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-02411

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 10 August 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 7 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to its consultation on the Draft Energy Efficiency (Domestic Private Rented Property) (Scotland) Regulations, which closed on 29 August 2025, when it will publish the responses received.

Question reference: S7W-01319

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Gethins on 24 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S7O-00110, S7O-00114 and S7O-00115 by Gillian Martin on 24 June 2026 and S7F-00023 by John Swinney on 25 June 2026, what action it is taking to assess the cumulative electricity demand and energy-security impact of all the proposed hyperscale AI data centres.

Regulation and management of the electricity market is a reserved matter, however through our existing work with NESO (National Energy Systems Operator), DESNZ and stakeholders, we are assessing future energy demand and energy security considerations in the production of the Strategic Spatial Energy Plan (SSEP) and the Regional Energy Strategic Plan. This includes data centres, and will enable us to plan for generation and demand scenarios from 2030-2050.

Question reference: S7W-01561

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 06 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 23 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31971 by Gillian Martin on 12 December 2024, whether it still plans to bring forward proposals to improve water, wastewater and drainage policy, and if so, by what date it will do so.

The Scottish Government is considering its water related policies to ensure they continue to meet the public’s expectations and deliver adaptation to the growing impacts of drought and flooding arising from climate change. We will set out our commitments as usual in our Programme for Government.

Our publicly owned Water and Wastewater services are funded by customers. Any changes to policies or legislation must strike a balance of producing the right outcomes at an affordable price for customers.

Question reference: S7W-01318

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Hannah Mary Goodlad on 22 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S7O-00110, S7O-00114 and S7O-00115 by Gillian Martin on 24 June 2026 and S7F-00023 by John Swinney on 25 June 2026, what plans it has to provide a formal definition of a green data centre and, in the absence of such a definition, how it will develop guidance on how planning authorities can assess the environmental credentials of proposed hyperscale data centres.

Question reference: S7W-01220

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 22 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 20 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the action it is taking to ensure that all care-experienced children who require CAMHS receive timely and appropriate treatment and support.

The National CAMHS Specification establishes a consistent national standard, requiring Boards to ensure all children and young people receive timely support appropriate to their needs, including care-experienced children.

The Specification explicitly recognises the importance of supporting care-experienced young people during transitions between services.

The Transition Care Planning Guidance, published in 2018, places young people at the centre of decision-making and should inform all decisions about their care, including meeting the specific and often complex needs of care-experienced young people.

National performance against the 18-week CAMHS standard has been sustained for over a year, with 91% of children and young people starting treatment within 18 weeks of referral. 1 in 2 children and young people referred to CAMHS now start treatment within 5 weeks.

Question reference: S7W-01219

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 22 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 20 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the needs of care-experienced children in accessing neurodevelopmental pathways and support, and what action it is taking to address any barriers to such support.

We recognise that care-experienced children and young people can be more likely to experience a range of health, wellbeing and developmental challenges and that they may face additional barriers to accessing services and support including neurodevelopmental support.

In 2021 we published the Children and Young People’s Neurodevelopmental Specification, which sets out the principles and standards of care for all children and young people with neurodevelopmental support needs, including those who may be care experienced.

The Specification aims to ensure that children and families receive the support and access to services that meet their needs at the earliest opportunity, based on the Getting It Right For Every Child (GIRFEC) approach. For many children and young people, such support is likely to be community based, and should be quickly and easily accessible.

The Specification also makes clear that support should be put in place to meet the child or young person’s requirements when they need it, rather than be dependent on a formal diagnosis.

In 2025, we undertook a review of the Specification implementation found here: Children and young people - National Neurodevelopmental Specification: implementation review report - gov.scot, and we are progressing the recommended next steps with partners including COSLA and the Children and Young People’s Neurodevelopment Taskforce.

Question reference: S7W-01754

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 July 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 13 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions and correspondence it has had with the UK Government and the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) regarding the impact of driving test waiting times on access to work, education, healthcare and other services in Scotland.

Question reference: S7W-01239

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 22 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Flynn on 9 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-36424 by Fiona Hyslop on 25 April 2025, what further assessments it has carried out regarding traffic options to enable safer pedestrian access on the A84 at Bridge of Teith.

As previously stated, Transport Scotland and our operating company BEAR Scotland have held discussions with various local stakeholders regarding the A84 Teith Bridge and options for active travel improvement between Doune and Deanston. Transport Scotland is working closely with Stirling Council regarding this matter.

Transport Scotland and BEAR Scotland shared the results of the modelling with Stirling Council and met with them to discuss it where Stirling Council requested that a live exercise be undertaken to directly investigate the impact on delays to vehicular traffic.

Taking account of the requirements of all modes of travel, including public transport services, it is recognised that the best form of improvement may not be amendment to the trunk road and the existing bridge. It may be more practical and effective to create an entirely new, offline facility.

Following discussions with Stirling Council, their preferred approach was to trial Option 3. This involved implementing an all-red phase at the traffic signals, allowing pedestrians to cross the bridge independently. However, this arrangement was not considered feasible under temporary conditions due to the associated safety risks.

Alternative options would lie outwith the trunk road and therefore outwith the responsibility of Transport Scotland. Progression of these would be the responsibility of Stirling Council or the Regional Transport Partnership to take forward, and Transport Scotland has suggested that the Council continue to appraise the best means of active travel connection between the two communities.

Question reference: S7O-00110

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 June 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what national assessment it has made of the climate impact associated with hyperscale AI green data centres.

Question reference: S7W-00695

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 01 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Hannah Mary Goodlad on 11 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to review its Planning Advice Note 50, which provides advice on controlling the environmental effects of surface mineral workings, and associated annexes.