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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

Filter your results Hide all filters

Displaying 3246 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S6W-20319

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 25 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to questions S6W-16562 and S6W-18739 by Maree Todd on 21 April 2023 and 19 June 2023, whether it plans to establish a swimming pool fund, and, if so, what specific actions it has taken in relation to such a fund.

The Scottish Government places great importance on sport and leisure facilities, they are vital in supporting the physical and mental health of the nation.

sport scotland, our national agency for sport, is working with Scottish Swimming to undertake a review of the facilities estate. This will improve the understanding of the current swimming pool facilities provision and help to predict the landscape in the short, medium and long term to ensure the sustainability of these important facilities. This review will contribute to a better understanding of how we can best support facilities in Scotland.

In the interim, it is vital that all partners at a local level work together to explore all avenues and approaches, to ensure that local clubs and communities have access to sport and leisure facilities.

Question reference: S6W-20320

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 31 July 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 25 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-19639 by Maree Todd on 17 July 2023, when the adult support and protection minimum dataset that is currently being developed by The Institute for Research and Innovation in Social Services will be delivered.

Question reference: S6W-20293

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 28 July 2023
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 25 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government by what date it expects that all listed buildings in Scotland will have been retrofitted with energy efficiency improvements.

The Heat in Buildings Strategy published in October 2021 set out a pathway to achieve zero emissions from all buildings in Scotland by 2045. As part of a phased approach, our ambition is to see domestic buildings meeting energy efficiency standards of equivalent to Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) band C by 2033, where this is technically feasible and cost effective. We are currently consulting on reform of EPC design to support our emissions reduction aim. Scotland’s non-domestic buildings are hugely diverse, we are working with partners such as Local Energy Scotland to ensure that each non-domestic building has the advice and support required to lower their energy demands and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.

We recognise that approaches to regulating energy efficiency standards of Scotland’s listed buildings must be balanced with respecting and preserving the special characteristics of those buildings and places.

We also recognise it may be more challenging for some homes and buildings to meet the energy efficiency standards than for others. We are working with stakeholders, including Historic Environment Scotland, to consider our approach to buildings which are listed or in conservation areas.

There may be circumstances in which the scale and range of measures possible may vary from the standard required. These circumstances include, but are not limited to, the method of construction, cost of measures required, the measures having an unacceptable negative impact on the fabric or structure, or the need for, but lack of, third party permissions.

Question reference: S6W-20493

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 25 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to assist local authorities in installing (a) solar panels on local authority buildings and (b) electric vehicle charging points in local authority parking facilities.

(a)The Scottish Government supports the installation of solar panels on public sector buildings through the Scottish Green Public Sector Estate Decarbonisation scheme which provides several funding routes for public sector organisations to decarbonise their buildings.

(b) The Scottish Government has invested over £65m in the ChargePlace Scotland network that provides over 2,500 public charge points, many of which are located in local authority parking facilities. Through the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Fund, Transport Scotland is supporting Scotland’s local authorities to work together to establish and deliver electric vehicle charging strategies and infrastructure expansion plans.

Question reference: S6W-20833

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S6W-20296

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 28 July 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 23 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it last discussed the issue of establishing new Gaelic-medium schools with (a) COSLA and (b) local authorities.

The establishment of new Gaelic medium schools is a matter for local authorities and the Scottish Government will seek to provide support where possible. Officials from the Gaelic and Scots team discussed these matters with COSLA in a meeting in June 2022 and there were further exchanges in September 2022. The establishment of new Gaelic medium schools or Gaelic medium units in schools features regularly in discussion with local authorities and in particular the Gaelic and Scots team has discussed these matters recently with the following local authorities; Glasgow, Edinburgh, Highland, Argyll and Bute, Inverclyde, East Renfrewshire, Renfrewshire and North Lanarkshire.

Question reference: S6W-20260

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 July 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 23 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it last discussed expanding access to environmental health courses accredited by the Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland with tertiary education providers.

Question reference: S6W-20255

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 July 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 23 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding whether it plans to introduce amendments to the Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill to address the Scottish Government’s concerns as set out in its Legislative Consent Memorandum (LCM-S6-23) that provisions in the Bill could potentially allow the UK Government to legislate on devolved matters without the consent of the Scottish Ministers.

Scottish Ministers have been clear that it is for the Scottish Government, accountable to the Scottish Parliament, and not the UK Government to decide how policies in devolved areas are developed and delivered in Scotland, including allocation of funding, in line with the devolved settlement. Scottish Government and UK Government Ministers and officials have had extensive engagement on the Levelling-Up and Regeneration Bill and further detailed engagement around the Bill is ongoing.

Question reference: S6W-20256

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 July 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 23 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions its ministers have had with their counterparts in Wales and Northern Ireland regarding amendments to any provisions in the Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill that could potentially allow the UK Government to legislate on devolved matters without the consent of the relevant devolved administration.

Question reference: S6W-20297

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 28 July 2023
Current Status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 22 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide an update on the establishment of a Scottish Government office in Warsaw.