- Asked by: Martyn Day, MSP for Falkirk East and Linlithgow, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 September 2026
-
Current Status:
Answered by Stephen Flynn on 5 October 2026
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish the community benefit and just transition conditions attached to each award from the Grangemouth Just Transition Fund, together with details of the arrangements for monitoring compliance.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not publish the detailed conditions attached to individual grant awards. Commercial awards made through the Fund are subject to Scottish Enterprise's standard grant conditions and monitoring arrangements, with Scottish Enterprise responsible for the management and oversight of individual awards.
However, commercial recipients are required to participate in the Grangemouth Jobs Prioritisation Scheme, a just transition measure developed with Unite the Union. The scheme supports workers affected by the cessation of refining activities at Grangemouth by guaranteeing an interview for eligible roles created through Fund-supported projects, where applicants meet the minimum requirements.
- Asked by: Julie MacDougall, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Reform UK
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 September 2026
-
Current Status:
Answered by Siobhian Brown on 5 October 2026
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government since its formal apology in July 2026 regarding adoption practices, including in relation to lifelong consequences, records, health, support, human rights and equality.
Answer
Since the UK Government's formal apology in July 2026, Scottish Government officials have continued to engage with UK Government counterparts on issues relating to historic forced adoption practices. Discussions have included the support package announced by the UK Government following its apology, alongside wider issues affecting those impacted by historic forced adoption.
The Scottish Government formally apologised to those affected by historic forced adoption practices in Scotland in March 2023. We continue to provide support for those affected, including access to counselling, peer support and services to assist individuals seeking information about their adoption records and family history.
The Scottish Government will continue to engage with UK Government colleagues, stakeholders and people with lived experience on issues relating to historic forced adoption practices and the ongoing support needs of those affected.
- Asked by: Amanda Lindsay, MSP for Central Scot and Lothians West, Reform UK
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 September 2026
-
Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 5 October 2026
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S7W-02694 by Mairi McAllan on 21 September 2026, where the new school bags for primary schools will be manufactured.
Answer
The Welcome to School Bags will be manufactured in China. The stationery and items to be included in the bags will be made by manufacturers in Europe and Britain, and the bags will be assembled in Scotland.
- Asked by: Sanne Dijkstra-Downie, MSP for Edinburgh Northern, Scottish Liberal Democrats
-
Date lodged: Monday, 21 September 2026
-
Current Status:
Answered by Stephen Gethins on 5 October 2026
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that local communities receive meaningful financial benefits from new onshore renewable energy developments.
Answer
The Scottish Government has already made significant progress in ensuring communities receive meaningful financial benefits from onshore renewable energy developments. In 2025 alone, around £40 million was offered to communities, supported by our Good Practice Principles for Community Benefits from Onshore Renewable Energy Developments.
To build on this, we plan to publish refreshed onshore Good Practice Principles by the end of 2026. This will support local communities to continue to receive meaningful, lasting benefits, by updating the recommended community benefit fund levels, setting clearer expectations across technologies and development types, and strengthening the guidance, tools and support to help communities manage and distribute funds.
- Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Monday, 21 September 2026
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jim Fairlie on 5 October 2026
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to compensate any fishermen adversely affected by its proposed fisheries management measures for inshore Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and proposed Priority Marine Feature (PMF) Management Areas.
Answer
Engagement with the fisheries sector has consistently indicated that fishers place greater value on maintaining access to sustainable fishing opportunities and supporting the long-term viability of fishing businesses than on compensation payments. The Scottish Government is not currently proposing a compensation scheme for any fishers affected by proposed fisheries management measures in inshore Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and Priority Marine Feature (PMF) Management Areas. A range of potential measures, including business resilience support, and diversification opportunities are being considered. Any future support measures will be informed by consultation responses, stakeholder engagement and the assessment of impacts.
- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Monday, 21 September 2026
-
Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 5 October 2026
To ask the Scottish Government whether any Glasgow-built NBL MAN L12V18/21A V12 diesel generators are still installed as emergency standby generators in hospitals across the NHS Scotland estate.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not hold this information. Information relating to standby generators is operational information held by individual NHS Scotland health boards.
- Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 September 2026
-
Current Status:
Answered by Stephen Flynn on 5 October 2026
To ask the Scottish Government when it will introduce legislation to deliver the Scottish National Party manifesto commitment to create a new offence of abusing or assaulting a public transport worker at work.
Answer
The Scottish Government remains committed to strengthening protections for public transport workers.
Work is underway to consider how best to deliver this commitment. Officials are developing advice for Ministers on the preferred legislative approach and are considering this as part of wider legislative planning.
Further details will be provided once decisions have been taken on the appropriate legislative vehicle and parliamentary timetable.
- Asked by: Martyn Day, MSP for Falkirk East and Linlithgow, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 September 2026
-
Current Status:
Answered by Stephen Flynn on 5 October 2026
To ask the Scottish Government what targets and reporting requirements have been placed on recipients of grants from the Grangemouth Just Transition Fund regarding procurement from businesses in Grangemouth and the wider Falkirk Council area.
Answer
Grants made by Scottish Enterprise (SE) to commercial entities using funding from the Grangemouth Just Transition Fund are subject to SE’s standard grant monitoring and reporting arrangements. No specific targets or reporting requirements have been placed on recipients in relation to procurement from businesses in Grangemouth or the wider Falkirk Council area. Any such requirements would need to be considered in line with subsidy control and public procurement obligations.
- Asked by: Martyn Day, MSP for Falkirk East and Linlithgow, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 September 2026
-
Current Status:
Answered by Stephen Flynn on 5 October 2026
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide information on the apprenticeships it expects will be created by projects supported through the Grangemouth Just Transition Fund, broken down by project and anticipated start date.
Answer
The Scottish Government is committed to supporting employment opportunities in Grangemouth through the work of the Grangemouth Investment Taskforce and the Grangemouth Future Industry Board, as set out in the Programme for Government.
Scottish Enterprise does not currently hold confirmed project-level information on the number of apprenticeships expected to be created, or anticipated apprenticeship start dates, for projects supported through the Grangemouth Just Transition Fund.
Current monitoring information focuses on projected employment outcomes. For example, supported projects include MiAlgae, which has indicated the potential to create up to 130 jobs, and Celtic Renewables, which has indicated the potential to create up to 149 jobs by 2030.
The Scottish Government and Scottish Enterprise continue to engage with funded projects and will consider how information on apprenticeship opportunities can be captured and reported as projects progress.
- Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 September 2026
-
Current Status:
Answered by Stephen Flynn on 5 October 2026
To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made with implementing the recommendations of the Rail Enforcement Powers Working Group to address antisocial behaviour and improve safety on railways, further to its agreement in February 2026 to implement these recommendations in full.
Answer
The Scottish Government accepted all recommendations of the Working Group and continues to work with industry, policing and justice partners to progress their implementation.
Progress has already been made in a number of areas. The lifting of the ScotRail alcohol ban was implemented on 2 June 2025. In March 2026, secondary legislation increased the financial penalty for Antisocial Behaviour Fixed Penalty Notices from £40 to £70. The offence of threatening and abusive behaviour under section 38 of the Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2010 was also added to the list of offences eligible for an Antisocial Behaviour Fixed Penalty Notice.
Officials continue to engage with rail industry partners to assess the feasibility, costs and delivery timescales of the remaining recommendations and support their delivery. Further advice will be provided to Ministers in due course.
