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-03307

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 25 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its commitment in the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy Delivery Plan to introduce statutory nature restoration targets by 2026, for what reason consultation on targets has been delayed until 2027, and what steps it is taking to establish targets as soon as possible.

Part 1 of the Natural Environment (Scotland) Act 2026 (the 2026 Act), which was passed by the Scottish Parliament in January 2026, places a duty on the Scottish Ministers to set targets in connection with nature restoration.

The work to deliver statutory targets is progressing at pace. The Biodiversity Programme Advisory Group (PAG) has developed scientific recommendations covering species status, habitat condition and extent, and the environmental conditions needed to support nature restoration. Officials are developing target proposals and assessing the delivery, monitoring and reporting arrangements to ensure that targets are robust, measurable and achievable.

I anticipate that Part 1 of the 2026 Act will be commenced during the first half of 2027 and draft regulations, setting out the targets themselves, will be laid before the Scottish Parliament within 12 months of Part 1 of the 2026 Act coming into force. In early 2027, and subject to completion of target proposals, pre-consultation will be undertaken with stakeholders to help develop and refine target proposals and gather their views and expertise to ensure they are supported by the best available evidence.

In addition, the first statutory report on delivery of the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy will be published in 2027, providing an opportunity to assess progress towards its outcomes and actions, and to consider evidence from across government and delivery partners as we work collectively towards restoring biodiversity by 2045.

Question reference: S7W-03182

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 21 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that it meets its commitment to protect 30% of land for nature by 2030, in light of NatureScot data indicating that the proportion of land contributing towards the target increased by only 0.34 percentage points between 2025 and 2026.

NatureScot is leading work to help Scotland achieve the target of protecting and conserving 30% of land for nature by 2030 (known as 30 by 30). The first Nature30 sites were recognised in 2025, marking Scotland’s first new area-based conservation measure in decades and providing a voluntary mechanism to recognise the contribution of land managers and communities to nature recovery.

Following the launch of Nature30, NatureScot is working with a growing number of public, private and third sector and community landowner/managers to support Nature30 recognition. We expect significant growth in the area effectively managed for nature over the coming year, with momentum increasing towards 2030. We recognise that pace is critical and we will continue to work with NatureScot and others to help support delivery and encourage recognition of new sites.

30 by 30 will also be delivered through protected areas and NatureScot is continuing to work with landowners/managers to designate new sites as well as ensuring that existing ones are managed effectively.

Question reference: S7W-03183

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 21 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the issues raised in Scottish Environment LINK’s Nature Protection Scorecard.

The Scottish Government welcomes the publication of Scottish Environment LINK's Nature Protection Scorecard. Independent scrutiny and transparent assessment of progress help to inform action to address the nature emergency and support nature restoration.

The Scorecard highlights a range of issues across different organisations and policy areas, many of which align with existing priorities, actions and metrics set out in the Scottish Government’s Scottish Biodiversity Strategy, and supporting delivery plan.

A robust approach to monitoring and evaluation of our strategy and delivery plan will ensure accountability, and help drive action to meet our ambitions and future statutory targets.

Since the publication of the strategy we have been working on our approach to monitoring and evaluation. Our approach uses a suite of indicators to track progress towards the Strategy’s outcomes and inform adaptive management along side annual delivery plan assessments which helps to ensure we are taking the appropriate corrective actors to remain on the right trajectory.

We will publish our first statutory report on delivery of the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy in 2027.

Question reference: S7W-03181

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 21 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that protected sites are being effectively protected, in light of NatureScot data indicating a decline in the proportion of protected sites being monitored annually, from 97 sites (5.27%) in 2021 to 54 sites (2.94%) in 2025.

For over 20 years NatureScot has evaluated the condition of protected areas through its Site Condition Monitoring (SCM) programme. Evaluation of SCM has shown that it can be resource intensive and does not always provide the information required to discuss management changes with land managers, particularly where landscape scale pressures such as over grazing or invasive non-native species are negatively affecting nature.

As a result, NatureScot is looking to build on the strengths of SCM by transitioning to a new monitoring approach known as Delivering Healthy Ecosystems (DHE). Developed in consultation with stakeholders, DHE offers the opportunity to collect data in more effective and efficient ways, utilising where appropriate new technology. This will ensure that we can have confidence in the data on the health of our sites and, most importantly, information on the protection and management actions necessary to deliver healthy ecosystems, thereby maximising the role that protected areas play in halting and reversing biodiversity loss.

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: Answered by Stephen Gethins on 8 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.

Due to delays to the UK Government’s implementation timeline for Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) reform in England and Wales, the former Cabinet Secretary for Housing confirmed to the Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee on 9 March 2026 that, due to the impact of this delay on introducing EPC reform in Scotland, it would not be appropriate to lay the Private Rented Sector (PRS) Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) regulations during that session of Parliament. The delay would impact landlords’ ability to obtain an EPC certificate which accurately reflects the new Heat Retention Rating. This letter can be found: https://www.parliament.scot/-/media/files/committees/local-gov/correspondence/2026/epc-reform-and-energy-efficiency-standards_cab-sec-housing-to-lghp_9-march-2026.pdf

The Scottish Government has now laid the draft Energy Performance of Buildings (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2026 before Parliament, which, if agreed, would see reformed EPCs introduced from April 2028. This new date reflects the UK Government’s revised timeline for EPC reform, to allow time for the roll-out of, and assessor training in, the new Home Energy Model, to be finalised during the second half of 2027. We will confirm the next steps to Parliament as soon as possible on our approach to the PRS MEES regulations.

Question reference: S7W-02452

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Flynn on 4 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the timetable for rolling out the £2 bus fare cap in (a) Stirling, (b) Fife, (c) Perth and (d) Clackmannanshire.

Question reference: S7W-02450

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 3 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide a timeline for when it will review section 40 of the Regulatory Reform (Scotland) Act 2014.

Question reference: S7O-00171

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 August 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has plans to further update planning guidance in relation to the development of hyperscale data centres, following the new data centre planning direction issued on 17 August 2026.

Question reference: S7W-02449

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Flynn on 24 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with ScotRail and relevant UK bodies in relation to the use of under 30s discount railcards on peak time trains?

Question reference: S7W-02451

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 24 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to notify relevant officials and enforcement officers of new vehicle idling guidance for local authorities since its publication in March 2026.