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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: S6W-43185

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 January 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 3 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government where the location will be for the first roll-out of self-sampling for cervical screening, which is expected to take place in spring 2026.

Question reference: S6W-43199

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 January 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 3 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how many employees within the devolved civil service are currently on a development programme for underperformance.

Question reference: S6W-43179

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 January 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 3 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-40703 by Mairi Gougeon on 1 October 2025, how much money from the Forestry Grant Scheme has been spent on (a) natural regeneration of native woodlands and (b) invasive species control, in each year since 2021-22.

Question reference: S6W-43096

Asked by: Michael Marra, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 January 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 3 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it routinely retains draft versions of budget spreadsheets and working documents that may change post-publication, and, if so, whether it will commit to making earlier versions available to MSPs where material changes are made in new versions.

Question reference: S6W-43182

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 January 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 3 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) working, (b) reference, (c) policy sub, (d) network and (e) other groups have been established in relation to its delivery of Phase 2 of the Women’s Health Plan; what the full name of each group is, and to whom each group reports.

Question reference: S6W-43194

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 January 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 3 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how many men completed the Caledonian System programme in 2024-25.

Question reference: S6W-42830

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 January 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 20 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what support it is currently providing to fruit and vegetable producers that are (a) recognised and (b) not recognised as producer organisations.

The Scottish Government provides support to groups of growers recognised as Producer Organisations (POs) via the Fruit and Vegetables Aid Scheme. It is a long-standing support mechanism to encourage and enable collaboration, strategic planning, improved quality and market competitiveness. It provides match-funding, over multi-year operational programmes, for actions including investments in infrastructure, employment of specialist staff and research and innovation projects.

Examples of some of the innovation projects that have been funded through the scheme are:

propagation trials, which if successful, would reduce imports of plants, reduce costs, control plant health and ensure the best plants for producing high quality food;
pesticide reduction supported by UV light robots which autonomously shine a UK light on fruit plants, killing disease and causing microbes. Results indicate they can reduce powdery mildew pesticide treatments by 60-100% and increase fruit production by 15%;
growing media trials to phase out the use of peat. Coir is an important and valuable growing media that has enabled growers to transition away from using peat, but also comes with concerns. Funding from the scheme has enabled growers to experiment with blending spent coir with woodchip, hemp, wool, heather and bracken and trial the alternatives. Finding a replacement will increase business resilience and contribute to climate change goals.

The Fruit and Vegetables Aid Scheme helps support growers of all sizes work together and plays a key role in sustaining the horticulture sector. It is reported that nearly half of UK-grown fresh produce is managed by UK-based POs.

The Scottish Government also supports fruit and vegetable growers, who are not part of a recognised PO, through a range of complementary measures. The Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) provides area-based support to all eligible farmers and crofters, including those growing fruit and vegetables, helping them maintain sustainable production and contribute to Scotland’s food supply. Organic fruit and vegetable growers can also access financial assistance through the Agri-Environment Climate Scheme (AECS), which offers funding for both conversion and maintenance of organic practices, supporting soil health, biodiversity, and climate-friendly farming.

Initiatives such as the Small Producers Pilot Fund provide capital grants and strategic support to support small producers across Scotland. This includes £500,000 in capital funding this year to boost innovation, strengthen local food production, improve energy efficiency and sustain rural jobs. It is delivered by Highlands and Islands Enterprise and South of Scotland Enterprise. The sector has welcomed this support enthusiastically, with strong demand reflected in a high number of applications, highlighting the vital role small producers play in driving innovation, sustainability and vibrant local communities.

In addition, the national Good Food Nation Plan sets out a vision for a fair, healthy and sustainable food system, guiding current and future food policy, and further support is provided through grant funding for community growing projects, which aim to increase access to land and encourage people to learn about and experience the benefits of growing their own food.

Question reference: S6W-42817

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 January 2026
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 20 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact of the proposed non-domestic rates revaluation on the viability of small-scale hydroelectric schemes, in light of reports that this could make such schemes unviable.

Draft rateable values for the 2026 revaluation were published on 30 November 2025 but may be subject to change.

The final valuation roll will come into effect on 1 April 2026. The Scottish Government has published a report on changes in rateable values based on draft 2026 values on 13 January and will publish a further report once final valuations are available.

The draft budget will continue to support businesses and communities with a strong non-domestic rates package for 2026-27 that decreases the Basic, Intermediate and Higher Property Rates in 2026-27, delivering the lowest Basic Property Rate since 2018-19.

Businesses and communities will be supported with a generous non-domestic rates relief package worth an estimated £864 million in 2026-27, including the Small Business Bonus Scheme which remains the most generous scheme of its kind in the UK and is confirmed for the next three years, as well as transitional relief schemes for eligible ratepayers. The Scottish Government values the contribution that the Hydro sector makes to the Scottish economy and to our low-carbon ambitions, and continues to offer the most generous rates relief in the UK for renewable generators, including hydro schemes.

Question reference: S6W-42827

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 January 2026
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 20 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how many EV charging spaces that are suitable for heavy goods vehicles are available in each local authority area.

The Scottish Government does not collect this data. En route HGV charging facilities and most depot charging for HGVs are privately owned and operated.

In September 2024 the Scottish Government published research on the locations required for charging or hydrogen fuelling HGVs on long journeys, based on real world telematics data, to inform investment decisions by the electricity networks, chargepoint operators and others.

A second report refining the detail for charging and covering 2% of Scottish HGVs was published in July 2025. It found that the charging infrastructure needed for all HGVs in Scotland will comprise at least 63 en-route charger locations, of which 26 are already built or under development – meaning approximately 37 additional sites are required.

The next iteration, to be published in summer 2026, will use data from around 10% of Scottish truck miles.

Question reference: S6W-42724

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 December 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 20 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to address reported warnings that college investment has not kept pace with the need for high level technical skills.

For Scotland’s colleges, the 2026-27 budget delivers a combined increase of £70m in resource and capital funding, equivalent to 10% uplift on last year’s budget, taking our total investment in core college funding to £764m. This enables colleges to continue to deliver high quality education and skills to learners across Scotland. Since its inception in July 2023, the Tripartite Alignment Group has been working collaboratively to identify and implement workable flexibilities to further help ease colleges’ financial pressures while ensuring accountability for public funds.