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-40564

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 29 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether ministers have met (a) Rolls-Royce SMR, (b) Westinghouse and (c) other international nuclear power developers to discuss potential investment in Scotland, and, if so, what the outcome was.

Question reference: S6W-40570

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 29 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what research it has commissioned on the potential role of small modular reactors in Scotland’s future energy mix.

Question reference: S6W-40565

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 29 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will engage with the UK Government regarding the UK–US nuclear power partnership.

Question reference: S6W-40567

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 29 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of the contribution of the nuclear power sector to the economy of East Lothian in the last five years.

The Scottish Government recognises the significant contribution Torness nuclear power station has made to Scotland’s energy system and to the East Lothian economy over several decades.

A Scottish Government commissioned report, Electricity system security of supply Scotland, published in 2023, found that the increase in renewable generation capacity along with the installation of storage technologies would provide security of supply in Scotland.

Although the Scottish Government commissioned this report, security of supply is a reserved matter that the National Energy Systems Operator (NESO) is responsible for.

Question reference: S6W-40569

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 29 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has carried out of the reported decision by some EU member states to reverse their previous policy and expand nuclear power, and what assessment it has made of any implications of this for Scotland’s energy policy.

The Scottish Government position remains - new nuclear under current technologies, which includes small modular reactors, is very expensive and takes decades to deliver, creating a legacy of radioactive waste which is difficult and costly to manage. Instead, we are focussed on supporting growth and creating jobs by capitalising on Scotland’s immense renewable energy capacity rather than expensive new nuclear.

Question reference: S6W-40561

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 29 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what economic modelling it has carried out regarding the potential contribution of new nuclear power generation in Scotland to GDP growth.

The Scottish Government has not itself carried out any economic modelling regarding the economic impact of nuclear in Scotland. The Scottish Government position remains that new nuclear under current technologies is very expensive and takes decades to deliver, creating a legacy of radioactive waste which is difficult and costly to manage. Instead, we are focussed on supporting growth and creating jobs by capitalising on Scotland’s immense renewable energy capacity rather than expensive new nuclear.

Question reference: S6W-40566

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 29 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what economic assessment it has made of the number of supply-chain contracts that Scotland-based firms could be awarded if new nuclear power capacity was developed in the country.

Question reference: S6W-40563

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 29 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government on what dates since 2021 its ministers have met the Nuclear Industry Association, and what (a) issues were discussed and (b) the outcomes were.

Question reference: S6W-40478

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 23 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has updated the drafting guidelines on bills since the United Nations Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Incorporation) (Scotland) Act 2024 was passed to ensure that subsequent legislation is in the scope of the convention.

The Supreme Court judgment in the References on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill and the European Charter of Local Self-Government (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill on section 28(7) of the Scotland Act 1998 resulted in adjustments to the compatibility duty in the UNCRC Act so that it does not apply to statutory provisions in an Act of the Westminster Parliament, even in devolved areas.

Scottish Government teams working on legislation have guidelines which ensure that, when they are developing new legislation, consideration is given to whether to draft new provisions in a way that means they fall within the scope of the compatibility duty in the UNCRC Act. Ensuring provisions are in scope for the compatibility duty would mean avoiding making amendments to UK Acts and instead making provisions in standalone Acts of the Scottish Parliament.

However, it is important to point out that application of the compatibility duty is only one of a number of factors to be considered in developing legislation which is effective, workable and clear. Given that existing statutory frameworks in some key policy areas are contained within pre-devolution UK Acts, in some instances avoiding amendment to existing UK Acts would prove complex, as it would be challenging to provide for a coherent change to the law in light of the existing provision. Each new legislative proposal therefore needs to be considered on its own merits.

Question reference: S6O-04958

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 September 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with outdoor education centres and schools regarding the financial and staffing implications of the Schools (Residential Outdoor Education) (Scotland) Bill.