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 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-03485

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 21 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 29 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of the number of families with twins or other multiple births who are currently unable to access funded early learning and childcare for their children from the age of two solely because multiple-birth status is not an eligibility criterion, and what estimate it has made of the number of additional children who would become eligible if such a criterion was introduced.

As set out in answer to S7W-03483 on 29 September 2026, a definitive assessment of scope or costs of any new policy position has not been undertaken. Some limited consideration was given previously and released as part of a Freedom of Information request in May 2026. It can be found in the following document (document 33): FOI+202600511271+-+Information+Released+-+Attachment+3.pdf.

This included an estimate of the number of additional children who would become eligible although this was for illustrative purposes only.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.

Question reference: S7W-03300

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Flynn on 29 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how much public money has been spent, directly or indirectly, supporting wages, site safety or care and maintenance at Dalzell and Clydebridge mills, in each year since 2024.

Question reference: S7W-02863

Asked by: Maggie Chapman, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 29 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to support the treatment and care of cisgender female, transgender and gender diverse individuals with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) and Hypermobility Spectrum Disorders (HSD), given that these groups are reportedly at greater risk of developing such conditions.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that people living with Ehlers-Danlos syndromes (EDS) or Hypermobility Spectrum Disorders (HSD) receive appropriate, person-centred care, based on their individual clinical needs, regardless of sex, gender identity or other protected characteristics.

Access to assessment, treatment and support within NHS Scotland is determined by clinical need. The Scottish Government is committed to promoting equitable access to healthcare services and reducing inequalities, so that everyone can receive the care and support that is appropriate to their circumstances.

Question reference: S7W-03303

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Flynn on 29 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has regarding the current status of GFG Alliance’s consideration of a sale of Clydebridge, whether the site is being actively marketed, and whether it has discussed, or plans to discuss, any conditions related to environmental remediation, employment or future industrial use with any prospective purchaser.

Question reference: S7W-03304

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Flynn on 29 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on using public acquisition, a public-interest transfer or a joint vehicle with the UK Government to secure the long-term future of Dalzell Plate Mill in Motherwell, in light of reports that the UK Government will take British Steel and Speciality Steel UK into public ownership.

Question reference: S7W-03408

Asked by: Kristopher Leask, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Gethins on 29 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding was allocated to (a) Warmer Homes Scotland, (b) Area Based Schemes, (c) Social Housing Net Zero Heat Fund, (d) Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan, and (e) Private Rented Sector Landlord Loan schemes, in each financial year from 2022-23 to 2026-27, and what the year-end outturn was for each of these schemes for each financial year from 2022-23 to 2025-26.

For the financial years 2022-23 to 2024-25, I refer the member to question answered on S6W-43202 on 3 February 2026 for information relating to Warmer Homes Scotland, Area Based Schemes, Social Housing Net Zero Fund and Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found here; https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.

Allocation and outturn data for all schemes relating to the 2025-26 financial year are included in the latest Heat in Buildings progress report, which will be published on the Scottish Government website on 2 October 2026.

Data for Private Rented Sector Landlord Loan was included within S6W-43202 under the category “other”. Specific Private Rented Sector Landlord Loans information is set out in the following table:

Programme	Allocation 2022-23 £000’s	Outturn 2022-3 £000’s	Allocation 2023-24 £000’s	Outturn 2023-4 £000’s	Allocation 2024-25 £000’s	Outturn 2024-25 £000’s	Allocation 2025-26 £000’s	Outturn 2025-26 £000’s
Private Rented Sector Landlord Loan	500	336	500	89	500	14	500	81

Provisional 2026-27 allocations are set out in the following table.

Programme	*Provisional allocation 2026-27 £m’s
Warmer Homes Scotland	90m
Area Based Schemes	70m
Social Housing Net Zero Fund	30m
Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan	48.5m
Private Rented Sector Landlord Loan	0.5m

*provisional allocations provided are subject to change.

Question reference: S7W-03424

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 29 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what records management requirements apply to emails sent or received by special advisers via official Scottish Government email accounts.

Special Advisers are temporary civil servants appointed in accordance with Part 1 of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010. All civil servants are provided with the same IT support and services, including email accounts.

The Scottish Government’s records management arrangements are set out in our published Records Management Plan and apply to all civil servants in the Scottish Government.

The Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 defines the information to which it applies, what exemptions may apply and in what circumstances. The Act applies to information irrespective of what media or platform that information is held in or on, whether within a civil service email account, or any other platform or media.

Question reference: S7W-02617

Asked by: Maggie Chapman, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 28 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 28 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what due diligence it carried out, prior to awarding £400,000 to the Scottish Association for Mental Health (SAMH) in June 2026, regarding how the funding would be used and the outcomes that it was expected to deliver.

Any organisation provided with Scottish Government grant funding must comply with the terms and conditions set out by Scottish Ministers, ensuring clear accountability and assurance of propriety in the use of public funds and value for money, as per the Scottish Public Finance Manual.

SAMH will receive funding for the Nook programme through a grant authorised by Ministers under Section 16B of the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978. All Scottish Government grants require a formal agreement that sets out the purpose of the funding, expected outcomes, terms and conditions, and payment arrangements. These agreements are supported by robust monitoring and reporting arrangements to ensure the funding is used as intended and delivers the agreed objectives.

Question reference: S7W-03356

Asked by: Jamie Langan, MSP for South Scotland, Reform UK
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Kirsten Oswald on 28 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the suggestion by the Scottish Retail Consortium, in its Scottish Budget 2027-28 recommendations paper, that enhanced funding should be provided for Police Scotland’s Retail Crime Taskforce.

The Scottish Government recognises the distress caused by retail crime and is fully supportive of activity to reduce harm.

The Retail Crime Taskforce was established following the launch of Police Scotland's action plan to tackle retail crime in March 2025. Operating under four key objectives – Prevent, Pursue, Protect, and Prepare – the Taskforce focuses on stopping people from becoming offenders, bringing perpetrators to justice, strengthening protections for retailers, and developing direct reporting systems.

The Taskforce works alongside the Scottish Government in the Scottish Partnership Against Acquisitive Crime (SPAACE), a Police Scotland led initiative that brings together retail groups and partners to tackle a range of acquisitive crimes including theft and housebreaking.

This work is supported by Scottish Government investment of £3 million for 2026-27 as part of the record funding of £1.7 billion for policing in 2026-27. Ringfenced retail crime funding of £3 million has been confirmed for a further two financial years.

The Scottish Government’s Programme for Government also commits to provide an additional £1 million to the Taskforce across the next two years bringing the total funding to £10 million over the current Spending Review Period.

Question reference: S7W-03263

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 14 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Gethins on 28 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the progress it has made regarding the establishment of a Scottish Marine Recovery Fund.

The Scottish Government continues to prioritise delivery of the Scottish Marine Recovery Fund (MRF), as demonstrated by its inclusion in the Programme for Government 2026 – 2031, published on 1 September 2026.

Research is underway to identify compensatory measures that could be developed for inclusion in the MRF, with statutory guidance on how to implement compensation published on 06 July 2026.

Work continues in partnership with the UK Government on the delegation of functions required for Scottish Ministers to operate and manage the Scottish MRF.

The fund will become operational once the necessary legislative, governance and delivery arrangements are in place and seed funding can be secured to develop and bank appropriate compensatory measures to be made available through the fund.