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-02659

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 24 August 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 22 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made in securing a new operator for the Dundee Airport to London Heathrow route operating under the public service obligation.

Question reference: S7W-02637

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 24 August 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 22 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-42836 by Kate Forbes on 20 January 2026, when it plans to publish the business and regulatory impact assessment in relation to its defence sector support policy, which was updated on 3 September 2025, and whether that assessment will include information on the number of companies affected and any impact on investor confidence.

Question reference: S7W-01845

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Hannah Mary Goodlad on 18 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it, the Energy Consents Unit or the National Planning Hub holds data on the cumulative electricity and water demand of all data centre proposals currently in the planning system, and if not, what its position is on commissioning such data before further determinations in relation to these proposals are made.

The Scottish Government is aware of proposed data centre developments and is communicating with developers to understand the effect across the country. We are regularly engaged with Scottish Water and the National Energy System Operator (NESO) to understand the potential effect on existing infrastructure.

This matter is under active consideration by the Scottish Government, and Parliament will be kept informed of the outcomes of those considerations – including the potential for planning guidance – in due course.

Question reference: S7W-01844

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Hannah Mary Goodlad on 18 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government by what date it will publish guidance on the factors that define a green data centre, and whether, pending publication of that guidance, it will invite planning authorities to defer determining applications for hyperscale data centres.

Question reference: S7W-01960

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 18 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it provides to local authorities and the General Teaching Council for Scotland on balancing teachers' responsibilities to demonstrate political impartiality in schools with their rights to hold and express protected religious beliefs under the Equality Act 2010, and what action it is taking to ensure that individuals working in the education sector are protected from discrimination on the grounds of religion or belief.

It is the General Teaching Council for Scotland’s responsibility as the independent professional registration and regulatory body for teachers in Scotland, to ensure teaching standards are upheld. GTCS, local authorities and professional associations, operate with appropriate independence, which the Scottish Government respects. This autonomy is an important feature of a balanced and credible system. It sits alongside clear responsibilities under the Public Sector Equality Duty, which requires public authorities to exercise their functions in a way that advances equality, eliminates discrimination and fosters good relations between communities.

Question reference: S7W-01843

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Gethins on 17 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the implications for Scotland, including for the period after Torness closes in 2030, of the electricity grid frequency event of 23 June 2026 and the subsequent matters raised in the letter by the Shadow Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero to the National Energy System Operator (NESO) of 10 July 2026.

Responsibility for assessing grid stability, system inertia and generational adequacy rests with the UK Government and the National Energy System Operator (NESO), as electricity security of supply is a reserved matter.

On Monday 13 July, NESO announced an independent investigation by law firm Eversheds Sutherland International into the specific whistleblowing allegations that have been raised. The investigation will examine operational decision making and record-keeping.

Ofgem are the independent regulators and have committed to overseeing this investigation. An independent panel will ensure that all NESO staff who feel they have relevant information will be able to speak directly to Eversheds completely anonymously, and the investigation team will also be allowed to speak to whomever they wish, anonymously.

It would not be appropriate to comment until that investigation has concluded.

Question reference: S7W-01846

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Gethins on 13 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact on household and business electricity bills in Scotland of transmission network charges forecast by the National Energy System Operator (NESO) to rise from £2.8 billion in 2020-21 to £13.6 billion in 2030-31, and of Ofgem's early funding decisions indicating substantial cost increases for transmission projects in Scotland, including the Denny to Wishaw and Tealing to Kincardine projects.

The current transmission charging regime is a significant barrier to investment in Scotland’s renewable energy industry, with key projects such as the West of Orkney Wind Farm having stalled due to the impact of high and volatile charges.

It is clear that the current system is not fit for purpose, and unfairly penalises Scottish generators, resulting in higher bills for businesses and consumers. The UK Government and Ofgem must urgently deliver long-term reform ,along side short and medium term measures to address the impact of unfair charges now.

Reforms must also recognise the critical role of Scotland’s renewable energy resources in delivering Clean Power 2030 and net zero ambition, ensuring that transmission charging supports, rather than hinders, the investment needed to deliver the energy transition.

Question reference: S7W-01847

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Gethins on 13 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of whether Scotland’s construction and engineering workforce has the capacity to deliver simultaneously the consented onshore wind pipeline, the electricity transmission network expansion, which the National Energy System Operator (NESO) has reportedly said must proceed at more than four times the rate of the last decade, and proposed hyperscale data centres, and what role its skills agencies will play in meeting any workforce requirements.

The Scottish Government recognises the workforce and skills implications of delivering across these sectors and is working to ensure the skills system can respond.

The consented onshore wind pipeline presents a significant opportunity for Scotland’s economy, as does the transmission infrastructure needed to unlock the full benefit of the clean, affordable and secure power that Scotland can generate from its own resources.

Delivery of the pipeline and investment by Scotland’s Transmission Owners will support thousands of skilled jobs in construction, engineering and the wider supply chain. The Scottish Government is supporting this through the skills system and working with industry, developers and our skills agencies to ensure that communities across Scotland benefit from these opportunities.

In respect of data centres, we continue to take steps to understand the impact on Scotland’s construction supply chain. This includes working with wider public sector to understand what research may be required to fully account for the current projects in the planning system.

The Scottish Government has also introduced a Scottish Government-led skills planning model, being developed in partnership with stakeholders, to ensure the post school education and skills system becomes more responsive to Scotland’s strategic skills priorities.

Question reference: S7W-01916

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 3 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of recent large fires, including at a recycling centre in the Perth Harbour area, what action it is taking to give the Scottish Fire and Rescue the resources that it needs to deal with the modern causes of such incidents, such as lithium batteries from electronic vapes.

The Scottish Government recognises the vital role the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) plays in keeping communities safe. The 2026-27 budget provides an additional £23.8 million from the previous year, taking total funding to £436 million, demonstrating our continued support for SFRS to deliver the high standard of services required to keep Scotland safe.

The operational response and procedures relating to any fire is a matter for SFRS however, they have provided reassurances that all necessary training is provided to staff, to ensure they appropriately manage any incident, including those at waste recycling centres.

SFRS has set up a New and Emerging Risks Group that will consider, amongst other matters, lithium-ion batteries. The lithium-ion sub-group is made up of multiple internal and external partners (including Scottish Government officials) to identify any issues or concerns rising from this technology.

Question reference: S7W-01149

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Hannah Mary Goodlad on 2 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to introduce a national strategy plan for the location of AI data centres or allow local authorities to determine this on an individual basis.

Decisions on the location of such developments are currently taken through Scotland’s plan-led planning system. This includes the National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4), which sets out national planning policies and priorities, alongside local development plans prepared by planning authorities. Together, these ensure that proposals are assessed in a consistent manner. Ministers are considering whether additional strategic coordination is required to support future investment, manage cumulative impacts on infrastructure, resources and communities. In a response to Martyn Day MSP on Thursday 25 June, I advised that the Scottish Government is urgently considering whether more formal guidance is required to help local planning authorities. In a response to Gillian MacKay MSP on Thursday 25 June, the First Minister set out that he is giving active consideration to whether the Scottish Government should provide planning guidance to balance the rapid expansion of hyperscale data centres with national energy and climate goals, which are vital to our future prosperity.