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-01241

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for Fife North East, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 June 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 21 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to launch its proposed Better Surfaces Fund.

Question reference: S7W-01242

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for Fife North East, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 June 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 21 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S7W-00174 by Jenny Gilruth MSP on 5 June 2026, whether it will consider engaging with other local authorities in the UK, including Devon County Council, on the success of any pilots undertaken to tackle road repairs effectively, when determining how the Better Surfaces Fund will operate.

Question reference: S7W-00824

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for Fife North East, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Kirsten Oswald on 16 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the implementation of section 9 of the Children (Scotland) Act 2020 in relation to the creation of a central register of child welfare reporters.

We recognise that the register of child welfare reporters is a key part of the Children (Scotland) Act 2020. It remains a priority and will improve consistency, transparency and quality in how reporters are appointed and deliver their role. To support the delivery of this, we convened a short-life Child Welfare Reporter Working Group to consider what is needed in advance of establishing the new register.

The Child Welfare Reporter Working Group last met on 19 March 2026 to consider a draft implementation plan and Logic Model. The plan is not yet finalised, and a further meeting is expected in autumn 2026.

Subject to approval of the implementation plan, delivery of the register is expected to take up to three years. This will include developing regulations, establishing operational arrangements, and making any necessary changes to court rules. Work is also underway to assess costs and ensure the register is implemented sustainably while delivering its intended improvements.

Question reference: S7W-00823

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for Fife North East, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Kirsten Oswald on 16 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether its working group on child welfare reporters has concluded its work, and whether it has agreed an implementation plan to create a central register of child welfare reporters as set out in the Children (Scotland) Act 2020.

The creation of a national register for child welfare reporters is a priority for the implementation of the Children (Scotland) Act 2020. The register will improve consistency, transparency and quality in how reporters are appointed and carry out their role, helping to support better outcomes for children involved in contact and residence cases.

To support this work, the Child Welfare Reporter Working Group last met on 19 March 2026 to consider a draft implementation plan and supporting Logic Model for the establishment of the register. The plan has not yet been finalised, and we expect the Working Group to meet again in autumn 2026 to consider further.

Once the plans are approved, it is anticipated that it will take up to three years for the new register to become fully operational. Key elements of this work will include developing and laying the necessary regulations, determining the operational model for the management of the register (for example, through contractual arrangements), developing a robust understanding of the costs associated with reports, and identifying any required changes to court rules.

Question reference: S7W-00825

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for Fife North East, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Kirsten Oswald on 16 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the implementation of section 23 of the Children (Scotland) Act 2020 in relation to Alternative Dispute Resolution.

Section 23 of the Children (Scotland) Act 2020 (the 2020 Act) requires Scottish Ministers to make funding available, through legal aid or otherwise, to help individuals cover the costs of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) in family law cases under section 11 of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 or where such cases are likely to arise. This includes disputes about child contact and residence following parental separation and aims to help people resolve issues out of court, where possible.

In line with section 24 of the 2020 Act, our intention is to first set up a pilot of ADR meetings, which will inform the future details of such a funding scheme.

This pilot will not apply to proceedings in which there is a proven or alleged history of abuse, and it will not compel parties to attend an ADR service (it is a basic principle that it is designed as a voluntary process for those involved).Upon conclusion of the pilot, it is likely to take at least another 12 months to put the agreed funding scheme into place.

We have not been in a position to implement these provisions. However, they will be taken forward through a phased approach, alongside other 2020 Act priorities. For both of these ADR provisions, the Scottish Government provides update reports to Parliament on the progress of this work. The latest report is available here Introduction - Children (Scotland) Act 2020 - section 23(1) and section 24(1): fifth report on the Scottish Ministers' duties - gov.scot. We intend to resume production of these reports in the near future.

Question reference: S6W-44113

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 06 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 13 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will establish an equivalent to the UK Government's Places of Worship Renewal Fund in Scotland, in light of the reported closure of the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme, and what assessment it has made of the provision of any Barnett consequential funding that may support doing so.

In light of the UK Government’s decision, the Scottish Government is actively exploring options to ensure that listed places of worship in Scotland are not disproportionately affected by this withdrawal of UK-wide VAT relief.

I asked for clarity about Barnett consequential funding from the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government. She has reviewed movements in the UK Government Department of Culture, Media and Sport’s funding from the UK Spending Review, and this shows negligible changes in capital budgets across the period. On this basis, it appears that existing funding has simply been repurposed from the now scrapped UK-wide scheme.

Question reference: S6W-44114

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 06 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 13 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with (a) the UK Government and (b) religious organisations in Scotland, including the Church of Scotland, regarding (i) the closure of and (ii) a replacement for the UK Government's Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme.

Following the announcement by the UK Government of the closure of the Places of Worship Grant Scheme the Scottish Government has met with representatives of both the UK Government, and the Church of Scotland, regarding the closure of the UK Government’s Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme.

The Scottish Government is actively exploring options to ensure that listed places of worship in Scotland are not disproportionately affected by this withdrawal of UK-wide VAT relief.

Question reference: S6W-44402

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2026
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Neil Gray on 13 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to commitment given by the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care on 27 November 2025, whether it will provide an update on the progress of NHS Tayside’s investigation into the destruction of theatre logbooks, and what further information will be offered on the progress of this process.

I have been advised by NHS Tayside that external investigators AAB began their formal investigation in February 2026, and that they are independently analysing all the documents they have requested to date, with further documentation being identified and new information requested as witness interviews progress and additional evidence is heard.

The agreed scope of the investigation is to:

Review NHS Tayside’s systems, processes, actions and governance arrangements in response to the Do Not Destroy notice
Examine NHS Tayside’s internal investigation to assess whether the Health Board has a full and accurate understanding of how the destruction occurred
Identify any systemic or procedural weaknesses that contributed to the incident
Provide recommendations to strengthen controls and prevent recurrence.

NHS Tayside has indicated it expects to receive its final investigation report and recommendations during the first week in April. The report will then be considered by NHS Tayside’s board and next steps agreed. The First Minister has written to the Chief Executive of NHS Tayside to ask that she keep former patients updated with any developments in the weeks ahead.

Question reference: S6W-43867

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 February 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 3 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the work being carried out to simplify the application process of the Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan Scheme, in light of its commitment in its 2025-26 Programme for Government.

The wide range of improvements delivered for the Home Energy Scotland (HES) Grant and Loan scheme include introduction of a digital customer claim verification process, simplified documentation requirements, language and layout updates to the application portal, as well as improved guidance and named caseworker support for applicants. We have also developed guidance tailored for installers.

These changes have improved the customer journey, with customer satisfaction scores rising to consistently above 90%. I attended a roundtable with installers and manufacturers in the clean heat sector at the Energy Training Academy in February to gather further feedback, and we remain committed to making further improvements.

Question reference: S6W-43868

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 February 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 3 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-38780 by Mairi McAllan on 11 July 2025, by what date it will publish data relating to the average application and claim processing timescales for the Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan Scheme.