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: S6W-36921

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 8 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether Project Willow has examined the Aker Solutions study for the proposed transformation of Equinor Refining's 226,000-b/d refinery at Mongstad in Norway into a low-carbon industrial cluster equipped for production of blue hydrogen and sustainable aviation fuel.

Project Willow did not specifically examine the Aker Solutions study focussed on Equinor Refining’s Mongstad facility. However, both hydrogen for fuel switching and the development of sustainable aviation fuel (HEFA and e-fuels) are proposed pathways in Project Willow. The potential usage of hydrogen as a means of decarbonising via fuel switching is already being progressed by Ineos O&P at Grangemouth and is being supported by investment from the Scottish Government of £5 million in the form of grant funding delivered by Scottish Enterprise.

Question reference: S6W-36551

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 8 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what the requirements expected of local authorities are in return for the additional funds that they will receive under the extended producer responsibility scheme.

It has always been the Scottish Government’s intention that extended producer responsibility for packaging funding should support investment to improve recycling rates and reduce carbon emissions, especially during the early years of the scheme. Therefore, there will be no reduction in the local government finance settlement as a result of extended producer responsibility for packaging payments in the first year of the scheme (2025-26). The funding purpose - to pay for the cost of managing household packaging waste - is clearly set out in legislation.

Question reference: S6W-36920

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 8 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will work with Ineos to review the decision to close the Finnart Oil Terminal on the Firth of Clyde, including whether it will commission a feasibility study on the terminal on its potential to function (a) as a fuel import terminal and (b) with other potential industrial functions.

Question reference: S6W-36846

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 11 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 8 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact of declining international student enrolments on university finances, in light of reports that applications from overseas students are down by over 10%.

The Scottish Funding Council (SFC) has a statutory duty set out in the Further and Higher Education (Scotland) Act 2005 to secure the coherent provision by the post-16 education bodies (as a whole) of a high quality of fundable further education and fundable higher education.

The SFC monitors and assesses the financial health and the sustainability of universities through regular engagement and analysis of financial returns, which universities are required to submit to SFC each academic year. This includes consideration of a wide range of factors, including international enrolments.

Question reference: S6W-36769

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 8 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what the current average waiting time is for patients to access diabetic (a) glucose monitoring and closed-loop insulin pumps and (b) insulin pumps.

The Scottish Government is committed to expanding access to diabetes technology and since 2016, we have invested almost £30 million to support expansion. Last year, we established a national programme aiming to provide over 2000 more people with access to hybrid closed loop technology.

Waiting times for insulin pumps, continuous glucose monitors and hybrid closed loop systems vary across health boards and are difficult to measure due to the length of time it takes for an individual to receive education and training.

However, since June 2024, our national programme has provided Closed Loop Systems (CLS) to over 2000 people. We have also established a National Onboarding Service, who provide significant additional capacity to support local services. This national programme has additional funding to support more people in 2025-26.

While we recognise that there are still waits for some diabetes technology, we remain committed to increasing access to all those that would benefit.

Question reference: S6W-36802

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 April 2025
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 8 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how (a) workers and (b) the community in Grangemouth have been engaged in developing the Project Willow recommendations, and how will they be engaged in its delivery.

The Scottish Government made clear to Project Willow partners that the outputs of initial work must align to its draft Grangemouth Just Transition Plan with workforce and community considerations as fundamental prerequisites.

Both the workforce and the wider community were fully engaged in the initial research informing Project Willow, and stakeholders have regularly been kept appraised of findings and progress through the Project Willow standing committee that had representation from Unite and through the Grangemouth Future Industry Board which has representation from both community and workforce members.

Going forward, workers and the wider Grangemouth community will be able to contribute to next steps of Project Willow through regular review points across the GFIB group, as part of the Just Transition process. And we continue to engage closely with trade unions, educational institutions, and workers to make progress.

Question reference: S6W-36825

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 8 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any impact on incineration gate fees of the extended producer responsibility for household packaging waste.

Question reference: S6W-36768

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 8 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many patients have accessed the drug, Givinostat, in each NHS board.

Question reference: S6W-37432

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S6W-37434

Current Status: Withdrawn