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-02321

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Gethins on 24 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to its working paper on refreshing the Good Practice Principles for Community Benefits from Onshore Renewable Energy, published on 18 February 2026, when it expects the recommended community benefit fund level for solar developments to take effect.

The recommended community benefit fund level for solar developments will be set out in the refreshed Good Practice Principles for Community Benefits from Onshore Renewable Energy Developments. Decisions on implementation arrangements, including when any revised recommended fund levels should take effect, are subject to Ministerial approval.

The Good Practice Principles are non-statutory guidance and the recommended community benefit fund levels are voluntary. The Scottish Government continues to call on the UK Government to use its reserved powers to mandate community benefits for mature onshore renewable energy technologies.

Question reference: S7W-02320

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Gethins on 24 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish updated Good Practice Principles for Community Benefits from Onshore Renewable Energy Developments.

Officials are currently considering evidence gathered through the 2025 public consultation on the Good Practice Principles for Community Benefits from Onshore Renewable Energy Developments and the subsequent stakeholder engagement undertaken in spring 2026 on the Working Paper: Onshore renewable energy - refreshing the good practice principles for community benefits: working paper - gov.scot. Subject to the completion of this work, the Scottish Government plans to publish the refreshed onshore Good Practice Principles before the end of 2026.

Question reference: S7W-02587

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S7W-02586

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S7W-01941

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 19 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to introduce an equivalent to the UK Government's Places of Worship Renewal Fund for England.

The Scottish Government welcomes the Scotland's Places of Worship Fund announcement by Historic Environment Scotland (HES) on 18 August 2026. This new pilot scheme for 2026-27 will provide up to £1 million to help eligible listed places of worship across Scotland recover VAT costs associated with repair and conservation works.

The Fund has been developed in direct response to the closure of the UK-wide Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme and is expected to open for applications in autumn 2026.

The Scottish Government and HES have worked closely to explore options to ensure that Scotland's listed places of worship are not disproportionately affected by the withdrawal of the UK-wide scheme. This pilot scheme will help assess demand and gather evidence to inform consideration of future arrangements.

Listed places of worship may also continue to access support through HES's wider grant programmes, details of which can be found on the HES website.

Question reference: S7W-01943

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 19 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-43897 by Angus Robertson on 4 March 2026, how it is progressing work to ensure that listed places of worship in Scotland are not disproportionately affected by the end of the UK-wide Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme.

Question reference: S7W-01858

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Hannah Mary Goodlad on 18 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it maintains, or plans to create, a list of the number, location and size of all current and proposed data centres in Scotland, and whether this is available to the public.

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.

Planning applications for data centres are a matter for the relevant local authority in the first instance. Planning applications and supporting documentation are available to view on the relevant local authority web pages.

Question reference: S7W-01942

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 18 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S7W-01102 by Ben Macpherson on 13 July 2026, what oversight it has of colleges' compliance with relevant health and safety legislation and guidance issued by the Health and Safety Executive.

Responsibility for regulation and enforcement of health and safety requirements rests with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) while the Scottish Funding Council retain oversight of the college sector on key issues of accountability and compliance. The Scottish Government engages regularly with the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) on their oversight. The SFC expects colleges to comply with their legal obligations and seeks assurance on this through its ongoing monitoring, and engagement with institutions.

As a result of the measures established by the SFC, the Scottish Government remains assured that appropriate governance and compliance arrangements are in place across the sector.

Question reference: S7W-01865

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 17 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to increase the level of school clothing grant for primary and secondary pupils.

Question reference: S7W-01854

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 17 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of whether the current school clothing grant is sufficient to cover the cost of school uniforms for primary and secondary school pupils.

The national minimum amounts for School Clothing Grant were agreed with local government. Local authorities are responsible for administering the School Clothing Grant, including setting eligibility criteria, and have the flexibility to pay families more than the national minimum. The Scottish Government is providing increased funding of £14.6m in 2026/27 financial year to support local authorities to maintain the School Clothing Grant. We have committed to uprating funding in line with inflation during this Parliament.

Our 2024 national guidance on school uniform and clothing makes clear that schools should consider their uniform policies in the context of the national minimum School Clothing Grant and design those policies on the basis that families can purchase all items needed for the school year within that budget. The guidance was developed in collaboration with key stakeholders and informed by a range of evidence and stakeholder engagement, including consultation with pupils, parents and carers.