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: S6W-43704

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 February 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 26 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on solar PV installations between 2021 and 2025 and its rate of deployment, and whether it plans to publish this information.

Data on the number of solar PV installations is available from the “Energy Trends” publication, produced by the UK Government Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, as reported in the tables on the number of renewable electricity generating sites by region and technology.

According to the latest data, the total number of solar PV installations in Scotland has increased from 89,639 at the end of 2020 to 187,580 at the end of 2024. This is equivalent to a total of 97,941 installations across this period, and an average number of installations of 24,485 per year.

Data for 2025 will be made available in September 2026.

Question reference: S6W-43702

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 February 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 20 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason a reference to the draft Solar Vision is not included in the Energy Supply annex of the Draft Climate Change Plan.

The Scottish Government recognises the important role that solar energy plays in contributing to the decarbonisation of Scotland’s energy system and supporting a just transition to net zero. Solar generation, alongside other forms of renewable energy, will continue to contribute meaningfully to Scotland’s future energy mix.

Since the publication of our draft solar vision there have been several policy developments at a UK level that require careful consideration. These include the UK Government’s Clean Power 2030 Action Plan and Warm Homes Plan, as well as the creation of the National Energy System Operator and associated reforms to grid connections.

In addition, the Scottish Government has co-commissioned the Strategic Spatial Energy Plan, which will provide an updated assessment of Scotland’s future energy system needs including for solar. This is due for publication in 2027.

Question reference: S6W-43703

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 February 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 20 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to continue supporting solar energy in Scotland, and what specific measures it proposes to support its deployment.

The Scottish Government continues to support solar deployment through our Heat in Buildings Programme, with targeted solar PV assistance for households in or at risk of fuel poverty delivered via Warmer Homes Scotland and Area Based Schemes.

Households can also access loan funding of up to £5,000 for solar thermal technology.

We will consider all relevant evidence when making decisions about how best to support solar deployment in Scotland, and we keep emerging research and analysis under review. We currently have no plans to publish additional analysis at this time, but our policy development will continue to be informed by up-to-date, robust, and proportionate evidence.

Question reference: S6W-43705

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 February 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 20 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on the extent of land required to deliver 3.5GW of solar farms and meet its 2030 solar deployment ambition, expressed as a percentage of Scotland’s land area, and whether it will publish any such information.

Question reference: S6W-43706

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 February 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 20 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to publish any information it holds regarding the biodiversity benefits of solar farms.

Question reference: S6W-43708

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 February 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 26 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to publish any information it holds regarding the dual use of land for solar farms and food production.

Question reference: S6W-43707

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 February 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 26 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to publish any information it holds regarding the benefits to the rural economy and farming enterprises of diversification into solar farms.

Question reference: S6W-43513

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 02 February 2026
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 6 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-42757 by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 15 January 2026, for what reason the Pension Age Winter Heating Payment is not made in advance of, or at the outset of, winter.

Management Information published on 4 February shows that 99% of payments issued (to 24 January) were made in December, consistent with Winter Fuel Payment timings. Work continues to complete final payments.

The Pension Age Winter Heating Payment cannot be issued until client eligibility is confirmed after the qualifying week, which is the third full week of September. This aligns with the qualifying week for the UK Government’s Winter Fuel Payment, ensuring administrative consistency and allowing Social Security Scotland sufficient time to process client data before automatic payments begin in November.

Once eligibility is verified, payments are issued from November and continue throughout winter until the end of February. This timetable ensures accurate assessments and aligns with the Department for Work and Pensions’ established Winter Fuel Payment timetable.

Question reference: S6W-42672

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 December 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 5 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-37444 by Ivan McKee on 10 September 2025, how many meetings its ministers and officials have held with organisations listed on the UN database of businesses involved in activities related to the Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, in the period since motion S6M-18686 was passed by the Parliament on 3 September 2025.

A cross-government exercise to seek information on any meetings with the 158 businesses listed identified a small number of meetings at official level with representatives of Airbnb and Booking.com. These meetings were focussed on matters of domestic policy, including the development of guidance, licence requirements and the Visitor Levy.

No ministerial meetings were identified as part of this exercise.

Question reference: S6W-40837

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 06 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 5 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what changes it plans to make to the (a) Scottish Procurement Policy Manual and (b) Scottish Procurement Policy Handbook, in light of motion S6M-18686 as amended on 3 September 2025 calling for it to "immediately impose a package of boycotts, divestment and sanctions targeted at the State of Israel and at companies complicit in its military operations and its occupation of Palestine".

The Scottish Procurement Policy Handbook is aimed at public bodies across Scotland, while the Scottish Procurement Policy Manual relates specifically to Scottish Government procurement activity. Both are intended to be live documents which flag key policy considerations, and signpost readers to sources of more detailed guidance, such as that contained in Scottish Procurement Policy Notes.

It is the long-standing view of the Scottish Government that the exploitation of assets in illegally occupied territory is likely to constitute grave professional misconduct for the purposes of procurement law. Scottish Procurement Policy Note 3/2026 was published on 5 February 2026 and sets out the options available to public sector buyers in relation to bidders which are engaged in grave professional misconduct, including human rights violations. It can be found on the Scottish Government website, at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/public-procurement-human-rights-and-grave-professional-misconduct-sppn-3-2026/