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-02057

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian Coast and Lammermuirs, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 21 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to work with COSLA to ensure that the planned expansion of childcare across Scotland is informed by the lived experience of parent carers of disabled children, including those with complex additional support needs.

Question reference: S7W-02061

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian Coast and Lammermuirs, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 21 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to improve access to flexible childcare for parent carers of disabled children who work outside standard school and nursery hours.

Under the Additional Support for Learning Act 2004, education authorities are responsible for identifying and meeting the additional support needs of children in early learning and childcare (ELC) settings. In line with the National Standard, we expect local authorities and settings to work together to support children with additional support needs to access their funded ELC hours. The Funding Follows the Child approach enables families to access provision in the public, private or third sectors.

Question reference: S7W-02058

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian Coast and Lammermuirs, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 21 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what action it plans to take to ensure that families raising disabled children, including those with complex additional support needs, will fully benefit from the planned expansion of childcare provision across Scotland.

Question reference: S7W-02067

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian Coast and Lammermuirs, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Gethins on 19 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has assessed the land area that would be required to accommodate 5.4GW of ground-mounted solar capacity by 2035, based on an illustrative scenario in which 60% of Solar Energy Scotland’s 9GW ambition is delivered through ground-mounted solar, and, if so, what (a) land area, in hectares, and (b) percentage of Scotland’s total land area this would represent.

Question reference: S7W-02062

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian Coast and Lammermuirs, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Gethins on 19 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by the Minister for Europe, External Affairs and Energy on 28 May 2026 regarding an assessment of the potential for installing solar panels in underused spaces, whether it has defined the term "underused spaces" and, if so, what definition it uses and how that definition relates to policies in National Planning Framework 4.

Question reference: S7W-02063

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian Coast and Lammermuirs, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Gethins on 19 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential for installing solar panels in underused spaces, and when it plans to complete and publish any such assessment.

Question reference: S7W-02068

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian Coast and Lammermuirs, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Gethins on 19 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it remains committed to publishing its final Solar Vision for Scotland and, if so, when it plans to do so.

There have been a number of significant developments since we consulted on our draft Solar Vision in 2023, including the UK Government’s Clean Power 2030 Action Plan and Warm Homes Plan.

We have also co-commissioned the Strategic Spatial Energy Plan, which will provide an updated assessment of Scotland’s future energy system needs.

Given these developments will inform the Scottish Government’s position on solar it would not be appropriate to publish a final policy position until they are complete.

Question reference: S7W-02064

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian Coast and Lammermuirs, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Gethins on 19 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to its planned assessment of the potential for installing solar panels in underused spaces, whether this assessment will include estimates of the (a) total area that could be suitable for solar deployment and (b) potential solar generating capacity of those spaces.

Question reference: S7W-02546

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian Coast and Lammermuirs, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 August 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 16 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of NHS boards being expected to fund hybrid closed-loop (HCL) systems for eligible patients in line with NICE and SIGN guidance, what steps it will take to ensure equitable access to HCL across Scotland, and whether it will establish national targets and timelines for their continued roll-out.

Question reference: S7W-02544

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian Coast and Lammermuirs, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 August 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 16 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on the number of people on waiting lists for hybrid closed-loop (HCL) insulin pumps and the number of planned new-start patients in 2026, broken down by NHS board.