- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Friday, 12 December 2025
-
Current Status:
Answered by Kaukab Stewart on 6 January 2026
To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made with delivery partners on implementing action 3.4 of the New Scots Refugee Integration Strategy Delivery Plan 2024-2026 on promoting better understanding of qualification recognition pathways.
Answer
Scottish Government recognise the unique challenges New Scots face, including the recognition of overseas qualifications. This is a known barrier to employment.
Through the New Scots strategy, a strategy involving wider partners including those involved in employability support, a number of partners including third sector and local authorities are working with New Scots to support the recognition of their qualifications.
- Asked by: Audrey Nicoll, MSP for Aberdeen South and North Kincardine, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 December 2025
-
Current Status:
Answered by Kate Forbes on 6 January 2026
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6O-05250 by Kate Forbes on 4 December 2025, and in light of the First Minister stating on 3 September 2025 that “anyone watching the war in Ukraine would recognise the importance of defence…the invasion shows that we live in a world in which our national security faces much greater and more immediate threats”, what action it is taking to ensure that the aerospace, defence, marine and space sectors can support national resilience, economic growth and domestic capability, within the context of devolved powers.
Answer
We are committed to supporting Scotland’s aerospace, defence, marine and space sectors who are fundamental to our national security and a strategic driver of economic growth, supporting high-quality jobs and developing the workforce of the future.
- On 3 September 2025, recognising the changing international landscape—particularly the invasion of Ukraine— the First Minister announced the lifting of the policy prohibiting the use of public funds for the manufacture of munitions across the defence sector.
- The Scottish Government, through its enterprise agencies, provides targeted support to companies across these sectors, since 2006-07, over £90 million has been invested in these sectors, securing highly-skilled jobs and economic returns. Recent examples include:
- £9.22 million awarded to BAE Systems to support a training and skills academy as part of a project to modernise shipyards on the Clyde, creating around 300 new jobs and securing over a thousand more.
- A £9 million grant to ZeroAvia to establish a major green aircraft engine manufacturing base in Scotland, creating around 350 jobs and unlocking significant investment, building on an earlier £20 million investment from the Scottish National Investment Bank.
- Up to £2 million invested to develop engineering skills in the Glasgow City Region, designed by the Clyde Maritime Cluster in partnership with Skills Development Scotland.
- Over £300k invested to drive innovation and growth across Scotland’s space sector, including cluster-building for Space Scotland and cross-cluster pilots using satellite data to enhance natural capital.
- Ministers continue to engage with industries across these sectors including on the opportunities presented in the UK Defence Industrial Strategy such as the Defence Growth Deal. With its skilled workforce, strong industrial base and culture of innovation, Scotland is well placed to attract continued investment in cutting-edge defence and technology programmes.
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 December 2025
-
Current Status:
Answered by Siobhian Brown on 6 January 2026
To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the Civil Litigation (Expenses and Group Proceedings) (Scotland) Act 2018, for what reason the statutory review of the qualified one-way costs shifting (QOCS), which the Scottish Government is required to complete “as soon as practicable” after 5 June 2023, has not yet been published.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-42458 on 6 January 2026. 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
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 December 2025
-
Current Status:
Answered by Siobhian Brown on 6 January 2026
To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the Civil Litigation (Expenses and Group
Proceedings) (Scotland) Act 2018, whether it has undertaken any consultation or
engagement with the legal profession as part of the statutory review of
qualified one-way costs shifting (QOCS), and, if so, which organisations or
stakeholders have been consulted.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-42458 on 6 January 2026. 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
- Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 December 2025
-
Current Status:
Answered by Ivan McKee on 6 January 2026
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to enforce community (a) benefit payments and (b) equity ownership from onshore renewable energy developments as a mandatory requirement for planning application considerations.
Answer
Powers to mandate community benefits and shared equity ownership are reserved to the UK Government. We continue to press the UK Government to use its reserved powers to mandate community benefits and shared ownership for mature onshore technologies, so communities share in Scotland’s natural wealth through locally shaped, lasting arrangements.
In order to maintain a robust, impartial process in which people can object to proposals while still discussing any benefits on offer, financial arrangements such as community benefits and shared ownership schemes sit independently from our planning and consenting systems.
Consequently, the Scottish Government has no plans to make community benefits or shared ownership a mandatory consideration in planning applications.
We remain committed to a just energy transition that delivers real benefits for communities: around £30 million was offered last year under our voluntary Good Practice Principles, which we are refreshing following consultation analysis published on 22 October.
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 December 2025
-
Current Status:
Answered by Siobhian Brown on 6 January 2026
To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the Civil Litigation (Expenses and Group Proceedings) (Scotland) Act 2018, when it will publish the statutory review of qualified one-way costs shifting (QOCS), which it is required to undertake “as soon as practicable after the end of the 5-year period", which was 5 June 2023.
Answer
Under section 23 of the Civil Litigation (Expenses and Group Proceedings) (Scotland) Act 2018, Scottish Ministers must review the operation of Parts 1 to 3 and report to the Scottish Parliament as soon as practicable after the end of the five-year period following Royal Assent. The intention behind this period was to allow sufficient time for those Parts to be fully in force and operating as intended before the review took place.
While some sections came into force on Royal Assent and others shortly thereafter, implementation of Qualified One-Way Costs Shifting (QOCS)—which sits within Part 2 —required detailed court rules. Work on these rules was delayed because urgent rule changes were needed to keep courts operating under COVID-19 restrictions. As a result, QOCS did not come into effect until June 2021.
The Act specifies that the review must include information on the effect of QOCS on access to justice and the administration of the courts. To provide a meaningful assessment based on robust and meaningful data, the review will therefore focus on five years of actual operation rather than five years from Royal Assent. This approach reflects the original policy intention.
The Scottish Government will publish the review once sufficient evidence has been gathered and analysed. This will be after QOCS has operated for five years, ensuring the review reflects its practical effects on access to justice and court administration.
- Asked by: Sandesh Gulhane, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Submitting member has a registered interest.
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 December 2025
-
Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 6 January 2026
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will introduce a Scottish Joint Registry that would provide performance information for (a) hip, (b) knee, (c) ankle, (d) elbow and (e) shoulder joint replacement surgeons.
Answer
Monitoring of joint replacement procedures in Scotland is already in place through the Scottish National Audit Programme (SNAP) within Public Health Scotland. This work predates the establishment of the National Joint Registry in 1999.
SNAP performs many of the functions of a joint registry. It monitors the volume of procedures undertaken and associated complications, and it identifies outlier departments and surgeons. There is a robust reporting process, including case reviews from outliers and an escalation policy where required.
Currently, monitoring applies to joint replacements carried out within NHS Health Boards for NHS patients. The private sector does not currently supply data on procedures undertaken in their institutions.
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 December 2025
-
Current Status:
Answered by Siobhian Brown on 6 January 2026
To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the Civil Litigation (Expenses and Group Proceedings) (Scotland) Act 2018, what work has been undertaken to date in relation to the statutory review of qualified one-way costs shifting (QOCS), including any (a) analysis, (b) internal correspondence and (c) scoping exercises since June 2023.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-42458 on 6 January 2026. 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
- Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 December 2025
-
Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 6 January 2026
To ask the Scottish Government when it last discussed the safety of oil and gas workers in the central and northern North Sea with the UK Government.
Answer
The Scottish Government recognises the paramount importance of workplace health and safety in the offshore energy sector.
Health and safety legislation is, however, a matter reserved to the UK Government, with the Health and Safety Executive as the regulator across Great Britain. Maritime safety is also a reserved competence of the UK Government undertaken by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.
Scottish Government officials meet regularly with UK Government counterparts and regulators to discuss a range of matters related to the offshore energy sector.
-
Current Status:
Withdrawn
