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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: S6O-04009

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 November 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to ensure that critical rural food production economic activity is viable, sustainable and attractive to the next generation of farmers, crofters and fishers.

Question reference: S6W-28936

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 20 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recently reported decision by the UK Government to retract the £800 million of support for the University of Edinburgh exascale supercomputer, and whether it has had any recent discussions with the UK Government regarding this matter.

This is a matter between the University and UK Government, and general UK Government budgeting is continuing to be reviewed. However, the Scottish Government recognises the University’s unique track record and further potential as the UK’s foremost supercomputing centre, and we will continue to work to influence UK Government public finance discussions to positively benefit our economy and key sectors, including computing and AI.

Question reference: S6W-31477

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 November 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 4 December 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what it estimates the additional cost will be to Police Scotland as a result of the UK Government’s Budget decision to increase employer national insurance contributions.

Question reference: S6W-31478

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 November 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 4 December 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what it estimates the additional cost will be to the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service as a result of the UK Government’s Budget decision to increase employer national insurance contributions.

Question reference: S6W-31476

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 November 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 4 December 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what it estimates the additional cost will be to each NHS board in Scotland as a result of the UK Government’s Budget decision to increase employer national insurance contributions.

Question reference: S6W-31475

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 November 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 4 December 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what it estimates the additional cost will be to local authorities in Scotland as a result of the UK Government’s Budget decision to increase employer national insurance contributions.

Question reference: S6W-30402

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Kaukab Stewart on 29 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its position that prostitution is a form of violence against women and girls, as stated in its Equally Safe strategy, what work it is doing to eradicate violence against women and girls in every sector of society.

The Scottish Government is progressing Equally Safe, Scotland's strategy to prevent and address all forms of violence against women and girls, specifically violence, abuse, and exploitation directed at them because of their gender.

The Equally Safe Delivery Plan underpins the wider strategy and outlines collaborative working between key partners across the public and third sectors. It sets out a wide range of deliverables and actions that reach across many areas, including education, health, and justice to ensure the aims of the Equally Safe strategy are achieved.

Question reference: S6W-30528

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 22 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the report, Prostitution and violence against women and girls - Report of the Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, its causes and consequences, Reem Alsalem, whether it will commit to supporting the Nordic Model in the current parliamentary session, in order to tackle violence against women and girls and any commercial sexual exploitation of prostitution.

I met with the UN Special Rapporteur earlier this year and we welcome publication of the Report’s findings.

Our Strategic Approach to challenge and deter demand for prostitution and improve support for those with experience was published in February 2024. It recognises that prostitution cannot be considered in isolation, and sets out the Scottish Government’s collective approach, working with stakeholders across the wider public and third sector.

In common with the Nordic Model, the Strategy seeks to enable women to safely, and sustainably, exit from prostitution.

While we continue work with partners to develop a wider improved support pathway, we are now in a position to make progress with an initial phase of this work. Collaborating with Police Scotland, we will look to challenge demand and improve support for women with experience of commercial sexual exploitation.

I met with key stakeholders earlier this month to outline this collaboration, which includes:

A secondment from the Scottish Government’s Violence against Women and Girls team to ensure that strategic connections to wider relevant Scottish Government initiatives are made.
Supporting the further development of Operation Begonia (already operational in Aberdeen) to lead to a national and consistent policing approach.
Funding Police Scotland to gather intelligence to understand the full extent of demand for commercial sexual exploitation across Scotland, helping to better reach victims and strengthen the response to tackling perpetrators

This is a key stage in implementing our Strategic Approach, ensuring that we increase the opportunities for women to access support whilst at the same time ever limiting the opportunities for those carrying out exploitation.

Question reference: S6W-30225

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Friday, 27 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 8 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reported concerns regarding the potential negative impact on the mental health of deer stalkers required to cull pregnant female deer, whether it has considered alternative measures to extending the female deer season until 31 March, and what its position is on whether the extension is appropriate, in light of such concerns regarding the mental health implications for the workforce.

The Scottish Government want to ensure that changes to deer management policy are effective in achieving our climate and biodiversity aims.

We are aware that there are a range of views on changes to the female deer close seasons. That is why we undertook a full public consultation on proposals for deer legislation which included this issue. We have also ensured that animal welfare organisations have been fully consulted.

We are carefully considering all the responses, and we are in regular contact with gamekeepers and other land management stakeholders, on deer management issues. We will continue to work with them as our deer management legislation develops.

It is important to note that deer close seasons set a time period during which it is unlawful to kill a female deer, on deer welfare grounds. The timing of deer management outside these close seasons remans a decision for deer stalkers and, where appropriate, their employers.

Question reference: S6W-30230

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Friday, 27 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 8 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether there are any plans to take action to reduce the number of traffic accidents involving deer across the Central Belt.

Alongside our work to reduce deer populations which should have an impact on reducing the number of deer involved in road traffic accidents, we are also taking action at ‘hotspots’ where there are higher numbers of deer vehicle collisions.

NatureScot and Transport Scotland have been recording and analysing deer vehicle collisions (DVCs) across the Scottish road network since 2008. Between 2022 to 2025 several ‘hotspots’ for DVCs were identified as part of this work, most of which were in the Central Belt. NatureScot are now running a project looking at site-specific mitigation options in three Central Belt sites. This includes site visits to liaise with landowners over deer management.

Alongside this, a ‘Deer Aware’ media campaign is being run in the Central Belt. The campaign warns drivers on trunk roads of the increased likelihood of deer on the road in the spring.

We are also investigating the practicality of incorporating wildlife crossings into the design of the proposed replacement pedestrian bridges across the M8 trunk road near to Junction 3, Livingston. Such ‘green bridges’ can service multiple users and provide a safe alternative route for wildlife across busy roads.