: S6W-40282

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 16 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its decision not to proceed with the introduction of the Misogyny Bill, and instead to consult on draft regulations to add the characteristic of sex to the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021, how it will ensure that it captures the specific experiences of women and girls, particularly by engaging local survivors’ groups, women’s aid services and intersectional advocacy organisations, and what formal mechanisms will help to ensure that their input shapes any statutory guidance.

The draft Scottish Statutory Instrument which seeks to add sex as a characteristic to the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021 ("the 2021 Act") is subject to super affirmative process and is therefore subject to consultation. Stakeholders, including women’s aid services and intersectional advocacy organisations, were notified of the publication of the draft SSI and the launch of the consultation. They were encouraged to both actively participate in the consultation process and to disseminate the details of the draft SSI and consultation within their wider networks to broaden the scope of outreach.

We will utilise the feedback received via responses to the consultation to inform the final policy of the SSI. Similarly, if the final SSI is passed by Parliament, we will engage with all organisations with on matters relating to implementation prior to the SSI coming into effect.

There is no power contained in the 2021 Act for the Scottish Ministers to publish statutory guidance.

Question reference: S6W-40338

Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 16 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a support scheme for businesses to manage, or move on, unsold stock before disposal becomes restricted under the Circular Economy (Scotland) Act 2024, to support and accelerate economic growth across the circular fashion and sustainable textiles sectors.

The Circular Economy (Scotland) Act 2024 states that Scottish Ministers may, by regulations, make provision prohibiting or restricting the disposal of unsold consumer goods if they consider it appropriate to do. The policy design will be informed by evidence and stakeholder engagement, and any measures will include an implementation period to allow businesses to prepare. Textile products will be a key focus of our product stewardship plan, and the sector will be considered in our forthcoming Circular Economy Strategy.

Question reference: S6W-40183

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Monday, 01 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 16 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what action it plans to take to manage the reported increasing impact of water scarcity on producers.

The Scottish Government recognises the increasing impact of water scarcity on producers and is implementing Scotland’s National Water Scarcity Plan with SEPA and Scottish Water to support those affected.

Scotland has seen several areas reach Significant Scarcity this year. SEPA is working closely with affected abstractors, the National Farmers Union Scotland, Scotch Whisky Association, and others to minimise impacts on producers where possible.

Research through our Strategic Research Programme is modelling future drought risks and Scotland’s Centre of Expertise for Waters (CREW) is conducting a project to produce guidance for farmers to increase their resilience to water scarcity.

Support for producers is also available through the Agri-Environment Climate Scheme, which funds water-efficient infrastructure like irrigation lagoons. Resilience remains central to our climate strategy, and we continue to encourage responsible water use across all sectors.