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-37207

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 April 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 13 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to promote the natural regeneration of woodland.

Question reference: S6W-36344

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 24 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will produce a dedicated grassland action plan, similar to those for woodlands and peatlands.

There is no plan at present to produce a grasslands action plan however there are a number of actions within The Scottish Biodiversity Strategy’s Delivery Plan applicable to grasslands.

These actions include, but are not limited to, publishing a Plant Biodiversity Strategy and revision of the Scottish Biodiversity List which currently includes species-rich grasslands as a habitat and specific grassland specialist species among those habitats and species of principal importance. In addition, NatureScot is also mapping the extent of the species-rich grassland resource across Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-37066

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 April 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 6 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many hectares of new native woodland have been created under the new Forestry Grant Scheme in each of the last five years.

Question reference: S6W-37067

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 April 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 6 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many hectares of non-native coniferous forestry have been created in each of the last five years.

Question reference: S6W-36881

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 April 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 13 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many school (a) streets and (b) safety zones there are, and what plans it has to increase these.

Question reference: S6W-36878

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 April 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 13 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the findings and recommendations of the Sustrans report, Children’s Walking and Cycling Index Scotland, what measures it has implemented in relation to planning transport to meet the needs of children and young people, and what plans it has to further develop guidance to ensure that the voices of young people are considered in transport decision making.

Question reference: S6W-36880

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 April 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 13 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many children and young people it anticipates will receive support from its investment in active travel.

Question reference: S6W-36879

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 April 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 13 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to increase the number of children and young people who walk, wheel or cycle to school.

Question reference: S6W-36346

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 15 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how its proposals to amend the legislation on religious observance in schools aligns with the UN (a) Committee on the Rights of the Child's concluding observations regarding the UK and (b) Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).

The proposed changes to religious observance (RO) and religious and moral education (RME) in schools will bring legislation into line with existing RO guidance on taking the child’s views into account when their parent/carer exercises their right to withdraw the child from RO and RME.

The Scottish Government has noted the recommendations from the concluding observations of the periodic reports of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child. We are confident that our proposal to amend the legislation on RO and RME in schools is in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and will strengthen our commitment to upholding children’s rights in all aspects of their lives, including education.

Question reference: S6W-36345

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 15 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish its response to its consultation on religious observance in schools, and by what date it will bring forward draft legislation on this matter.

The Scottish Government have consulted with a wide range of stakeholders on changes to legislation on religious observance (RO) and religious and moral education (RME) in schools, and the public consultation has now closed.

The government will consider all responses to the consultation and publish a consultation analysis report before the end of the academic year.

It remains the Scottish Government’s intention to shortly bring forward a narrowly focussed Bill, with the purpose of amending the current legislation to require that pupils’ views are considered when parents or carers are exercising their right to withdraw their child from RO and RME.