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: S6O-05332

Asked by: Colin Beattie, MSP for Midlothian North and Musselburgh, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 December 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what discussions it has had with the UK Government in relation to Crown immunity and the Scottish Prison Service.

Question reference: S6O-05307

Asked by: Colin Beattie, MSP for Midlothian North and Musselburgh, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 December 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what support it offers to community organisations that are seeking to take forward regeneration projects.

Question reference: S6O-05210

Asked by: Colin Beattie, MSP for Midlothian North and Musselburgh, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 November 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide further details of the progress on the A720 Sheriffhall roundabout project.

Question reference: S6W-39900

Asked by: Colin Beattie, MSP for Midlothian North and Musselburgh, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 25 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 9 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to extend or replace the Place Based Investment Programme as it enters its final year.

The Place Based Investment Programme (PBIP) was established in 2021 as a five year commitment from 2021 to 2026 to support Local Government in delivering long term ambitions for place, town centre revitalisation, 20 minute neighbourhoods, community led regeneration and community wealth building.

The Scottish Government is currently progressing a Spending Review and, as part of this, we will consider future budget implications from 2026-2027 and how our regeneration capital programmes may be best delivered to achieve greatest impact.

Question reference: S6W-39034

Asked by: Colin Beattie, MSP for Midlothian North and Musselburgh, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 June 2025
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Tom Arthur on 27 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any progress that it has made with its commitment to consider the adoption of the definition of deafblindness in Scotland, in light of International Deafblind Awareness Week 2025.

The Scottish Government recognises the distinct challenges faced by the deafblind community and we want to ensure that those living with deafblindness in Scotland are able to access the best possible care and support.

We intend to take forward work to adopt the Nordic definition of deafblindness as a functional model in Scotland to help ensure individuals receive the recognition and support they need.

We appreciate the hard work undertaken by Deafblind Scotland, the CPG on Deafness and the CPG on Visual Impairment to raise awareness of the definition and progress towards its adoption in Scotland. We will work closely with them on the next steps to implement this definition.

Question reference: S6O-04854

Asked by: Colin Beattie, MSP for Midlothian North and Musselburgh, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 June 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the aim under action 20 of the Housing to 2040 strategy to streamline and accelerate the adaptations system.

Question reference: S6O-04760

Asked by: Colin Beattie, MSP for Midlothian North and Musselburgh, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 May 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the progress of the A720 Sheriffhall roundabout project.

Question reference: S6O-04682

Asked by: Colin Beattie, MSP for Midlothian North and Musselburgh, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 May 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding its decisions on local authority budget allocations, what discussions it has had with Midlothian and East Lothian councils regarding any impact on their budgets as a result of providing support in schools for additional support needs.

Question reference: S6W-36295

Asked by: Colin Beattie, MSP for Midlothian North and Musselburgh, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 22 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that the outcome of the Project Willow study will benefit industry and workers in Scotland.

As you know, Project Willow has identified nine alternative projects that could be developed at Grangemouth including plastics recycling, bio-refining, sustainable aviation fuel and low carbon hydrogen production, demonstrating that a long term, new industrial future at Grangemouth is achievable if the public and private sector work together in the coming months to deliver.

If all nine potential projects identified in the base case were taken forward, Project Willow could create up to 800 jobs by 2040 and contribute £600-£700m in Gross Value Added, demonstrating the transformative impact Project Willow could bring to Grangemouth.

I am committed to realising as many of these opportunities as possible which is why Scottish Enterprise and the UK Office for Investment have established an Investor Taskforce to identify and attract investors with an interest in progressing the Project Willow proposals. Protecting and promoting the interests of the workers, businesses and wider Grangemouth community, remains this Government’s absolute priority.

Question reference: S6W-36296

Asked by: Colin Beattie, MSP for Midlothian North and Musselburgh, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 22 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that workers in Scotland will benefit from a domestic sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) industry in the long term.

The Scottish Government is carefully considering the recommendations of Project Willow, which shortlisted nine potential viable alternatives for the Grangemouth refinery site including two projects aligned to the production of SAF, demonstrating that a long term, new industrial future is achievable there. We continue to work closely with Scottish Enterprise, UK Office for Investment and the UK Government to realise these opportunities. Our enterprise agency, Scottish Enterprise, stands ready to support inward investors looking to progress any of these potential projects.

Ministers have previously sought assurances from the UK Government that all efforts are being made to secure for Scotland a share of the jobs and economic benefits that SAF could provide. We are pleased that the UK Government will now introduce a revenue certainty mechanism bill, which should encourage SAF production.