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-39738

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 26 August 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many deaths have been reported where the cause of death was sepsis, either on its own or alongside other factors, in each month of the past 10 years.

I have asked Alison Byrne, Chief Executive of National Records of Scotland to respond. Her response is:

Table 1 shows the number of deaths where sepsis was mentioned in the cause of death, either as the underlying cause or a contributory cause, which occurred in Scotland in each month of the past 10 years.

Table 1: Deaths which mention sepsis by month of occurrence, Scotland, 2014 to 2023 [note 1]

Year	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
2014	221	207	207	183	193	181	193	213	176	212	187	223
2015	257	220	200	209	175	209	210	194	184	200	195	225
2016	229	235	222	174	155	200	191	168	170	174	192	215
2017	203	179	175	198	165	174	155	178	153	176	177	212
2018	242	181	214	173	189	153	151	154	163	179	193	183
2019	198	170	154	162	152	163	154	156	157	168	141	184
2020	178	167	171	150	154	134	155	153	155	172	160	174
2021	177	164	170	160	163	158	162	192	183	192	182	224
2022	199	170	175	186	164	165	176	191	193	215	208	248
2023	251	230	227	180	179	160	151	169	154	179	164	212

Note 1: These figures have been determined using ICD-10 codes A40 (streptococcal sepsis) and A41 (other sepsis). This will be an underestimate of the number of deaths involving sepsis. There are a range of conditions involving sepsis which will not lead to a code A40 or A41, for example 'urosepsis' will be coded to N39.0 (urinary tract infection, site not specified). It is not possible to include these codes in the definition of sepsis, as they will include deaths which are not sepsis-related.

Question reference: S6W-39344

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 July 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 5 August 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the reported findings of the independent evaluation of the Just Transition Fund, what its position is on how spending £43 million of public money to create 110 jobs can be justified, in light of reports of workers and communities in north east Scotland continuing to experience job insecurity and uncertainty.

The independent evaluation highlighted the enabling role of the Just Transition Fund (JTF) in supporting a just transition in the region and found that 230 jobs had been created and safeguarded in the first two years. Additionally, the JTF supported the provision of more than 750 training places and leveraged over £34 million in additional investment. The JTF supports a range of activity in the North East and Moray, alongside the creation and safeguarding of jobs. This includes enabling innovative technologies, improving environmental outcomes, investing in communities, and empowering communities with our participatory budgeting approach.

Importantly, the Fund forms part of a wider toolkit of support available for workers in the North East, including a new Oil and Gas Transition Training Fund recently launched in partnership with the UK Government to support offshore workers transition to the sustainable energy sector.

Question reference: S6W-39345

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 July 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 5 August 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of the funding to support a just transition for Scotland is structured as (a) grants and (b) loans or investments, and what its position is on how these proportions impact the sustainability of job creation.

From 2022 to date, £50 million of the Just Transition Fund has been allocated as capital grants. In addition, £25 million was allocated in financial transactions to the Scottish National Investment Bank to be invested on a commercial basis in line with the Bank’s Investment Strategy and its mission, including support for a just transition. A further £1.5 million in financial transitions was allocated to Social Investment Scotland to deliver the Social Enterprise Just Transition Fund.

In its first two years, the Just Transition Fund has supported the creation and safeguarding of over 230 jobs, enabled more than 750 training opportunities, and helped secure over £34 million in additional investment. These early outcomes demonstrate the Fund’s positive impact, and we are confident that the number of jobs, level of investment leveraged, and other key results will continue to grow as projects progress.

Question reference: S6W-39343

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 July 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 30 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the reported finding of the independent evaluation of the Just Transition Fund that it has, to date, delivered limited, temporary and precarious employment outcomes, and what immediate steps it will take to ensure that the fund delivers secure, sustainable jobs for workers and communities in north east Scotland.

The independent evaluation of the Just Transition Fund (JTF) found that, in its first two years of operation, the Fund created and safeguarded 230 jobs, alongside the provision of more than 750 training places, and leveraged over £34 million in additional investment.

The evaluation also highlighted the need for ongoing monitoring and evaluation of projects supported through the Fund to fully understand its longer-term impact on employment and the wider outcomes supported through the Fund, including economic growth, community empowerment, and environmental sustainability.

To ensure we maximise the impact for workers and communities, the Fund will specifically focus on projects that support jobs, skills and economic opportunities in 2025-26, with £8.5 million of new funding available.

Question reference: S6W-39342

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 July 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 29 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what changes it will make to the design and delivery of the Just Transition Fund, in light of reported concerns regarding the findings of the independent evaluation that it commissioned in relation to transparency, administrative complexity and a lack of multi-year funding to support sustainable outcomes to deliver a just transition for Scotland.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that the Just Transition Fund (JTF) is responsive to the needs of the North East and Moray. This includes full consideration of the recommendations of the independent evaluation to support ongoing improvements to the 10-year Fund in a way which aligns with Scottish Government’s budget position.

The independent evaluation highlighted the positive and catalytic impact of support delivered through the Fund in its first two years of operation. We have already delivered against some of the report’s recommendations. For example, updated application material and guidance were issued as part of the 2025-26 open capital funding round for the JTF to support greater transparency of process.

Question reference: S6W-38632

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 20 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what progress is being made in developing the Musselburgh Flood Prevention Scheme.

The development and delivery of flood protection schemes is a local authority responsibility, and the Scottish Government provides funding to support them to do so.

Musselburgh Flood Protection Scheme (MFPS) was notified on 21 March 2024 as required under the Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009. East Lothian Council are currently considering all the submissions made through this process, including objections, before making their preliminary decision on whether to:

confirm the proposed scheme without modification,
confirm the proposed scheme with modifications, or
reject the proposed scheme.

East Lothian Council will be able to provide further detailed information on how this process is being progressed.

Question reference: S6W-38633

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 20 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when it will release its promised financial support for the Musselburgh Flood Prevention Scheme.

To date the Scottish Government has distributed £11.5 million to East Lothian Council against the council’s forecast expenditure for the Musselburgh Flood Protection Scheme. This is sufficient to fund East Lothian Council’s forecast expenditure for the financial years 2025–26, 2026–27 and part of 2027–28.

This funding has been distributed through the General Capital Grant, which means East Lothian Council has autonomy to allocate it in line with the council’s priorities.

Question reference: S6W-38272

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 10 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when the consultation process being carried out by Transport Scotland on lessons to be learned from experience in England and Wales regarding the effectiveness of moving traffic enforcement, including the experience in school streets, will begin.

Transport Scotland has confirmed that enforcing moving traffic offences would require new primary legislation. Officials are exploring the use of ANPR for school street enforcement as part of broader policy development on moving traffic violations. This includes consultation with the Department for Transport and other stakeholders to assess the effectiveness of such enforcement in England and Wales, including school streets.

While this work is part of Transport Scotland’s longer term plans, no specific timeline has been set for its commencement.

Question reference: S6O-04767

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 May 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what support it is giving to local authorities to enable them to implement their Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategies.

Question reference: S6W-36162

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 22 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what support it can provide to homeowners of traditionally built homes to maintain energy efficiency in the transition to renewable energy, and what impact Edinburgh College withdrawing its stonemasonry apprenticeship might have on this.

The Scottish Government recognises the value and special characteristics of Scotland’s traditional and protected buildings. Traditionally built properties make up around 18% of all homes in Scotland and may have different requirements to other homes because of their construction type, location or status.

Although Edinburgh College ceased delivery of the Stonemasonry Modern Apprenticeship in 2023, there are still three centres of stonemasonry MA training across Scotland: City of Glasgow College (CoGC) and Historic Environment Scotland (HES) at Stirling and Elgin.

The Scottish Government continues to work to ensure traditional skills needed to undertake retrofitting work are available. Scotland’s revised strategy for the historic environment “Our Past Our Future” has as one of its three key priorities “Delivering the transition to net zero”. Collaboration will be key to achieving success, as is working across different sectors and employer groups, and working nationwide across regional borders.

On 3 April 2025 it was announced that a new national training centre for Scotland, focused on traditional skills, had secured £3.7 million of National Lottery support. Scotland’s Centre of Excellence for Canals and Traditional Skills will be located near Lock 16 on the banks of the Forth and Clyde Canal in Falkirk. The centre, which will see Scottish Canals partner with Historic Environment Scotland, will focus on developing pathways into heritage skills training, volunteering, and employment within the historic environment sector.

On 8 April 2025, Historic Environment Scotland, Historic England and Cadw, published a new retrofit training handbook to support learners undertaking retrofit qualifications.