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-03815

Asked by: David Green, MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 September 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 28 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that the specific needs of the comedy sector are considered in the development and delivery of its cultural funding policies.

Question reference: S7W-03814

Asked by: David Green, MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 September 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 28 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what support it provides to create career development and progression opportunities for emerging comedians and professionals working in the comedy sector.

Question reference: S7W-03813

Asked by: David Green, MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 September 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 28 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the current health and sustainability of the professional comedy sector.

Question reference: S7W-03812

Asked by: David Green, MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 September 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 28 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with representatives of the comedy sector regarding the challenges facing comedians, promoters, producers and venues, and what consideration it has given to strengthening the sector’s representation in the development of cultural policy.

Question reference: S7O-00341

Asked by: David Green, MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 September 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of the changes outlined in its proposed neonatal intensive care plan on rural areas.

Question reference: S7O-00307

Asked by: David Green, MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 September 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to democratically empower communities across rural Scotland.

Question reference: S7W-02701

Asked by: David Green, MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 23 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government for what reasons the standard mileage allowance under the Motability scheme administered by Social Security Scotland does not extend to short leisure trips, and what assessment was undertaken in reaching that position.

Motability is responsible for operational aspects relating to the standard annual inclusive mileage allowance, which customers can continue to use at their discretion, including for short leisure trips. Motability reduced the standard allowance following UK Government tax changes. Whilst we know that this has created uncertainty for clients, Scottish Government engagement with Motability on the changes means that additional mileage support is available for customers who live in certain rural and island areas and for those who use more than 3,000 of the standard mileage allowance for essential healthcare, education and employment journeys.

Question reference: S7W-03013

Asked by: David Green, MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 07 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Simita Kumar on 22 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider publishing a comprehensive Feminist Approach to International Relations (FAIR) action plan.

The Scottish Government recognises the importance of ensuring that the principles set out in Scotland's Feminist Approach to International Relations (FAIR) position paper are reflected across its international work.

Delivery of the commitments set out in the position paper is being progressed through relevant portfolios and existing delivery mechanisms, with ministers and officials exploring how FAIR principles can further inform policy development, programme delivery and international engagement.

The Scottish Government will continue to consider how best to support and communicate on the implementation of its FAIR as part of the Government’s wider approach to its international relations in this parliamentary session.

Question reference: S7W-03012

Asked by: David Green, MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 07 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Simita Kumar on 22 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to implement the framework set out in its 2023 Feminist Approach to International Relations (FAIR) position paper, Taking A Feminist Approach To International Relations, across all portfolios.

Implementation of the Scottish Government’s Feminist Approach to International Relations is underway across ministerial portfolios, following the publication of the position paper in 2023, with ministers and officials continuing to apply its principles to policy development, programme design and international engagement.

For example, we are delivering our participatory Women and Girls Fund in our international development partner countries of Malawi, Rwanda and Zambia. This programme seeks to both advance gender equality and equalise power with the Global South through supporting women and girls in our partner countries to define and meet their own priorities.

In the climate action and rural affairs portfolio, the Scottish Government is continuing to put climate justice at the heart of our international action. We are embedding participatory approaches in our programmes and mainstreaming gender equality considerations by addressing structural inequality and ensuring all programmes have specific gender equality objectives.

Question reference: S7W-03014

Asked by: David Green, MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 07 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Flynn on 21 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to strengthen human rights checks on Scottish Enterprise and other public funding bodies to ensure that funding from Scotland does not support human rights abuses and violations of international law.

The Scottish Government’s human rights due diligence guidance sets out recommendations on how we, executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies should undertake due diligence on an individual or company’s human rights record before entering into an “investment relationship”.

This should include an assessment of whether an individual or company, including any parent or subsidiary, has been associated with human rights abuses anywhere in the world.

It is for the accountable officer of each agency and non-departmental public body to ensure that their organisation complies with guidance issued by Scottish ministers.

Following a debate in Parliament in February 2025, a Parliamentary motion (S6M-16571) was passed calling on Scottish Enterprise to: “review its human rights due diligence checks to ensure that they take account of where products’ end use is, and that they fully comply with legal obligations under the Export Control Act 2002 and international law”.

Scottish Enterprise confirmed in November 2025 that its updated human rights due diligence policy and procedure was finalised and being operationalised in a phased manner. The former Deputy First Minister updated Parliament on 11 December (S6W-42527) outlining the improvements confirmed by Scottish Enterprise, which included:

An increase in the frequency of human rights due diligence checks, to every 12 months to maintain ongoing vigilance and responsiveness.
Removal of previous exemptions and broadening of the scope of human rights due diligence checks.
Enhanced online screening, supplemented by follow-up engagement with customers as necessary.
Introduction of targeted customer checks, including the requirement for a customer statement specifically addressing items and activities governed by the UK Strategic Export Controls regime.
The establishment of an internal Senior Review Group to provide strategic input and support operational decision-making.

Separately, in September 2025, the Scottish Government paused payment of new business grants to, or investment in, companies involved in the design, production, supply, and support of military equipment, technologies and services whose products or services are provided to specific identified countries, where there is plausible evidence of genocide being committed by that country.