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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

Filter your results Hide all filters

Displaying 2381 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S7W-03278

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Kirsten Oswald on 28 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the reported warning from the Lord President of the Court of Session that, without additional funding, the implementation of the Regulation of Legal Services (Scotland) Act 2025 will be delayed.

The Regulation of Legal Services (Scotland) Act 2025 (“the 2025 Act”) represents the most significant reform of legal services regulation in Scotland for a generation. It will strengthen consumer protections, improve transparency and accountability, support innovation in the delivery of legal services and modernise the complaints framework.

The Scottish Government recognises that implementation is a substantial programme of work and is therefore taking a phased approach, working closely with the Lord President and key stakeholders to ensure the reforms are implemented in a way that is effective, proportionate and supports access to justice.

The 2025 Act gives the Lord President important new statutory functions. The Scottish Government recognises that appropriate resourcing will be required to support delivery of those responsibilities

Funding for 2026-27 has been agreed in principle with the Lord President’s Office to support implementation of the 2025 Act, with the current estimated requirement being approximately £116,000. Officials are finalising the funding requirement ahead of a budget transfer through the Spring Budget Revision process.

The Scottish Government continues to work with the Lord President's Office, the Judicial Office and the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service to understand the longer-term resource implications of the Act. Future implementation costs, including recurring costs associated with the Lord President's new functions, will be considered through future budget-setting and Spending Review processes.

Question reference: S7W-03292

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 14 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 25 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the original purpose of Orders of Life Long restriction have been adhered to.

The Order for Lifelong Restriction (OLR) was first introduced to ensure appropriate lifelong management of the risk posed by the highest risk offenders.

An OLR continues to be a valuable sentencing option in Scotland to enable the Court to appropriately sentence these offenders. It is a form of life sentence available only to Scotland’s most senior judges in the High Court, where it is determined that the individual may present a risk of serious harm, as part of a pattern of behaviour.

Use of the OLR has generally been in line with the expectations when the sentence was legislated for in the Scottish Parliament, i.e. as an exceptional sentencing disposal. Since OLRs were introduced in 2006-07, they have been used sparingly by Scottish courts. Upon introduction, it was estimated that approximately 10 to 15 offenders a year would receive an OLR, indicating the very high threshold required for this sentence to be imposed. Since then they have on average been imposed at the rate of approximately 16 a year.

Question reference: S7W-03290

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 14 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 25 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has had any recent discussions with the Scottish Human Rights Commission regarding reviewing Orders for Lifelong restrictions.

Scottish Government officials met with representatives of the Scottish Human Rights Commission last year, ahead of the publication of its report on the OLR sentence, to discuss the report's key findings.

For Scotland’s most senior judges in the High Court to impose an OLR, it must be satisfied, on the balance of probabilities, that the nature of the offence or the circumstances in which it was committed, whether considered in isolation or as part of a pattern of behaviour, demonstrate that the offender is likely, if at liberty, to seriously endanger the lives, or the physical or psychological wellbeing, of members of the public.

The Scottish Government does not currently have any plans to review the OLR sentence and consider them to be a long-standing valuable sentencing option for courts to use for the highest risk offenders.

Question reference: S7W-03291

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 14 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 18 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has reviewed the support programmes available in Scottish Prisons for Orders of Lifelong restriction sentences.

The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) is an Executive Agency of the Scottish Government and has responsibility for delivery of rehabilitative interventions in custody.

SPS continually assesses and develops the interventions available to individuals in custody. Where appropriate, those subject to an Order for Lifelong Restriction (OLR) are considered for programmes and support as identified through their Risk Management Plan which is approved by the Risk Management Authority.

Question reference: S7O-00285

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 September 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to ensure that Glasgow city centre has an enhanced police provision.

Question reference: S7W-02776

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 31 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 15 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government (a) when it received a proposal from the Mental Welfare Commission (MWC) regarding the MWC undertaking reviews of all individuals who have committed homicide and who may have had mental health issues, pursuant to the undertaking given by the then Minister for Sport, Health Improvement and Mental Health during the Stage 3 debate on the Mental Health (Scotland) Act 2015, and (b) when a decision on that proposal is expected.

The Mental Welfare Commission (MWC) submitted a final report to the Scottish Government with proposals for the Investigation of Mental Health Homicides in 2022, following a consultation published in 2017. The Scottish Government provided funding for the MWC to pilot their proposed approach in 2023-24, alongside their proposals regarding investigating the deaths of people subject to detention under the Mental Health Act. The Scottish Government is currently working with the MWC to revisit and develop these proposals, informed by the lessons learned from the pilot work.

Question reference: S7O-00244

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 September 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to address youth unemployment and whether it will work with the UK Government to support the delivery of better opportunities for young people.

Question reference: S7W-02458

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Alyn Smith on 9 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of whether existing Scots law provides adequate protection against the covert recording of individuals using AI-enabled smart glasses or similar wearable technology, and whether, to address this issue, it will consider introducing a standalone right to privacy in Scotland.

The Scottish Government takes peoples’ data protection rights very seriously and will always encourage individuals and organisations to be mindful of the law and other people’s privacy. Furthermore, whilst data protection is a reserved matter, we continue to engage with the UK Government on this issue and will continue to work closely with them to ensure that Scotland’s interests are represented.

Question reference: S7O-00162

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 August 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish the designs for the replacement option for the M8 Woodside Viaducts.

Question reference: S7W-02081

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 27 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 19 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Creative Scotland regarding the sale of the Centre for Contemporary Arts (CCA) building on Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow.

I am in regular contact with Creative Scotland on this matter and have been crystal clear that the former Centre for Contemporary Arts building should re-open as an important asset for Glasgow and Scotland’s culture and creative sector as soon as possible. I am assured by Creative Scotland that the ongoing cultural value of the building is the key consideration in it’s process of seeking expressions of interest to see the empty building back open and operating.