Podcasts By The Scottish Parliament

First Minister's Questions 26 February 2026

The First Minister answers questions from Party Leaders and other MSPs in this weekly question time.

Topics covered this week include:

Michelle Thomson MSP

To ask the First Minister what assessment the Scottish Government has made of warnings from industry leaders that high transmission charges are making wind farms in the north of Scotland uncompetitive, including any implications for its work to grow the renewable energy sector.

Liam Kerr MSP

To ask the First Minister, in light of reported renewed calls over the weekend to end the Lord Advocate’s dual role, when the Scottish Government will publish its proposals and begin a consultation on separating the prosecution function from the role of providing legal advice to the Scottish Ministers. 

Mercedes Villalba MSP

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to the outcome of the University of Aberdeen UCU ballot, which resulted in 83% of those voting in support of strike action and 90% in favour of action short of a strike.

A full transcript of this week's First Minister's Questions will be available on the Scottish Parliament website: https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/official-report

First Minister's Questions 12 February 2026

The First Minister answers questions from Party Leaders and other MSPs in this weekly question time.

Topics covered this week include:

 

Michelle Thomson MSP

To ask the First Minister how often he or the Scottish Ministers engage with the Scottish Government’s Washington DC International Office regarding the Scotch whisky industry and other economic interests in the United States.

 

Rachael Hamilton MSP

To ask the First Minister whether the Scottish Government will provide an update on the Service Delivery Review of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.

 

Mark Griffin MSP

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to reports that police stations across Lanarkshire, including in Bellshill, will be closed permanently to the public or have their hours reduced from 1 April.

 

Jamie Greene MSP

To ask the First Minister whether the Scottish Government will make further changes to the draft Budget 2026-27 published in January in relation to business rates, hospices and the care sector. 

 

A full transcript of this week's First Minister's Questions will be available on the Scottish Parliament website: https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/official-report

First Minister's Questions 5 February 2026

The First Minister answers questions from Party Leaders and other MSPs in this weekly question time.

Topics covered this week include:

 

Rona Mackay MSP

To ask the First Minister how the new measures that the Scottish Government has announced to tackle long-term unemployment will support its work to grow Scotland’s economy.

 

Brian Whittle MSP

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government’s response is to reported warnings that a significant proportion of the medical workforce is experiencing stress, anxiety and burnout.

 

Rhoda Grant MSP

To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking to ensure the long-term financial and operational stability of specialist domestic abuse services in the Highlands.

 

A full transcript of this week's First Minister's Questions will be available on the Scottish Parliament website: https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/official-report

First Minister's Questions 22 January 2026

The First Minister answers questions from Party Leaders and other MSPs in this weekly question time.

A full transcript of this week's First Minister's Questions will be available on the Scottish Parliament website: https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/official-report

First Minister's Questions 8 January 2026

The First Minister answers questions from Party Leaders and other MSPs in this weekly question time.

A full transcript of this week's First Minister's Questions will be available on the Scottish Parliament website: https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/official-report

First Minister's Questions 13 November 2025

The First Minister answers questions from Party Leaders and other MSPs in this weekly question time.

 

Topics covered this week include:

Kevin Stewart 

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to the report on regional economic growth by former University of Glasgow principal, Professor Sir Anton Muscatelli.

Rachael Hamilton

To ask the First Minister whether the Scottish Government will maintain its manifesto commitment to freeze income tax rates and bands.

Ariane Burgess 

To ask the First Minister whether the Scottish Government is still on track to restore 250,000 hectares of peatland by 2030.

First Minister's Questions 2nd October 2025

The First Minister answers questions from Party Leaders and other MSPs in this weekly question time.

Topics covered this week include:

Gordon MacDonald
To ask the First Minister, regarding the potential impact on marginalised communities and public services in Scotland, what the Scottish Government’s response is to UK Government proposals to introduce a mandatory digital ID scheme.

Liz Smith
To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government’s position is on whether NHS Tayside should exempt legal claims by former patients of Professor Sam Eljamel from the three-year time-bar which is currently in place.

Jackie Baillie
To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to reported comments from the chair of the British Medical Association in Scotland, that Scotland's NHS is "dying before our eyes".

A full transcript of this week's First Minister's Questions will be available on the Scottish Parliament website: https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/official-report

First Minister's Questions 4th September 2025

The First Minister answers questions from Party Leaders and other MSPs in this weekly question time.

Topics covered this week include:

Evelyn Tweed

To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking to reduce the number of road traffic incidents on the trunk road network, in light of reports of a number of serious accidents over the summer.

Tess White

To ask the First Minister whether he will provide an update on the steps that the Scottish Government is taking as a result of the Supreme Court judgment in For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers

Alex Rowley

To ask the First Minister, in light of SEPA's warnings of water scarcity over the summer and the introduction of restrictions on water abstraction last week in some areas, including North Fife, what action the Scottish Government is taking to secure water supply in Scotland in the face of changing climate conditions.

 

A full transcript of this week's First Minister's Questions is available here: https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/official-report/search-what-was-said-in-parliament/recent-publication?meeting=16549&iob=141274 

First Minister's Questions 19 June 2025

The First Minister answers questions from Party Leaders and other MSPs in this weekly question time.

Topics covered this week include:

Audrey Nicoll

 

To ask the First Minister whether he will provide an update on the Scottish Government’s latest engagement with the UK Government regarding funding and timescales for the development of the Acorn carbon capture and storage project.

Maurice Golden

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to reports that up to 100 truckloads of Scotland's waste will be moved each day to England as a result of the landfill ban on biodegradable waste.

Pam Duncan-Glancy

To ask the First Minister whether he will provide an update on the Scottish Government’s position on the funding of Scotland’s higher education institutions.  

 

A full transcript of this week's First Minister's Questions is available here: https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/official-report/search-what-was-said-in-parliament/meeting-of-parliament-19-06-2025?meeting=16502

First Minister's Questions 12 June 2025

The First Minister answers questions from Party Leaders and other MSPs in this weekly question time.

Topics covered this week include:

Kenneth Gibson 

To ask the First Minister what the impact on Scotland will be of the Chancellor’s Spending Review 2025.

Liam Kerr 

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's position is on whether the home leave for prisoners system is operating appropriately and as intended.

Foysol Choudhury 

To ask the First Minister how the Scottish Government is working to ensure that patients are accurately informed of waiting times for NHS treatments following referrals to a specialist.

A full transcript of this week's First Minister's Questions is available here: https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/official-report/search-what-was-said-in-parliament/meeting-of-parliament-12-06-2025?meeting=16486