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-01417

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian Coast and Lammermuirs, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Hannah Mary Goodlad on 28 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Scottish National Party’s 2026 manifesto commitment to simplify regulation and reform of the planning system to support jobs and economic growth, how and when it plans to implement the findings of the Compulsory Purchase Order review.

Question reference: S7W-02060

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S7W-02056

Current Status: Withdrawn

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-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-01714

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian Coast and Lammermuirs, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 July 2026
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 16 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its progress in implementing the accepted recommendations of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry’s Module 1 report, which was published on 18 July 2024.

The Scottish Government welcomed the publication of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry’s Module 1 report on pre-pandemic preparedness and resilience on 18 July 2024. The Scottish Government published an initial response on 16 January 2025, which set out the actions and steps being taken to address the Inquiry’s recommendations.

Today, the Scottish Government has published the third progress report, which shows six of the Inquiry’s recommendations have been delivered and closed as a result. Over the past six months the Scottish Government has continued to make significant, measurable improvements in Scotland’s pandemic planning and preparedness.

The Scottish Government has completed its review of risk assessment processes and is now developing the next iteration of the Scottish Risk Assessment. This will bring together all risks relevant to Scotland in a single document. To support this work, the Scottish Government has established a Scottish Risk Assessment Group to ensure a robust, expert-led approach, with a strong focus on vulnerability.

A Memorandum of Understanding is now in place to enable rapid sharing of data and analysis across the four nations in preparation for, or during, any future crisis. After taking part in the UK Government’s pilot process for independent review of whole-system civil emergency preparedness and resilience, the Scottish Government continues to engage with the UK Government as it progresses with the Catastrophic Risks Assurance Programme.

The Scottish Government remains committed to ensuring that Scotland is as resilient as possible to future risks, and will continue to take the necessary steps to achieve this. We look forward to continuing to work closely with our partners and stakeholders to deliver these recommendations.

A copy of the progress report is available online at: UK Covid-19 Inquiry - Module 1 report: progress update - July 2026

Our next progress update will be a combined report covering Module 1 and Module 2ABC, to be published before the end of November 2026.

Question reference: S7W-01671

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian Coast and Lammermuirs, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 July 2026
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Maree Todd on 14 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the UK Covid-19 Inquiry's fifth report, 'Procurement' (Module 5), which is due to be published on 14 July 2026.

We welcome the publication of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry’s Module 5 report focusing on the procurement and distribution to end-users across the four nations of the United Kingdom of key healthcare related equipment and supplies, including PPE, ventilators and oxygen during the Covid-19 pandemic. A copy of the report is available online at: https://covid19.public-inquiry.uk/reports/

During the pandemic, the Scottish Government’s foremost priority was to protect the public from the novel Covid-19 virus. Ministers sought to be open, transparent and accountable in respect of the decisions made. We extend our sincere and deepest condolences to the many thousands who have lost loved ones and who continue to experience the profound impacts of Covid-19. We recognise the loss, hurt and suffering experienced by people across Scotland and the rest of the UK, and we would like to again acknowledge the efforts and sacrifices of our health and social care workforce during the pandemic.

Progress continues with implementing the accepted recommendations of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry’s Module 1 report which covers pre-pandemic planning and preparedness. Six recommendations from the report have now been delivered, with our third progress report due to be published in July.

Our response to the Covid Inquiry’s Module 2 report into government decision-making was published in March. That response set out the steps we are taking in response to the Chair’s recommendations, and was informed by stakeholder engagement, including from the Covid Inquiries Response Engagement Group, chaired by the former Deputy First Minister, comprising organisations representing those disproportionately impacted by the pandemic and those furthest from decision-making.

Work on recommendations set out by the UK Inquiry in its subsequent reports is under way, and will be responded to within the timescale set out by the inquiry Chair.

We recognise that there is further work to be done. The Scottish Government will now take the necessary time to fully and carefully consider the findings and recommendations set out in the Inquiry’s Module 5 report, and will provide a detailed response to the report’s recommendations in due course.

Question reference: S7W-01418

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian Coast and Lammermuirs, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 13 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide more information on the Scottish National Party’s 2026 manifesto commitment to exploring Compulsory Sales Orders (CSO), including when it plans to publish proposals for CSOs within the next five years.

Question reference: S7O-00129

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian Coast and Lammermuirs, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 June 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what measures it is taking forward in partnership with East Lothian Council, Taylor Wimpey and Hargreaves, to deliver and expand the housing development at Blindwells, which has been classified as a strategic housing site.

Question reference: S6W-44346

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 23 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its (a) engagement with the UK Government and (b) other work it is undertaking regarding a UK-wide social tariff in energy.

The Scottish Government published the final report of the Social Tariff Working Group in March 2025. Since then, we have consistently and regularly pressed the UK Government to introduce an automatic and targeted discount on energy bills to address unaffordable energy prices at source.

In November 2025, we published modelling which shows that, based on the 2023 Scottish Housing Conditions Survey, the introduction of a social tariff would result in 660,000 households in Scotland seeing their estimated fuel bills go down by an average of £700.

Developing global events urgently reinforce the need for the UK Government to put in place arrangements for a sustainable and targeted bill support scheme as quickly as possible and we will continue to strongly make the case.