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-41605

Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 November 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 18 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the recent £176,000 fine issued to ExxonMobil following its flaring emission breach guilty plea, and in light of reports that the many years of flaring have had a devastating impact on the physical and mental health of local residents, what assurances it can give that the funds from this fine will be directed to support residents rather than being absorbed into the Scottish Government’s budget.

Question reference: S6W-41606

Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 31 October 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 14 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that the number of people waiting for a social care assessment has risen by 32% in a year, that Age UK Scotland has stated that the government is “simply ignoring the collapse of social care in Scotland”, and that the National Care Service Advisory Board has spent £16,000 on hosting three meetings, what action it will take to respond to this reported crisis.

Question reference: S6W-40968

Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 24 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27536 by Tom Arthur on 28 May 2024, what information it has regarding how many applications have been made in each of the last five years by (a) Scottish Power Distribution Ltd and (b) other utility companies for necessary wayleaves in Scotland, and how many have been granted.

Details are as follows regarding applications from Scottish Power for necessary wayleaves in the last five years:

Year	2021	2022	2023	2024	2025
Necessary wayleave applications	25	4	3	4	1
Necessary wayleaves granted	9	3	1	1	0

Details are as follows regarding applications from other utility companies for necessary wayleaves, in this case Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN), in the last five years:

Year	2021	2022	2023	2024	2025
Necessary wayleave applications	7	70	53	9	29
Necessary wayleaves granted	2	9	13	2	0

Question reference: S6W-40969

Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 24 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27536 by Tom Arthur on 28 May 2024, what information it has regarding how many landowners with a voluntary wayleave in place in Scotland in each of the last five years have issued the utility company with a notice to remove, also broken down by how many notices were complied with.

Details are as follows regarding how many notices to remove have been issued by landowners with a voluntary wayleave in place in the last five years:

Year	2021	2022	2023	2024	2025
Notices to remove issued	7	12	13	4	9

Regarding compliance with notices to remove, it is common for landowners to withdraw their notice to remove if a voluntary agreement is made between them and the license holder. If a voluntary agreement is not possible, the Scottish Government expects license holders to follow the necessary wayleave guidance to ensure access to that land for the purposes of inspecting, maintaining, repairing, adjusting, altering, replacing or removing the electric line or equipment: Electricity - necessary wayleaves: guidance for applicants, landowners and occupiers – 2022 update - gov.scot.

Details are as follows regarding necessary wayleave applications after a notice to remove has been issued:

Year	2021	2022	2023	2024	2025
Necessary wayleaves granted	3	8	3	1	0

Question reference: S6W-40506

Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 15 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 24 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what urgent action is planned to respond to the waiting times for neurodiversity assessments in the NHS Forth Valley area.

I recognise that the significant increase in adults seeking ADHD and autism assessments across Scotland is creating challenges for services, while also acknowledging that a diagnosis can be important to people.

The Scottish Government is aware of a range of issues affecting the availability of adult neurodevelopmental assessments in the NHS Forth Valley area and that as a result NHS Forth valley is reviewing their approach. I expect this to be resolved at the earliest opportunity.

Officials continue to work with NHS Boards, including Forth Valley, and local Health and Social Care Partnerships (HSCPs) to improve services and support for neurodivergent people.

Earlier this year, officials wrote to all health boards, including Forth Valley, to seek clarification on what neurodevelopmental assessment and support they currently have in place for adults. We are currently reviewing responses received. Understanding current provision across Scotland will provide a starting point for improvement and underpin work going forward to develop a national approach.

Question reference: S6T-02674

Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 22 September 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that more than 1,000 Scottish charities are closing every year.

Question reference: S6O-04976

Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 September 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of whether its current above-inflation public sector pay deals have appropriate contingencies in place, in light of the recent rise in the Consumer Price Index and reported concerns regarding inflation.

Question reference: S6W-40370

Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 17 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported proposed closure of the Alloa campus of Forth Valley College in 2026, and reported concerns regarding skills shortages and a 17% real-terms reduction to college funding, what action it will take to secure the future of the campus, in order to retain its students and maintain the provision of skills education in the area.

As colleges operate independently of Government, it is for them to decide on operational matters such as their campus footprint, taking into account the needs of the people, region and communities they serve.

The Scottish Funding Council (SFC) continuously monitors the college sector to ensure sustainable and coherent provision, engaging with institutions as needed. As such, the SFC has been engaging intensively with Forth Valley College for a number of months regarding the Alloa campus and they are working together at pace to resolve the issue and support the College’s financial sustainability.

In recognition of the vital role colleges play in communities across Scotland, all colleges received a 4.9% increase to support college maintenance in 2025-26, and Forth Valley College received a 2.3% uplift to the College's resource allocation.

The Scottish Government is working collaboratively with the SFC and Colleges Scotland through the Tripartite Alignment Group to identify and implement flexibilities to support colleges. To date, the Group has created the conditions to improve the financial sustainability of the sector with the introduction of the SFC’s College Transformation Framework, and the new asset disposals process; and is supporting colleges to maximise commercial income.

Question reference: S6W-40338

Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 16 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a support scheme for businesses to manage, or move on, unsold stock before disposal becomes restricted under the Circular Economy (Scotland) Act 2024, to support and accelerate economic growth across the circular fashion and sustainable textiles sectors.

The Circular Economy (Scotland) Act 2024 states that Scottish Ministers may, by regulations, make provision prohibiting or restricting the disposal of unsold consumer goods if they consider it appropriate to do. The policy design will be informed by evidence and stakeholder engagement, and any measures will include an implementation period to allow businesses to prepare. Textile products will be a key focus of our product stewardship plan, and the sector will be considered in our forthcoming Circular Economy Strategy.

Question reference: S6O-04932

Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 September 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure freedom of expression is respected at cultural venues.