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-03782

Asked by: Jamie Langan, MSP for South Scotland, Reform UK
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 8 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of proposals in Northern Ireland, which would require sellers and suppliers of puppies, and sellers of kittens under six months of age, to register with their local council, and what consideration it has given to establishing such a requirement in Scotland.

The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (Scotland) Regulations 2021 (the 2021 Regulations) introduced an updated, modern framework for animal-related activities, including the breeding and selling of puppies and kittens. The 2021 Regulations already require that those breeding more than 3 litters of puppies or kittens or selling animals as pets in the course of a business be licensed by the appropriate licensing authority.

The Scottish Government has not made any assessment of proposals in Northern Ireland, which would require sellers and suppliers of puppies, and sellers of kittens under six months of age, to register with their local council, nor given consideration to establishing such a requirement in Scotland. However, Scottish Government officials meet regularly with officials from the UK Government and other devolved administrations to discuss issues relating to the wider pet trade.

Question reference: S7W-03990

Asked by: Jamie Langan, MSP for South Scotland, Reform UK
Date lodged: Monday, 05 October 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 2 November 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of recent findings from Aberdeenshire Council, what its position is on reports that pupils have been incorrectly recorded as having additional support needs (ASN), and whether it considers such recording errors to be a factor in the increase in the number of pupils recorded as having ASN across Scotland.

Question reference: S7W-03797

Asked by: Jamie Langan, MSP for South Scotland, Reform UK
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 September 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 28 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding Child Winter Heating Payment (CWHP) payments made in 2025-26, what information it has regarding how many children and young people living in European Economic Area (EEA) countries and Switzerland received a CWHP payment, what the total cost of those payments was and what assessment it has made of the continued suitability of eligibility for people living overseas.

Question reference: S7W-03355

Asked by: Jamie Langan, MSP for South Scotland, Reform UK
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 29 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the suggestion by the Scottish Retail Consortium, in its Scottish Budget 2027-28 recommendations paper, a plans should be set out to narrow the divergence between Scottish and UK income tax rates for higher, advanced and top rate taxpayers.

We will outline our Income Tax policy decisions for 2027-28 in the Scottish budget on the 3 December 2026.

Our manifesto set out our ambition on income tax, including not increasing rates or number of bands, ensuring the majority of Scottish taxpayers can expect to pay less than those in the rest of the UK and our intention to simplify the system by the end of Parliament, with any future changes putting low and middle income earners first.

Question reference: S7W-03397

Asked by: Jamie Langan, MSP for South Scotland, Reform UK
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Gethins on 28 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the contribution of Scotland’s 5,583 civil nuclear workers to highly skilled employment and local communities across Scotland.

Question reference: S7W-03356

Asked by: Jamie Langan, MSP for South Scotland, Reform UK
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 suggestion by the Scottish Retail Consortium, in its Scottish Budget 2027-28 recommendations paper, that enhanced funding should be provided for Police Scotland’s Retail Crime Taskforce.

The Scottish Government recognises the distress caused by retail crime and is fully supportive of activity to reduce harm.

The Retail Crime Taskforce was established following the launch of Police Scotland's action plan to tackle retail crime in March 2025. Operating under four key objectives – Prevent, Pursue, Protect, and Prepare – the Taskforce focuses on stopping people from becoming offenders, bringing perpetrators to justice, strengthening protections for retailers, and developing direct reporting systems.

The Taskforce works alongside the Scottish Government in the Scottish Partnership Against Acquisitive Crime (SPAACE), a Police Scotland led initiative that brings together retail groups and partners to tackle a range of acquisitive crimes including theft and housebreaking.

This work is supported by Scottish Government investment of £3 million for 2026-27 as part of the record funding of £1.7 billion for policing in 2026-27. Ringfenced retail crime funding of £3 million has been confirmed for a further two financial years.

The Scottish Government’s Programme for Government also commits to provide an additional £1 million to the Taskforce across the next two years bringing the total funding to £10 million over the current Spending Review Period.

Question reference: S7W-03354

Asked by: Jamie Langan, MSP for South Scotland, Reform UK
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 24 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the suggestion by the Scottish Retail Consortium, in its Scottish Budget 2027-28 recommendations paper, that the proposed statutory food price cap should be abandoned to lessen the need for extra resources for enforcement agencies and retailers.

The Scottish Government is engaging constructively with all relevant stakeholders to support considered and informed discussion on our draft proposals, and we are consulting on those proposals before any decisions are taken. The consultation seeks views and evidence from retailers, producers, consumers and other stakeholders on the potential benefits, risks and unintended consequences of any food price cap scheme, including methods of ensuring compliance and enforcement of any regulatory regime.

Question reference: S7W-02948

Asked by: Jamie Langan, MSP for South Scotland, Reform UK
Date lodged: Friday, 04 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 21 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that more than 1,200 farmers might be affected by a backlog of Future Farming Investment Scheme (FFIS) evidence verification checks, (a) when ministers first became aware of the backlog, (b) what contingency planning was carried out to ensure that FFIS evidence verification could be completed in a timely manner, given that it knew the number of FFIS grants awarded and (c) what assessment it has made of concerns that issues previously identified in the administration of agricultural support schemes might not have been fully addressed in the management of the current process.

Ministers were advised on 10 July that evidence returns were slower than expected and agreed to extend the deadline to 30 September. At that point, only 552 of 1,750 beneficiaries, 32%, had submitted evidence. No verification backlog or processing capacity concern had been identified at that stage.

The pressure arose subsequently as evidence submissions became concentrated over a short period. Of the 765 cases received by the end of July, 712, 93%, assessments have now either been completed or are under review.

We do not consider that the current position demonstrates a failure to learn lessons from previous schemes. Grants were paid in advance specifically to give businesses the cash flow to make the approved investments. However, 557 beneficiaries, have still to provide evidence that the funded investment was carried out. As of 15 September 2026, 45 completed cases have resulted in recovery of grant (either in whole or in part), totalling £373,444. This demonstrates why the required verification controls must be completed.

Question reference: S7W-03011

Asked by: Jamie Langan, MSP for South Scotland, Reform UK
Date lodged: Monday, 07 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 18 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that childcare funding arrangements operate fairly for families with twins and other multiple births.

I note the interest across the chamber in ELC provision for twins and multiples, and acknowledge the overlap in answers being provided as I ensure members receive prompt answers on this important matter.

I appreciate that the cost of childcare can be challenging for many families across Scotland, and that there can be an impact on family circumstances as a result of a multiple birth. Every child in Scotland deserves the best start in life, which is why the Scottish Government is committed to eradicating child poverty and giving families the support they need.

Each year since 2021 we have invested around £1 billion in the delivery of high quality ELC to all eligible children and we are continuing to do so in 2026-27. We know high-quality early learning and childcare plays a vital role in improving outcomes for children, particularly those growing up in disadvantaged circumstances, and this is central to our mission to eradicate child poverty.

Within the current offer, local authorities have discretionary powers which provide them with the flexibility to offer access to funded ELC to a wider range of childcare and families, as they see fit, according to local needs and priorities.

With respect to future plans, we are seeking to transform Scotland’s childcare offer to better support families with the cost of childcare, for children from 9 months to the end of primary school. As Parliament agreed in May, this is a priority, and must be informed by learning from the expansion to 1140 hours and the voices of those who use and deliver childcare in Scotland. This includes families with multiple births.

Our Programme for Government set out our intention to publish and consult on a blueprint for the future, building on learning from the last ten years of childcare design and delivery. This will be published next year, and I would encourage anyone with an interest, including families with multiple births, to participate in this consultation.

Question reference: S7O-00265

Asked by: Jamie Langan, MSP for South Scotland, Reform UK
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 September 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that it has not provided support to farmers affected by the bluetongue outbreak in South Scotland region, whether it will reconsider its position and commit to looking at the central procurement of vaccine.