Chamber and committees

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: S7W-03529

Asked by: Emma Roddick, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Kirsten Oswald on 6 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when, and whether, it plans to take action regarding provisions in the Air Weapons and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2015 that would enable the removal of the licensing exemption, provided for at section 22(1)(c) of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982, for a vehicle while it is being used for carrying passengers for its exclusive hire for a period of not less than 24 hours.

Taxis and Private Hire Cars (PHCs) are licensed under the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 (“the 1982 Act”).

Section 22 of the 1982 Act currently provides that Taxi/ PHC licensing does not apply to any vehicle while it is being used for carrying passengers for its exclusive hire for a period of not less than 24 hours. This is commonly referred to as the ‘contract exemption’ and allows drivers and vehicles being used exclusively for contract work to fall out with the Taxi/ PHC licensing regime.

The Air Weapons and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2015 made provisions that can be used for the removal of the contract exemption. When brought into force this will bring vehicles being used in such a manner into the Taxi/ PHC licensing regime as set out in the 1982 Act. However, the contract exemption remains in place at present.

There have been discussions with stakeholders in relation to the contract exemption over a period of time and these discussions have raised a number of practical issues to assess before the contract exemption is removed.

Further information is available in Chapter 5 of the Taxi and PHC licensing best practice guidance document published by the Scottish Government in 2023.

In 2025, the Scottish Government convened a Task Force on Civic Licensing to review a range of existing licensing provisions of the 1982 Act. One of the licensing policy areas being looked at is the legislation in relation to Taxi and PHC Licensing, and this includes the contract exemption issue.

It is expected that a report setting out any proposed reform, recommendations and potential changes to the 1982 Act, including in relation to the current Taxi/PHC licensing regime, will be presented to the Scottish Ministers for consideration in the next few months.

The report will be considered carefully by the Scottish Government before any next steps are taken.

Question reference: S7O-00330

Asked by: Emma Roddick, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 September 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on patient engagement within NHS Scotland, including pilots for Martha's Rule.

Question reference: S7O-00219

Asked by: Emma Roddick, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 September 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 15 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its work with partners regarding the delivery of the Capercaillie Emergency Plan 2025-2030.

Question reference: S7W-01822

Asked by: Emma Roddick, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 23 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what the timescale is for its planned review of the factoring system.

Question reference: S7W-01288

Asked by: Emma Roddick, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 21 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, ahead of summer 2026, how it is monitoring the effectiveness of the wildfire prevention by-laws of the Cairngorm National Park Authority, and how it will share with other bodies any best practice identified.

In April 2026, new wildfire prevention byelaws came into force in the Cairngorms National Park to help address the increasing risk of wildfires.

The Scottish Government meets regularly with the Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA) to discuss the implementation of the byelaws and the arrangements in place to monitor their effectiveness.

One of the principal ways in which the CNPA is assessing the effectiveness of the byelaws is through monitoring its communications and public awareness campaign, aimed at increasing awareness of wildfire risk and preventing fires from being lit in the first place.

The campaign includes a range of activities across digital channels, social media, printed materials, press coverage, and roadside and site-based signage. The use of digital channels allows the CNPA to monitor reach and engagement in real time and to target specific audiences and locations where appropriate.

To date, the campaign has reached approximately 1.8 million people, indicating strong public engagement with the messaging.

The CNPA is also undertaking pre- and post-byelaw surveys involving 400 visitors and 100 residents to assess awareness of the campaign and the extent to which it has influenced behaviour.

The CNPA also monitors the effectiveness of the byelaws through data collected by Park Authority rangers and partner ranger services on actual fire activity encountered within the National Park, including the number of live fires found.

As this data has been collected over several years, it can be used to assess trends and any changes following the introduction of the byelaws. The CNPA is reviewing this alongside Procurator Fiscal referral data to identify emerging trends.

As the byelaws were only recently introduced, it is too early to draw firm conclusions from ranger data. However, the CNPA is already sharing learning from its communications and public awareness activities through national networks, including the National Visitor Management Communications Group and the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy Communications Group.

The CNPA is also working closely with Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park Authority, whose review of camping byelaws coincides with the implementation of the Cairngorms wildfire prevention byelaws, providing valuable opportunities to share experience and learning.

Question reference: S7W-01286

Asked by: Emma Roddick, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Alison Thewliss on 21 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has an agreed definition of relational care, if so, (a) whether it will set this out and (b) how it will promote and support its approach to the provision of such care.

Relational care, or relational continuity aims to ensure the same healthcare professional provides treatment and care for a person over time, allowing development of trust and understanding.

Relational continuity is discussed in more detail in the Chief Medical Officer for Scotland's 2024-25 Annual Report Realistic Medicine: Critical Connections.

The Chief Medical Officer has again promoted the need for greater relational continuity of care in his latest annual report Our Path Ahead.

We are exploring options to increase the focus on relational continuity of care as part of this year's Frailty Directed Enhanced Service in general practice.

Our record investment package of £310 million over 3 years to expand the general practice workforce is supported by guidance which recognises the importance of relational continuity of care and advises practices to consider how best to assure GP capacity in ways that actively provide relational continuity of care for patients where this is in their interests.

Question reference: S7W-01285

Asked by: Emma Roddick, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 20 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has an agreed definition of collective advocacy and, if so, whether it will set this out.

Question reference: S7W-01287

Asked by: Emma Roddick, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 10 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is considering how to (a) better promote and (b) ensure social responsibility in public contracts in care provision.

The Sustainable Procurement Duty of the Procurement Reform Scotland Act 2014 places a requirement on public bodies to consider how their procurements can be used to improve economic, social and environmental well-being, and reduce inequality.

Under the 2014 Act, Public Bodies with contractual expenditure over £5 million per annum, must publish a Procurement Strategy and annually report on the delivery of their strategy. Their strategy must include information on how they intend to ensure their regulated procurements will be carried out in compliance with the sustainable procurement duty. They are then required to report on this and provide a summary of any community benefits that were delivered that year through their procurement activities, within their public annual procurement reports.

The most recent Scottish Ministers' Annual Report on Procurement Activity in Scotland (2023-24) demonstrates that public procurement is delivering a wide range of economic, social and environmental benefits to communities across Scotland.

We promote socially responsible public procurement through guidance, tools, learning opportunities, and engagement with procurement professionals. For example through the use of the national Sustainable Procurement Tools, associated guidance and training and Fair Work First in procurement e-learning.

The Care Reform (Scotland) Act 2025 places a duty on Scottish Ministers to produce statutory guidance on ethical commissioning, supporting consistency of approach across Scotland. Before issuing any guidance Ministers must consult with a broad range of organisations, including local authorities, health boards, integration joint boards, and others. Once published this guidance will also support our efforts to promote social responsibility in public care contracts.

Question reference: S7W-01552

Asked by: Emma Roddick, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 06 July 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 3 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what precautions it is taking to ensure that the development of data centres does not have a significant impact on energy and water resources

Question reference: S7W-01546

Asked by: Emma Roddick, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 06 July 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 3 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the funding and visibility of the British Transport Police in Scotland, and whether it has considered increasing the resources available to support responses to antisocial and dangerous behaviour on public transport.