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: S6W-41549

Asked by: Maggie Chapman, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 6 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the most recent data from SEPA's Scottish Pollutant Release Inventory, which reportedly shows rising levels of toxic pollution, including mercury, from Scotland's incinerators.

The 2022 independent review of the role of incineration in Scotland states that in the short-term, incineration will have a role to play in managing our waste as we transition to a circular economy.

As we continue to increase our reuse and recycling rates, we will produce even less waste, however we will still need an appropriate way to manage our unavoidable and unrecyclable waste.

That’s why the Scottish Government’s Fourth National Planning Framework (NPF4) makes clear that development proposals for energy-from-waste facilities will not be supported, except under limited circumstances.

Emissions from energy from waste plants are strictly controlled under the Pollution Prevention and Control regulatory regime. Research shows that correctly operated modern energy from waste facilities should have minimal impact on overall local air quality.

Question reference: S6W-41548

Asked by: Maggie Chapman, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 6 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the latest reported data from SEPA, which shows that Scotland's five biggest incinerators produced more than one million tonnes of carbon dioxide in 2024, what its position is on the reported record levels of carbon emissions from incinerators.

Energy from waste emissions were expected to rise in the short-term as a result of preparations for the upcoming ban on landfilling biodegradable municipal waste. As part of these preparations, a portion of currently landfilled waste is diverted to incineration, resulting in an increase in incineration emissions.

This is expected to be accompanied by a larger longer-term decrease in emissions from the waste sector as a whole due to lower landfill emissions, driven by the ban on biodegradable municipal waste going to landfill in Scotland.

The independent review found that incineration's current place within the waste hierarchy is correct, meaning that overall, it is preferable to other forms of residual waste treatment, such as landfill but made clear recommendations around limiting future capacity and decarbonisation of energy from waste.

Question reference: S6W-41547

Asked by: Maggie Chapman, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 6 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported shutdown and reopening of the NESS incinerator in Aberdeen, what discussions it has had with SEPA and any affected local authorities, and whether any impact of disrupted waste management services on local people was discussed.

Waste collection and recycling services are a matter for individual local authorities and which strategy they adopt is entirely up to them. Local authorities are independent corporate bodies with their own powers and responsibilities, separate from the Scottish Government. As long as they act lawfully, it is up to each local authority how it manages its day-to-day business and decision making processes including on how to collect and process waste.

The Scottish Government liaises regularly with SEPA and local government representatives regarding waste contingency challenges. As part of ongoing liaison, Scottish Government was informed about the reported shutdown and reopening of the NESS incinerator in Aberdeen and actions taken by councils to mitigate any disruption of waste management services. Based on available information, Scottish Government’s understanding is that waste collections remained unaffected.

Question reference: S6O-05070

Asked by: Maggie Chapman, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 October 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how much it will allocate in its forthcoming Budget to support older people to live independently in their local communities.

Question reference: S6O-04982

Asked by: Maggie Chapman, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 September 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any discussions that it has had with Police Scotland about the policing of protests outside hotels and other accommodation for people seeking asylum.

Question reference: S6F-04300

Asked by: Maggie Chapman, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 15 September 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 September 2025

To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking to protect renters in the private sector from homelessness.

Question reference: S6O-04944

Asked by: Maggie Chapman, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 September 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any discussions it has had with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service about role expansion for firefighters.

Question reference: S6O-04878

Asked by: Maggie Chapman, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 August 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what support it can provide to local authorities to help ensure that all residents across the north east can access local council services, including help when things go wrong, in person as well as online.

Question reference: S6W-39059

Asked by: Maggie Chapman, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 27 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 9 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it reportedly did not contribute to the UK progress update to the Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee on 29 May 2025.

The Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee issued Decision VII/8s in October 2021, which found that Scotland and the UK are not compliant with the requirements of the Aarhus Convention in relation to access to justice. The UK was required by the Compliance Committee to submit an action plan and progress reports detailing how compliance was to be achieved.

The Scottish Government contributed to the action plan submitted in July 2022 and the progress report submitted in October 2023. A final progress report was initially due to be submitted in October 2024, however following changes in the UK Government an extension was agreed for submission of the final progress report to November 2024. The Scottish Government contributed to the final progress report. May 2025 represented an informal opportunity to provide any additional substantial updates ahead of the meeting of the Compliance Committee on 2 June. The Scottish Government continues to work towards strengthening compliance but had no substantial updates to add to the update already provided in November 2024.

Question reference: S6W-39015

Asked by: Maggie Chapman, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 4 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the Scottish Civil Justice Council (SCJC) remains a competent body to review the rules governing legal expenses for Aarhus cases, in light of reports of the Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee (ACCC) granting admissibility to a complaint submitted by the Environmental Rights Centre for Scotland (ERCS) alleging that the SCJC breached the Convention's article 8 public participation requirements by failing to publicly consult on its review of court rules.

The Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee (ACCC) has indicated that communication ACCC/C/2025/216, which alleges a failure on the part of the Scottish Civil Justice Council to publicly consult on amendments to the rules governing Protective Expenses Orders contained in the Act of Sederunt (Rules of the Court of Session 1994 Amendment) (Protective Expenses Orders) 2024, has been found to be admissible on a preliminary basis. Further procedure is to be followed before a decision is taken on admissibility by the ACCC and it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage.

The Scottish Civil Justice Council was established under the Scottish Civil Justice Council and Criminal Legal Assistance Act 2013. It is an independent statutory body with responsibility for preparing draft rules of procedure for the civil courts, and advises the Lord President on the development of the civil justice system in Scotland.

The Scottish Government has every confidence in the work of the Scottish Civil Justice Council.