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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-01211

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 22 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Flynn on 9 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to review the findings from CalMac’s deck space reservation pilot on Mull, Coll and Tiree ferry services.

Question reference: S7W-01214

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 22 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 8 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with the accountable bodies for the (a) Forth and (b) Inverness and Cromarty Firth Green Freeports regarding compliance by employers in designated tax and customs sites with Fair Work Charter conditions.

Question reference: S7W-01208

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 22 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 8 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how many jobs have been created in designated tax and customs sites in the (a) Forth and (b) Inverness and Cromarty Firth Green Freeports since March 2024 to date.

The tax sites in Inverness and Cromarty Firth Green Freeport were designated in April 2024 and those of Forth Green Freeport in June 2024. Since then, both Green Freeports have been working up their full business cases, which were signed off in autumn 2025, whilst also promoting the tax sites to investors. This has been showing early signs of success, including for example Sumitomo's £350 million new subsea cable factory at Port of Nigg and Quantum Capital Group's £300 million financing for the development of the Ardersier Energy Transition Facility.

The current, early phase of Green Freeports programme is focused on site preparation and construction of facilities, like Sumitomo's factory. This results in the creation of short-term construction job opportunities, with long term job creation expected to follow thereafter.

Job creation by companies located in the tax and customs sites is monitored through bi-annual data collections from the Green Freeports, showing 32 new direct jobs created at Inverness and Cromarty Firth Green Freeport and one new direct job at Forth Green Freeport since the designation of the tax sites and 30 September 2025. The Green Freeports also report that construction work, with associated indirect employment (not captured in the formal monitoring), is underway at tax sites in Grangemouth, Rosyth, Nigg and Inverness. At the latter two, Green Freeports advise that approximately 250 construction staff are supporting delivery of the projects on site.

Question reference: S7W-01439

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 July 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 29 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether the terms of reference for the Independent Commission on the Criminalisation of the Purchase of Sex have been finalised and, if so, when they will be published.

Question reference: S7W-01440

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 July 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 29 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government when the Independent Commission on the Criminalisation of the Purchase of Sex will appoint its panel of experts.

Question reference: S7W-01441

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 July 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 29 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what direction, if any, Scottish Ministers have provided to the Independent Commission on the Criminalisation of the Purchase of Sex regarding the inclusion of women who have exited prostitution on the Commission’s panel of experts.

Question reference: S7W-01438

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 July 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 29 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government when it anticipates the Independent Commission on the Criminalisation of the Purchase of Sex to hold its first meeting.

Question reference: S7W-00755

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 17 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S7W-00001 by Neil Gray on 28 May 2026, whether it will provide the names of the SFRS Retained fire stations that have had a first pumping appliance unavailable for 50% of the time or more, in each of the last five years.

SFRS Retained fire stations that have had a first pumping appliance available for less than 50% of the time since 2021*
Station	2021-22	2022-23	2023-24	2024-25	2025-26	Additional Information
Aberfeldy					?
Aberfoyle	?	?	?	?
Abington			?	?
Acharacle	?	?			?
Achiltibuie	?	?	?	?	?
Alloa			?	?	?	This station also operates an appliance crewed by full-time (wholetime) firefighters.
Applecross				?	?
Ayr					?	This station also operates an appliance crewed by full-time (wholetime) firefighters.
Balfron				?	?
Bathgate					?	This station also operates an appliance crewed by full-time (wholetime) firefighters.
Bettyhill	?	?	?	?	?
Bixter	?	?	?	?	?
Bonar Bridge	?	?	?	?	?
Bo'ness		?	?			This station also operates an appliance crewed by full-time (wholetime) firefighters.
Bressay		?	?	?	?
Broadford			?		?
Callander			?
Cannich	?	?	?	?	?
Colmonell	?				?
Coupar Angus			?	?	?
Crianlarich	?	?	?	?	?	Dormant fire station that is one of the stations under consideration of the Service Delivery Review.
Cullen				?	?
Dalmellington			?		?
Dalry	?	?	?	?	?
Denny	?	?
Dufftown					?
Dunblane					?
Dunkeld			?	?	?
Dunvegan		?
Eday				?	?
Eyemouth			?	?	?
Fair Isle	?
Falkirk	?	?	?	?	?	This station also operates an appliance crewed by full-time (wholetime) firefighters.
Fetlar	?	?	?	?	?	Dormant fire station that is one of the stations under consideration of the Service Delivery Review.
Garelochhead	?	?	?	?	?
Glenelg					?
Helensburgh		?	?			This station also operates an appliance crewed by full-time (wholetime) firefighters.
Hoy	?
John O Groats				?
Kilbirnie	?		?
Kilchoan	?	?	?	?	?
Kinlochewe				?	?
Kinross				?	?
Lanark			?	?	?	This station also operates an appliance crewed by full-time (wholetime) firefighters.
Lesmahagow	?		?	?	?
Linlithgow			?	?	?
Lochaline	?	?	?
Lochcarron			?
Lochinver	?	?	?	?	?
Lochmaddy	?	?		?	?
Mallaig				?	?
Mauchline					?
Muirkirk		?	?	?	?
New Cumnock		?	?
North Berwick	?	?	?	?	?
Scalloway			?	?
Scourie	?	?	?	?	?
Shotts		?	?	?	?
Skelmorlie	?	?		?
Slamannan		?	?	?
South Queensferry	?	?	?	?	?
St. Monans		?	?
Staffin	?	?	?	?	?
Strathaven	?	?	?	?	?
Tongue	?	?	?	?	?
Tranent		?
Tyndrum			?	?
Uig	?	?	?
Valtos			?	?	?
West Calder	?	?	?	?	?
Total	31	36	46	45	49
*Please note that the total number of fire appliances/stations increased in 2023-24 due to the transition from a legacy system, data from affected appliances is unavailable prior to this.
It should also be noted that there are an additional six on-call stations—Colintraive, Corriecravie, Kerrera, Nethybridge, Ratagan, and Muck—that are not currently included in SFRS administrative systems as they are dormant.

Question reference: S7W-01079

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 June 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 14 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether CMAL has secured a Builders Refund Guarantee in the design and build contract with Guangzhou Shipyard International Co. Ltd for two Northern Isles freight flex vessels.

Question reference: S7W-01081

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 June 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 14 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it will take to ensure that the recognised trade unions at NorthLink Ferries are consulted over the design of (a) seafarer and (b) trainee accommodation on the two Northern Isles Freight flex vessels that are currently being designed and built by Guangzhou Shipyard International Co. Ltd.