Questions and answers

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 ��˿�� 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: S6W-42291

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 December 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 17 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the letter to the Finance and Public Administration Committee by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government on 28 January 2025, in which the cabinet secretary announced the proposed establishment of a 12-month £2 bus fare cap pilot in a regional transport partnership area from 1 January 2026 with "£10 million to operate for the one year term of the pilot, with a cost of £3 million in the [2025-26] budget for the establishment and operation of the scheme", whether it can confirm that these plans are still in place; what progress there has been with establishing the scheme, and by what date it will be fully operational.

Question reference: S6W-41938

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 1 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when the Sheku Bayoh Inquiry is expected to publish its final report.

The timing of the publication of the Sheku Bayoh Inquiry’s final report is a matter for the Inquiry. Public inquiries operate independently of government, and decisions about the report’s preparation and publication rest solely with the Chair. This will now become the responsibility of the new Chair. It is in the public interest for the Inquiry to come to a conclusion promptly and for its recommendations to be implemented as swiftly as possible.

Question reference: S6W-41939

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 1 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a timescale for the statutory consultation on the appointment of a new chair for the Sheku Bayoh Inquiry.

The appointment of a new Chair for the Sheku Bayoh Inquiry is an immediate priority, and steps to progress this have already commenced at pace. However, this is a complex process that must comply with statutory requirements. Under section 10 of the Inquiries Act 2005, consultation with the Lord President is required if a serving judge is being considered. While there is no statutory requirement for the Chair to be a serving or former member of the judiciary, continuity within the judiciary is considered important to maintain confidence among core participants. It is also essential that the Inquiry continues to meet the State’s obligations under Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights, and a legally qualified Chair may be best placed to ensure those obligations are fully met. For these reasons, it is not possible to provide a definitive timescale at this stage, but the process is being treated as a matter of urgency.

Question reference: S6W-41940

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 1 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, following the resignation of Lord Bracadale, when it expects a new chair to be in place for the Sheku Bayoh Inquiry.

As outlined in the answer to question S6W-41939 on 1 December 2025, while every effort will be made to expedite the process, the appointment of a new Chair to the Sheku Bayoh Public Inquiry is a complex matter and will take time to identify a suitable candidate. The Inquiry was established to provide answers for the families of Mr Bayoh regarding the circumstances of his death and to identify improvements for the future to help prevent deaths in similar circumstances. The Scottish Government remains fully committed to these aims and to ensuring that the Inquiry can conclude its work without unnecessary delay. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at /chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.

Question reference: S6O-05191

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 November 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what recent work it has undertaken with the agricultural sector to reduce the number of fatalities within the industry.

Question reference: S6O-05124

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 November 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 12 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to prevent the permanent loss of church buildings with significant cultural or heritage value, in light of the decision by the Church of Scotland to reduce its estate.

Question reference: S6W-41344

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 29 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-40662 by Jim Fairlie on 1 October 2025, what the value is of the bareboat charterparty agreement with the operator, Serco NorthLink.

Question reference: S6W-41343

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 29 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-40664 by Jim Fairlie on 1 October 2025, how many seafarer (a) deck ratings and (b) officers are currently employed on the MV (i) Helliar and (ii) Hildasay roll-on/roll-off freight vessel under the Northern Isles Ferry Services contract, and in each case, how many of the posts are held by seafarers who live in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-41342

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 29 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when it last discussed crew accommodation standards on the MV (a) Helliar and (b) Hildasay roll-on/roll-off freight vessels with the operator of the Northern Isles Ferry Services contract.

Question reference: S6W-41050

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 15 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether the ability to finance the removal of peak rail fares is a consequence of an improved UK budget allocation.