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-39532

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 July 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 19 August 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when it anticipates that it will be able to bring forward anchor funding for The Art Works project in Granton.

The Scottish Government remains committed to The Art Works project in Granton. Discussions are ongoing between the Scottish Government, NGS and the wider collections sector to ensure the project delivers the best value for money from any further Scottish Government investment.

The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government has confirmed that the next multi-year Scottish Spending Review and infrastructure pipeline will be published alongside the 2026-27 Budget. The Scottish Government remains committed to infrastructure investment as a key lever in securing economic growth, tackling the climate crisis, and delivering high-quality public infrastructure across Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-39435

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 July 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 14 August 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has issued any policy or guidance to (a) publicly owned companies and (b) ScotRail regarding the outsourcing of functions.

Question reference: S6W-39507

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 July 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 13 August 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-38909 by Jenny Gilruth on 22 July 2025, whether it will provide the information that was requested and confirm whether any additional Barnett consequential funding is available as a result of the UK Government’s reported additional investment for dealing with reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) in English schools.

We are not able to determine the detail of any consequential impact of the UK Government’s announcements on additional investment in relation to RAAC. These commitments form part of the UK Government’s decisions on departmental allocations at phase 1 and phase 2 of the UK Spending Review, which covers funding for 2025-26 onwards. At Spending Reviews, the Scottish Government receives additional Barnett funding for the net changes in departmental totals only, rather than being provided with a programme level breakdown.

However, through the £2bn Learning Estate Investment Programme, the Scottish Government will provide local authorities with significant funding support to replace 6 schools which contain RAAC.

Question reference: S6W-39434

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 July 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 11 August 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether its ministers are involved in ScotRail's decision-making regarding the reported intention to outsource its complaints handling service.

Question reference: S6W-39821

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 August 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 4 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what the timescale is for the completion of the work by the Scottish Law Commission regarding tenement law reform; in the event that it is not achieved before May 2026, how early in the next parliamentary session it expects to be in a position to introduce legislation resulting from this, and whether the reforms will include consideration of mandatory block insurance.

Question reference: S6W-37444

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 28 July 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 25 August 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its 2014 public procurement policy note regarding illegal settlements, what action it has taken to prevent public funds being used for activities related to illegal Israeli settlements.

Question reference: S6W-39433

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 July 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 25 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether publicly owned companies should operate a presumption against outsourcing of business functions that are capable of being undertaken in-house.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring publicly owned companies deliver services that are high-quality, provide best value, support fair work and contribute to inclusive economic growth. This includes an expectation in favour of in-house delivery where functions can be undertaken effectively within the organisation and where this is demonstrably in the public interest.

However, any decision whether to outsource or utilise in-house functions is for individual, publicly owned companies to make in line with their legal duties, operational requirements and a full assessment of any impacts, including quality of service, value for money and public benefits before such a decision to outsource is made.

Question reference: S6W-38909

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 23 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 22 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether any additional Barnett consequential funding is available as a result of the UK Government’s reported additional investment for dealing with reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) in English schools, and whether it has profiled any capital spend for dealing with RAAC in school estates in Scotland.

Although it is the statutory duty of all local authorities to manage and maintain their schools, the Scottish Government continue to provide them with significant funding towards improving the school estate. For example, the £2bn Learning Estate Investment Programme (LEIP) is being delivered in partnership with local authorities and will benefit tens of thousands of pupils across Scotland.

Schools that still have reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) are taking appropriate measures to manage it and have longer term plans to address it. Furthermore, through the LEIP, the Scottish Government will provide funding support to replace a number of schools which contain RAAC.

The proportion of schools in “good” or “satisfactory” condition has increased from 62.7% in April 2007 to 91.7 % in April 2024, and our investment through the LEIP will build on this remarkable progress.

Question reference: S6W-38893

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 23 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 21 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) Freelance and Forgotten report will be considered by the (a) Culture Fair Work Taskforce when making its recommendations and (b) Scottish Ministers when considering the taskforce’s recommendations.

The Culture Fair Work Task Force is independent of the Scottish Government and it is not for Scottish Ministers to influence the work of the independent Chair or the Task Force. However Officials have already circulated the STUC "Freelance and Forgotten" report, together with other relevant material which may prove useful.

Ministers will examine the STUC report, together with a wide range of relevant material, when considering the Task Force's recommendations for a sectoral Culture Fair Work Agreement to further implement Fair Work in Scotland’s creative industries.

Question reference: S6W-38892

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 20 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 21 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when the Culture Fair Work Taskforce is expected to publish its recommendations.