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: S7W-03146

Asked by: Laura Moodie, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 21 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to introduce a national supply register for teachers to ensure that all supply work available is advertised nationally for all local authorities and via one system.

Supply lists are managed by each local authority, independently, and according to their needs as the employers of teachers. The Scottish Government has no control over these lists, and it is at the discretion of individual employers how they chose to advertise and manage their lists, in accordance with Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers (SNCT) ‘Code of Practice on Short Term Supply.’

Scottish Government officials are working with partners through the SNCT’s newly established ‘working group on short term supply’ to consider ways in which we can support improvements to supply across the country, which may include recommending measures to improve consistency in the way supply lists are managed and work is advertised across local authorities.

Question reference: S7W-03147

Asked by: Laura Moodie, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 21 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what the annual cost is for the delivery of the National Standardised Assessments for Scotland (NSA) for children and young people in P1, P4, P7, and S3.

Question reference: S7O-00294

Asked by: Laura Moodie, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 September 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it collects data on MSP staff pay including data on the gender pay gap.

Question reference: S7W-02568

Asked by: Laura Moodie, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 15 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-44440 by Natalie Don-Innes on 24 March 2026, what consideration it has given to any additional financial pressures faced by families with multiple-birth children when developing early learning and childcare policy, and how it plans to reflect their needs in any future expansion of funded early learning and childcare.

I appreciate that the cost of childcare can be challenging for many families across Scotland, and that there can be an impact on family circumstances as a result of a multiple birth. Every child in Scotland deserves the best start in life, which is why the Scottish Government is committed to eradicating child poverty and giving families the support they need. Each year since 2021 we have invested around £1 billion in the delivery of high quality ELC to all eligible children and we are continuing to do so in 2026-27.

With respect to future plans, we are seeking to transform Scotland’s childcare offer to better support families with the cost of childcare, for children from 9 months to the end of primary school. As this Parliament agreed in May, this is a priority, and must be informed by learning from the expansion to 1140 hours and the voices of those who use and deliver childcare in Scotland. This includes families with multiple births.

Our Programme for Government set out our intention to publish and consult on a blueprint for the future, building on learning from the last ten years of childcare design and delivery. This will be published next year. I would encourage anyone with an interest, including families with multiple births, to participate in this consultation.

Question reference: S7W-02565

Asked by: Laura Moodie, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 15 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to improve educational outcomes for those in the Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller communities.

The legal responsibility lies with parents to ensure their children receive a sufficient education. The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that all children and young people, including those from Gypsy, Traveller and Roma communities, have access to the support they need to achieve their full potential.

Local authorities have primary responsibility for ensuring that Gypsy/Traveller children can access education and remain engaged in learning. The Scottish Government supports this work through funding the Centre for Education for Traditionally Nomadic Communities (STEP). STEP works with local authorities to promote flexible and culturally responsive approaches to attendance and engagement, including Gypsy, Traveller and Roma children and young families maintain links with their school and continue their education while travelling.

Question reference: S7W-02763

Asked by: Laura Moodie, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 31 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 10 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish an update to the Ancient Woodland Inventory and what consideration it will give to updating the inventory on a rolling basis.

Question reference: S7W-02460

Asked by: Laura Moodie, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Hannah Mary Goodlad on 8 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers that a change from on-site retention of spoil to large-scale transportation of spoil off site constitutes a material change to a planning application, and whether such a change would require a further environmental impact assessment.

It is for the decision maker (usually the relevant planning authority) to consider whether changes to a proposed development constitute a material or substantial change, having regard to the circumstances of the particular case. Whether Environmental Impact Assessment information on a particular matter is required is also for the decision-maker, in accordance with the relevant statutory framework.

It would not be appropriate for Scottish Ministers to comment on matters that fall within the planning authority's role and responsibilities.

Question reference: S7W-02605

Asked by: Laura Moodie, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 7 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government for what reasons it determined that the proposed Rogerhill Solar and Battery Energy Storage System development (ECU00004823) did not require an Environmental Impact Assessment, and what consideration it gave, prior to granting consent, to the Woodland Trust’s continuing objection regarding the potential indirect impacts of the development on nearby ancient woodland.

To help ensure that the integrity and impartiality of the consenting process is maintained, it would not be appropriate for Ministers to comment on or debate the merits of a decision once it has been issued.

The full grounds for the Ministers' decisions are set out in the decision letter which is publicly available online on the Energy Consents Unit portal: Scottish Government - Energy Consents Unit - Application Details

Question reference: S7O-00208

Asked by: Laura Moodie, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 September 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what support it can provide to bus service operators, including Borders Buses, to improve evening services between Edinburgh, Peebles and Galashiels.

Question reference: S7O-00158

Asked by: Laura Moodie, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 August 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will explore options for increasing the number of rail services calling at ScotRail operated stations in the South Scotland region such as Lockerbie.

Financial Year	SNSA Platform provider	Spend (£)
2025-26	AlphaPlus	£3,490,202.67