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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

Filter your results Hide all filters

Displaying 2100 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S6W-39771

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 20 August 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what safeguards exist to ensure impartiality in ministerial planning decisions for nationally significant developments.

The Scottish Ministerial Code ensures impartiality in ministerial planning decisions, including avoiding conflicts of interest and maintaining transparency. Ministers must separate their roles as decision-makers and elected representatives, and must recuse themselves from any case where their impartiality could reasonably be questioned. It is a legislative requirement that planning decisions be made in accordance with the development plan, unless material considerations indicate otherwise.

Question reference: S6W-39772

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 20 August 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether any material differences exist between the planning documents lodged by Flamingo Land, in relation to the proposed Lomond Banks development, and those relied upon in the final decision.

All the information submitted as part of the appeal, including everything submitted by the appellant, the national park authority and timeous representations submitted by interested parties is forwarded to Scottish Ministers along with the Reporter's report and recommendations.

Once received, the report and all the information held will be given full and proper consideration by Ministers before any decision is made.

As this is a live planning appeal it would not be appropriate to comment further.

Question reference: S6W-39773

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 20 August 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish all (a) internal and (b) external correspondence relating to the Flamingo Land Lomond Banks planning process.

Scottish Ministers are committed to a fair, open and transparent process for all aspects of its planning appeal casework. There is no statutory requirement for the Planning and Environmental Appeals Division (DPEA) to publish any information relating to a case. DPEA does however publish the information a reporter will take into account in their consideration of a case, including everything submitted by the appellant, the National Park Authority and numerous representations received from the local and wider community.

Question reference: S6W-39976

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 August 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 16 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the funding that it provides for the initiative, what the eligibility requirements are for participation in the Women in Conflict 1325 Fellowship programme, and what definition of a "woman" is used to judge eligibility.

Question reference: S6W-39495

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 July 2025
Current Status: Holding Answer by Richard Lochhead on 19 August 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the number of jobs in Scotland that could be lost due to AI over the next decade.

Question reference: S6W-39758

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 19 August 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with UK regulators and industry bodies regarding any licensing delays for North Sea development.

The licensing regime for offshore oil and gas is a matter currently reserved to the UK Government, with the North Sea Transition Authority as its regulator.

The Scottish Government is clear in our support for a just transition for Scotland’s valued oil and gas sector, which recognises the maturity of the North Sea basin and is in line with our climate change commitments.

That is why we continue to call on the UK Government to approach decisions on the North Sea on a rigorously evidence-led, case by case, basis – with climate compatibility and energy security as key considerations.

Scottish Government Ministers and officials engage with both energy industry bodies and the North Sea Transition Authority on a regular basis.

Question reference: S6W-39757

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 19 August 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken of the causes of the reported loss of more than 13,000 oil and gas jobs in the last 12 months.

The Scottish Government continues to monitor and consider a range of evidence in relation to the energy sector.

As part of this approach, we commissioned and published independent analysis on Scotland’s Energy System and Just Transition found here: Publication of the outputs from a programme of work to better understand our energy requirements as we transition to net zero - Energy system and Just Transition: independent analysis - gov.scot. This analysis considers the economic impact of Scotland’s oil and gas industry, including in terms of employment, during the transition to net zero. A partial final-report.pdf of the baseline data underpinning this analysis was published in April 2025.

Question reference: S6W-39933

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 18 August 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 15 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will conduct a review of public funding to any organisations accused of politically motivated discrimination.

Question reference: S6W-39934

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 18 August 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 15 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it is protecting cultural freedom and open debate in any events that receive public funding.

Question reference: S6W-39935

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 18 August 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 15 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether it is acceptable for publicly funded cultural institutions to exclude authors on the basis of their views on women’s sex-based rights.