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-01416

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Flynn on 27 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will commission a modern traffic circulation plan for Greater Glasgow that focuses on reducing traffic, particularly in residential neighbourhoods, and maximising access to jobs and key services, while prioritising sustainable modes of transport, and whether such a plan will inform decisions on the permanent repair, removal or replacement of the M8 Woodside Viaducts.

The Scottish Government recognises the importance of ensuring that Glasgow’s transport network supports sustainable economic growth, improves access to employment and essential services, and reduces the impacts of traffic on local communities.

Decisions on transport planning in Glasgow are taken forward through a range of national, regional and local strategies, including the National Transport Strategy, the Strategic Transport Projects Review 2, the Regional Transport Strategy developed by Strathclyde Partnership for Transport, and Glasgow City Council’s own – Glasgow Transport Strategy. These collectively support a shift towards more sustainable travel choices, including walking, wheeling, cycling and public transport.

The Scottish Government has no current plans to commission a separate traffic circulation plan specifically for Greater Glasgow. However, Transport Scotland will continue to work with regional partners and local authorities to ensure that transport investment decisions, including the development of Clyde Metro, support our objectives of reducing congestion, improving connectivity and promoting sustainable travel.

With regard to the M8 Woodside Viaducts, Transport Scotland is progressing the appraisal and development of a preferred long-term intervention in consultation with key stakeholders. Through this process, consideration is given to the role of the viaducts within the wider transport network, alongside engineering, operational, environmental, social and economic factors.

Question reference: S7W-01588

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh North Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 27 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what further funding can be devolved to local authorities to enable an increase in the provision of funding towards the community policing fund.

Question reference: S7W-01587

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh North Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 27 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what additional funding is available to local authorities to enable them to increase their budget for community police officers.

The Local Government Settlement provided record funding of £15.7 billion for 2026-27, including a quarter of a billion pounds of unrestricted General Revenue Grant and full flexibility on council tax. The vast majority of that funding is provided by means of a block grant and it is then the responsibility of individual local authorities to manage their own budgets and to allocate the total financial resources available to them, including on community policing, on the basis of local needs and priorities.

Community policing also remains a priority for Police Scotland, and police officers will continue to be embedded in communities across the country. Scotland’s national police service allows local divisions across the country to access specialist expertise and resources at regional and national level depending on demand. Police Scotland’s executive team and Scottish Police Authority board members engage directly with individual local authority members as part of the COSLA Police Scrutiny Convenors Forum.

The Scottish Government has a long history of working with our partners across the public sector to address any challenges and to ensure that communities feel safe and continue to receive the high quality public services that they expect and deserve.

Question reference: S7W-02045

Asked by: Heather Anderson, MSP for Dundee City West, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 24 July 2026
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Alison Thewliss on 27 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress made in the development of its Infection Prevention and Control Strategy for Scotland.

I am pleased to announce the publication of An Infection Prevention and Control Strategy for Scotland: Vision and Priority Statements, developed in partnership with the Infection Prevention and Control Strategic Development and Oversight Group.

This is the first national integrated strategy of its kind across the UK and Ireland. Its publication underlines our commitment to safe, high-quality health and social care services for the people of Scotland. It will be underpinned by a series of three-year action plans that will be co-produced with wider partners and agreed by summer 2027.

This strategy was developed using a human rights based approach and sets a clear direction for Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) policy over the next decade. It has been shaped directly by the insight and expertise of key stakeholders across the health and social care landscape. At its core is a single, unifying vision: a Scotland where preventable infection is minimised for all people accessing, using or providing health and social care.

To deliver on this ambition, the strategy outlines eight priority statements essential for sustainable progress in Scotland that will guide our focus in strengthening patient and staff safety and improving system-wide preparedness. It complements our broader reform agenda and supports national ambitions to reduce health inequalities, improve population health and ensure the long-term resilience and sustainability of services.

I am clear that publication marks the beginning of this journey. Meaningful change can only be achieved through the development, implementation and evaluation of action plans and informed by an extensive engagement programme with individuals, communities and organisations across Scotland.

Question reference: S7W-01539

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian Coast and Lammermuirs, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 27 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to increasing investment in Scotland through Local Government Pension Scheme funds, which are reported to hold assets of around £75 billion, and savings held by individuals in Scotland, including around £30 billion in Cash ISAs and £30 billion in Stocks and Shares ISAs.

The Scottish Government is committed to increasing private capital investment to Scotland to grow the Scottish economy and support a just transition.

We are promoting Scotland as a place to invest and exploring new ways to mobilise capital from a range of sources, including working with the Scottish Local Government Pension Scheme (SLGPS) to increase investment into projects and businesses in Scotland. We will continue working with the SLGPS funds and other partners to support opportunities for increased investment in Scotland within fiduciary and statutory parameters, as part of a wider programme to attract the scale of investment required to support our policy aims.

Question reference: S7W-01589

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh North Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 27 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding each local authority in Scotland has been provided to fund their community police force.

Question reference: S7W-01541

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian Coast and Lammermuirs, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 27 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to establishing a partnership between it, local government pension scheme funds, the Scottish National Investment Bank, local authorities, COSLA, Development Trusts Association Scotland and Scotland's economic development agencies to (a) deliver a public investment programme, (b) increase community ownership and (c) provide venture and growth capital for businesses in Scotland, with a view to reducing reliance on foreign investment.

To create a world-leading investment ecosystem, Scotland needs a continuum of capital able to meet the needs of companies and projects across all sectors and stages. The Scottish Government recognises the importance of strengthening domestic sources of investment and ownership alongside attracting high-quality inward investment.

The Scottish Government also recognises the value of collaboration between public sector investors, local government, economic development agencies and community organisations (including development trusts) and is continuing to consider how existing partnerships and investment mechanisms can best support these objectives. We continue to engage with the Scottish National Investment Bank, Scotland's economic development agencies, local authorities and the Scottish Local Government Pension Scheme to explore opportunities to increase investment in businesses, infrastructure and communities in Scotland.

Decisions on investment by Local Government Pension Scheme funds remain matters for the administering authorities, which must act in accordance with their fiduciary duties and the relevant statutory framework.

The Government remains committed to developing Scotland's investment ecosystem, including support for community ownership, patient capital and business growth finance.

Question reference: S7W-02034

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S7W-01419

Asked by: Thomas Kerr, MSP for Glasgow, Reform UK
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 24 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the publication in June 2026 of the Independent Inquiry into White Working Class Educational Outcomes report, whether it will assess the extent to which white working-class boys and young men experience educational or socio-economic disadvantage in Scotland, and whether it will consider introducing targeted measures to address this where such disadvantage is identified.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that all children and young people have the opportunity to succeed, regardless of their background.

Through the Scottish Attainment Challenge, we are investing up to £200 million in 2026-27 to improve outcomes for children and young people impacted by poverty. Schools and local authorities are supported to use national and local data to identify need and target support accordingly.

This investment is complemented by wider action to tackle the impact of poverty on children's lives, including the provision of free school meals, support through the School Clothing Grant, and action across government to reduce child poverty through measures such as the Scottish Child Payment.

Question reference: S7W-01398

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 29 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 24 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the option of issuing retail bonds available to individuals and public institutions, and for what reason this option was not pursued in favour of wholesale bond issuance available to institutional investors.

The Scottish Government bond programme is designed to maximise value for the Scottish taxpayer by diversifying our sources of borrowing and provide more opportunities to promote Scotland as a place to invest and do business.

Therefore, in line with the Investment Panel recommendation, the Government is pursuing a conventional issuance model aimed at institutional investors. However, this does not preclude retail participation in future, and the programme is being structured to retain flexibility for a range of issuance options in subsequent years.