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 1811 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S6W-41715

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 18 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what the cost of translation services has been to each NHS board in each of the last seven financial years.

The Scottish Government does not hold this information centrally.

Whilst Scottish Government regularly review the financial positions of NHS Boards, data regarding spending on translation services is not collected.

Each Health Board is responsible for their own spending decisions and Scottish Government expects that Boards will ensure best use of available resources whilst prioritising patient safety and care.

Cost of translation services can be obtained from Health Boards individually.

Question reference: S6W-41710

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 18 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has approved the proposed “Heroes of Net Zero” campaign, and, if so, what the (a) objectives, (b) target audiences and (c) delivery timeline and key milestones are, and whether it will provide details of any forecast or actual costs for each financial year of the campaign, including any costs to date.

Question reference: S6W-41717

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 18 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of Scotland’s percentage share of global greenhouse gas emissions in each of the last five years.

The Scottish Government remains fully committed to reaching net zero by 2045 and Scotland’s new draft Climate Change Plan (CCP) is clear that climate action presents a real and growing economic opportunity to create green jobs and boost investment. The CCP describes how we will ensure that the opportunities of net zero – for cleaner air, better infrastructure and energy security, affordable heating and improved public services – are seized and fairly distributed as part of a just transition. Supporting people to take climate action has never been so important – particularly as we are witnessing a concerning rise in anti-climate rhetoric, despite the majority of people in Scotland recognising that climate change is an immediate and urgent problem.

Scotland’s share of global greenhouse gas emissions has decreased from 0.25% in 1990 to between 0.08%-0.09% in each of the last five years. Scotland has demonstrated how smaller countries can contribute to global change, decarbonising much faster than the EU27 average. Using comparable statistics published by the EU (which exclude emissions from land use), Scotland is 18 percentage points closer to net zero than the EU27 average. Through our positions as Regions4 president and Under2 Coalition European co-chair, Scotland is using its leadership to strengthen international cooperation and capacity building; strengthen states, regions and devolved governments’ influence within international climate discussions and drive global climate ambition. If the world is to deliver on our Paris Agreement commitments and the Glasgow Climate Pact, all nations need to continue to increase ambition and take credible action to reach net zero emissions, rather than rolling back on collective progress.

Question reference: S6W-41894

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 14 November 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 1 December 2025

Question reference: S6W-41895

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 14 November 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 1 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its plans are for reporting to the Parliament on the outcomes of its participation at the COP30 UN climate summit in Belem, Brazil, including any (a) new commitments, (b) financial pledges, (c) international initiatives or partnerships entered into and (d) follow-up workstreams agreed by the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy.

Question reference: S6W-41888

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 14 November 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 1 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on the total estimated cost to it of its delegation attending the COP30 UN climate summit in Belem, Brazil, broken down by (a) travel, (b) accommodation, (c) subsistence and (d) any other associated costs, and, for each of these categories, what the estimated cost is for (i) ministers, (ii) special advisers and (iii) officials.

Question reference: S6W-41891

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 14 November 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 1 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its objectives are for engagement at the COP30 UN climate summit in Belem, Brazil, with (a) activists, (b) civil society partners from the Global South and (c) partners in its Climate Justice Fund programmes, and how it will evaluate the outcomes of this engagement.

Question reference: S6W-41887

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 14 November 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 1 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many of its (a) ministers, (b) special advisers and (c) officials are attending the COP30 UN climate summit in Belem, Brazil, as part of its delegation, and for how many days each category of attendee is scheduled to be present at the summit.

Question reference: S6W-41893

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 14 November 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 1 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to use the discussions and outcomes from the COP30 UN climate summit in Belem, Brazil, to inform the finalisation and implementation of its draft Climate Change Plan, including any changes that it anticipates making to the actions and timescales set out in the draft plan up to 2040.

Question reference: S6W-41890

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 14 November 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 1 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what programme of (a) bilateral and (b) multilateral (i) meetings, (ii) roundtable discussions and (iii) speaking engagements the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy is scheduled to undertake at the COP30 UN climate summit in Belem, Brazil, and whether it will provide a list of these engagements broken down by (A) date, (B) host organisation, (C) main topic of discussion and (D) agreed follow-up actions.