The Scottish Parliament

Question reference: S7W-04318

Asked by: Sanne Dijkstra-Downie, MSP for Edinburgh Northern, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 16 October 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 13 November 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will commit to prioritising HEPA filtration in healthcare settings where adequate ventilation cannot otherwise be achieved.

Question reference: S7W-03844

Asked by: Lloyd Melville, MSP for Angus South, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 16 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how it will address the issue of long-term empty retail units on high streets, including in Arbroath.

The Scottish Government recognises that many of our towns face challenges arising from long-term empty buildings and retail units, which is why we remain committed to revitalising town centres by encouraging town centre living, addressing the blight of vacant and derelict land and supporting community ownership. We are backing that commitment with up to £52 million of regeneration funding in 2026-27.

We are also supporting local authorities and property owners through our non-domestic rates relief package, estimated to be worth over £870 million in 2026-27. This includes Fresh Start Relief and Business Growth Accelerator Relief, which encourage the reoccupation and repurposing of vacant properties.

We will move forward with measures to reform and modernise Scotland's compulsory purchase system, providing communities and public bodies with stronger tools to tackle long-term vacant and derelict properties.

In addition, as part of our work to establish More Homes Scotland, we are working with local authorities to explore opportunities to accelerate the delivery of housing on vacant and derelict land and in empty town and city centre buildings.

Angus Council has received more than £9 million in Scottish Government regeneration capital funding since 2014, including £2.1 million in 2025/26 to support the community-led redevelopment of Arbroath Courthouse. This investment demonstrates how the Scottish Government is supporting the renewal of town centres by bringing prominent vacant buildings back into productive use. Once complete, the Courthouse will be transformed into a fully accessible community hub, increasing activity in the town centre and contributing to the wider revitalisation and long-term sustainability of Arbroath town centre.

Question reference: S7W-03938

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 02 October 2026
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 16 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what measures it is taking, in partnership with employers, trade unions and training providers, to improve gender diversity and address workplace discrimination in the construction industry.

While the Scottish Government has not undertaken any recent specific engagement on this issue, it has been supportive of industry-led activity through the Construction Leadership Forum (CLF), including implementation of the National Construction Equity and Inclusion Plan.

The Scottish Government provide construction specific guidance through the Client Guide to Construction Projects which is mandatory for Scottish Government’s public bodies, and voluntary for all other organisations, whose uptake we strongly encourage and actively support. It also assists contractors and consultants in developing their understanding of how the public sector delivers construction projects.

Question reference: S7W-03922

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 02 October 2026
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 16 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with representatives of the construction industry regarding increasing the number of women employed in construction, including what progress has been made in improving female participation rates in the sector over the last five years.

The Scottish Government has not undertaken any recent discussions with the construction industry specifically focused on increasing the number of women employed in the construction sector.

The Scottish Government provide construction specific guidance through the Client Guide to Construction Projects which is mandatory for Scottish Government’s public bodies, and voluntary for all other organisations, whose uptake we strongly encourage and actively support. It also assists contractors and consultants in developing their understanding of how the public sector delivers construction projects.

In March 2026 the Scottish Government funded Scotland’s first Flexible Working Summit to showcase employers who successfully adopted flexible working in sectors, such as construction, where flexibility is harder to embed. This will open opportunities for mothers especially in industries where they have been typically underrepresented.

The Construction Leadership Forum (CLF) has been the main forum for strategic engagement between the Scottish Government and the construction industry, bringing together government and industry representatives to address key challenges facing the sector.

In October 2025, the CLF’s Skills and Workforce Working Group launched its Construction Workforce Mission aimed at tackling the challenge of recruiting, training, and retaining enough skilled workers to deliver the infrastructure and built environment needed for a thriving, sustainable future.

In September 2022, the CLF launched a National Equity and Inclusion Plan (NEIP) for the construction industry in Scotland to encourage the development of a more diverse and all-encompassing workforce.

Question reference: S7W-03923

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 02 October 2026
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 16 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the barriers women might face to enter and remain in the construction industry.

The Scottish Government has not undertaken any recent assessment specifically focused on barriers facing women entering and remaining in the construction industry. However, it has been supportive of industry-led efforts to improve equity, diversity, and inclusion across the sector.

The Scottish Government provide construction specific guidance through the Client Guide to Construction Projects which is mandatory for Scottish Government’s public bodies, and voluntary for all other organisations, whose uptake we strongly encourage and actively support. It also assists contractors and consultants in developing their understanding of how the public sector delivers construction projects.

The Scottish Government has considered barriers to entry, retention and progression for women in the construction sector through work undertaken with the Construction Leadership Forum. This included the development of the National Construction Equity and Inclusion Plan, which drew on research and stakeholder engagement to identify challenges facing under-represented groups, including women, within the industry. These challenges included gender imbalance, workplace culture, recruitment practices, progression opportunities, and a lack of visible role models.

Question reference: S7W-03870

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 October 2026
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 16 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with representatives of the construction industry regarding the application and enforcement of Fair Work principles in the construction of major infrastructure projects, including fair pay, secure employment, workforce development and trade union engagement.

The Scottish Government has not held any recent discussions with representatives of the Construction industry specifically on the application and enforcement of Fair Work principles in major infrastructure projects.

While employment law remains reserved to the UK Parliament, the Scottish Government uses our Fair Work policy to promote fairer work practices across the labour market in Scotland. Through our flagship Fair Work First policy we use the Scottish Government’s financial powers to drive fair work practices and promote more diverse workforces by applying Fair Work First criteria to public sector grants, other funding and contracts where it is relevant to do so. In July 2023, we strengthened our Fair Work First approach by introducing a requirement on public sector grants recipients to pay at least the real Living Wage to all employees and to provide appropriate channels for effective workers’ voice, such as trade union recognition.

The Scottish Government provides construction specific guidance through the Client Guide to Construction Projects which is mandatory for Scottish Government’s public bodies, and voluntary for all other organisations, whose uptake we strongly encourage and actively support. It should also assist contractors and consultants in developing their understanding of how the public sector delivers construction projects.

We highlight the opportunity and need to use public procurement in Scotland to achieve employment of priority groups i.e. women, minority ethnic people, and disabled people. Since October 2021, we have routinely mandated that workers on Scottish Government contracts are paid at least the real Living Wage. We continue to look for opportunities to identify and pursue equality outcomes in relevant procurements

Our Fair Work policy is underpinned by the Fair Work Convention’s Framework, which recognises effective voice as a critical dimension of Fair Work. We are committed to supporting strong Trade Unions in Scotland for the benefit of workers and our economy.

Question reference: S7W-04026

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 October 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 12 November 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the development of planning guidance for hyperscale AI data centre developments, what opportunities exist for communities, including the Auchtertool community in Fife, to contribute to the guidance within the next three months, to ensure that they can have confidence in the guidance that is produced.

Question reference: S7W-04029

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 October 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 12 November 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that, while it is developing national guidance on hyperscale data centres, a planning application for a 1GW hyperscale data centre in Dumfries and Galloway has been submitted and the local community given 21 days to comment, what arrangements are in place for the consideration of hyperscale data centre planning applications before the guidance is published.

Question reference: S7W-04291

Asked by: Duncan Dunlop, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 October 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 12 November 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it provides to local authorities regarding the use of part-time timetables for looked after children.

Question reference: S7W-04301

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 October 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 12 November 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the availability of fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) and spirometry testing services across Scotland's islands and what funding it is providing to the three island NHS boards to support the rollout of these services.

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