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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-42386

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 December 2025
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 18 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential for expanding marine jobs in Inverclyde in (a) shipbuilding, (b) vessel repair, (c) freight and (d) maritime tourism.

The Scottish Government is committed to supporting a strong maritime sector, including Inchgreen Marine Park, which has been funded through the Glasgow City Region Deal. We are actively engaging with a range of businesses interested in the redevelopment of Inchgreen Dry Dock in Inverclyde, a project further supported by recently announced UK Government funding.

Our engagement spans the wider maritime and shipbuilding sector, including collaboration with the National Shipbuilding Office and the Scottish Maritime Cluster. This work covers key areas of the maritime economy such as shipbuilding, freight facilities, maritime tourism, and vessel repair.

Several maritime companies are currently in discussions to expand shipbuilding and repair facilities in the region, creating significant job opportunities. We are aware of early-stage conversations between interested parties that could lead to further employment growth and economic benefits.

Question reference: S6W-42657

Asked by: George Adam, MSP for Paisley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 December 2025
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Ben Macpherson on 18 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it is working with Scotland’s universities to support their future success and sustainability as a sector.

The Scottish Government recognises the crucial role that universities play in our country and their innumerable contributions to Scotland’s economy. That is why we have now created the Framework for Sustainability and Success of Scotland’s Universities – a collaborative project between the Scottish Government, Universities Scotland and other relevant stakeholders to co-design and secure a successful and sustainable future for Scotland’s university sector.

This is an issue that goes beyond party political boundaries, which is why the work of MSPs from across the chamber in seeking to find common ground on these complex issues is desirable and important. The Scottish Government and Universities Scotland are engaging on a cross party basis on this work.

The framework will be driven by a Steering Group including representatives from the sector, from government, from staff and student bodies, and from the business community. This Group will oversee exploration of options for ensuring a sustainable and successful future for Scotland’s 19 higher education institutions to 2045, and will focus on designing a route to support the sector to drive change.

Question reference: S6W-42651

Asked by: Rona Mackay, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 December 2025
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Graeme Dey on 18 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when it will launch its consultation on the extension of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 to private and third sector providers of care home and "care at home" services.

The consultation will be published on 5 January 2026 and will help to inform a detailed assessment of whether and when providers of care home and 'care at home' services can be understood to be delivering public functions. Subject to the outcome of that assessment, it will also inform decisions on whether, and in what fashion, Ministers might exercise their power under section 5 of FOISA to extend the legislation to private and third sector organisations delivering these services.

Question reference: S6W-42656

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 December 2025
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 18 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when the finalised Vision Implementation Plan and route map will be published, and what progress has been made toward delivering approximately 24,000 additional public electric vehicle charge points by 2030.

The Scottish Government met its target for 6,000 public electric vehicle (EV) charge points in October 2024, two years ahead of schedule. Between October 2024 and October 2025 Scotland’s public charging network grew by a further 22.5%, resulting in a further 1,349 public charge points being added to the network.

Since 2011 the Scottish Government has provided over £65 million to support the development of public EV charging infrastructure across Scotland and we are continuing to support the expansion of public EV charging across Scotland. Over the course of 2025 the Scottish Government’s £30 million EV Infrastructure Fund was fully allocated, and Scotland’s local authorities are now using this funding to progress public procurement to deliver approximately 6,000 additional public charge points across Scotland, in partnership with the private sector.

In August I announced a further £4.5 million to specifically support the expansion of public EV charging infrastructure in our rural and island communities. In August I also launched a new cross pavement charging pilot offering up to £3,500 in financial support to enable residents without access to off-street parking to benefit from lower-cost domestic EV charging. On top of this, the Scottish Government has worked closely with the Scottish Collaboration of Transport Specialists (SCOTS) to develop national guidance on cross-pavement charging which will be published by SCOTS shortly.

Scotland continues to have one of the most comprehensive public charging networks in the UK, but I recognise there is more work to do to ensure Scotland has a public charging network that is fit for the future. We consulted on a Draft Vision Implementation Plan earlier this year, however since the publication of that consultation, the UK Government has announced a number of policy changes, including a new pence per mile tax on EVs and business rates relief for eligible electric vehicle charging points in England in the Autumn Budget, as well as a review of public EV charging costs early next year. The publication of the finalised Vision Implementation Plan has therefore been delayed until 2026 to ensure that the impact of such changes can be considered in the final Plan.

Question reference: S6W-42684

Asked by: Dr Alasdair Allan, MSP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 December 2025
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 18 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to support Scotland’s pelagic processing factories, following significant mackerel and herring quota cuts and the reduced volume of product available to them next year.

I recognise the serious challenges that quota reductions pose for Scotland’s pelagic sector in 2026.

Following a period of intensive engagement and consultation with key stakeholders across the pelagic supply chain, I have, after careful consideration, decided it is necessary for the Scottish Government to introduce an emergency measure for 2026 to help maintain jobs and investment in Scotland’s processing sector and support the wider supply chain.

I am, therefore, announcing today that the current Economic Link arrangements will be amended. Effective from 1 January 2026, the Economic Link licence condition will require species-specific landings of 70% for mackerel and 70% for herring into Scotland in 2026, up from the current combined requirement of 55%.

These measures will apply for 2026 and be kept under review.

Question reference: S6W-42668

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 December 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 14 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how many instances of predation of livestock by white-tailed eagles were reported to its agencies in each year since 2021.

Question reference: S6W-42662

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 December 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 14 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how it measures the efficacy of its investment in rainforest restoration through the Nature Restoration Fund.

Question reference: S6W-42644

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 December 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 14 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-42212 by Neil Gray on 5 December 2025, what data is currently captured by integration authorities that “evidences the value that effective and efficient community equipment and adaptation provision makes to the delivery of key service goals”; where this is published, and how it is communicated to all stakeholders, including service users, carers and equipment providers.

Question reference: S6W-42650

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 December 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 14 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the establishment of an independent national whistleblowing office for education and children’s services.

Question reference: S6W-42671

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 December 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 14 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29052 by Jim Fairlie on 27 August 2024, whether it will provide an update of the number of licence applications that NatureScot received for the culling of (a) greylag, (b) pink-footed and (c) Canada geese in (a) 2024-25 and (b) 2025-26, broken down by local authority area.