Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-41417

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 17 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what representations it has made to the UK Government regarding the release of reserve funds to pension scheme members of the British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme.

Question reference: S6W-41518

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 7 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-40884 by Angela Constance on 17 October 2025, how much funding in total has been provided to any restorative justice test cases that have been conducted in the last 18 months.

Question reference: S6W-41469

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 7 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding funding programmes managed by Creative Scotland, including those where the finance is provided by the National Lottery, how many applications in total have been submitted for South Asian productions in (a) each of the last three full financial years and (b) 2025-26 to date, and how many of these have been (i) successful and (ii) unsuccessful in receiving funding.

A ‘South Asian production’ is a broad term which could span various languages, countries, art forms, and cultural contexts.

Generally the region is defined to include: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.

Regarding organisations and individuals that specifically described their project as ‘South Asian’ or referred to one of the countries that form South Asia, Creative Scotland has received a total of 131 funding applications since 2022-23 to date. 59 applications were successful in receiving funding, 64 applications were unsuccessful and four applications are currently pending a decision.

The total funding awards broken down by year are as follows:

2022-23

19 approved awards for combined value of £413,653
10 unsuccessful applications requesting combined value of £229,635

2023-24

15 approved awards for combined value of £470,229
19 unsuccessful applications requesting combined value of £326,521

2024-25

19 approved awards for combined value of £367,359
27 unsuccessful applications requesting combined value of £1,087,174

2025-26 (to date)

6 approved awards for combined value of £91,199
4 applications that are pending decision for combined value of £202,882

Question reference: S6W-41546

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 7 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what support it will provide to help ensure that Cumbernauld Theatre remains open.

Question reference: S6W-41470

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 7 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding any funding applications that Creative Scotland has received to support South Asian productions through the funding programmes that it manages, including those where the finance is provided by the National Lottery, how many applications in total there have been that were initially recommended for funding but where the non-departmental public body eventually reached a final decision not to support the project in (a) each of the last three full financial years and (b) 2025-26 to date.

A ‘South Asian production’ is a broad term which could span various languages, countries, art forms, and cultural contexts.

Generally the region is defined to include: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.

Regarding organisations and individuals that specifically described their project as ‘South Asian’ or referred to one of the countries that form South Asia, the following is a breakdown of the funding awards since 2022-23:

2022-23

19 approved awards for combined value of £413,653
10 unsuccessful applications requesting combined value of £229,635

Of these unsuccessful applications, 2 were recommended for funding (requesting £33,092)

2023-24

15 approved awards for combined value of £470,229
19 unsuccessful applications requesting combined value of £326,521

Of these unsuccessful applications, 12 were recommended for funding (requesting £203,081)

2024-25

19 approved awards for combined value of £367,359
27 unsuccessful applications requesting combined value of £1,087,174

Of these unsuccessful applications, 8 were recommended for funding (requesting £246,983)

2025-26 (to date)

6 approved awards for combined value of £91,199
4 applications that are pending decision for combined value of £202,882
8 unsuccessful applications requesting combined value of £138,302

Of these unsuccessful applications, 3 were recommended for funding (requesting combined value of £70,682)

Question reference: S6W-41517

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 7 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-40884 by Angela Constance on 17 October 2025, how many restorative justice test cases have been funded in the last 18 months, and what the outcomes were of these cases.

Question reference: S6W-41471

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 7 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding Creative Scotland has provided, through the funding programmes it manages, including those where the finance is provided by the National Lottery, for South Asian productions in (a) each of the last three full financial years and (b) 2025-26 to date.

A ‘South Asian production’ is a broad term which could span various languages, countries, art forms, and cultural contexts.

Generally the region is defined to include: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.

Regarding organisations and individuals that specifically described their project as ‘South Asian’ or referred to one of the countries that form South Asia, Creative Scotland has awarded a combined total of over £1.33m to 59 successful projects since 2022-23 to date.

The total funding awards broken down by year are as follows:

2022-23

19 approved awards for combined value of £413,653

2023-24

15 approved awards for combined value of £470,229

2024-25

19 approved awards for combined value of £367,359

2025-26 (to date)

6 approved awards for combined value of £91,199

Question reference: S6W-41719

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 November 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 20 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S6F-04008 by John Swinney on 24 April 2025 and S6O-04959 by Natalie Don on 18 September 2025 regarding the mothballing of rural nurseries and the ongoing review of the guidance given to local authorities on this, in light of local authorities being required by legislation to review their nursery provision and the minister's commitment that the Scottish Government would aim "to provide an update to Parliament [on the review] as soon as possible during the autumn term", whether it will confirm by what date the review will be published.

Question reference: S6W-41710

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 November 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 20 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has approved the proposed “Heroes of Net Zero” campaign, and, if so, what the (a) objectives, (b) target audiences and (c) delivery timeline and key milestones are, and whether it will provide details of any forecast or actual costs for each financial year of the campaign, including any costs to date.

Question reference: S6W-41724

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 November 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 20 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to ensure that public investment is evenly distributed across (a) north east Scotland and (b) Scotland.

Chamber and committees