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-41190

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 10 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 7 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it measures the effectiveness of youth work programmes in contributing to (a) local and (b) national economic development.

The Scottish Government recognises the valuable support provided to young people through high quality youth work. This work contributes to the Scottish Government’s priority of eradicating child poverty and tackling inequality.

An independent review of Community Learning and Development (CLD) was commissioned in December 2023. As part of the independent review, a detailed literature review was published on the value and impact of CLD, including youth work. This includes external research carried out on the economic value of youth.

The literature review also outlines how youth work provides employability support, opportunities to develop skills and improves young people’s mental health and wellbeing. The literature review can be found here: Community Learning and Development in Scotland and internationally: literature review - gov.scot.

The Scottish Government welcomed the Learning: For All. For Life. report published in July 2024, which made 20 recommendations varying in complexity and scope. The report can be accessed at: Supporting documents - Learning: For All. For Life. A report from the Independent Review of Community Learning and Development (CLD) - gov.scot.

The Scottish Government and COSLA accepted recommendation 1.1 to set up a joint CLD Strategic Leadership Group. The Group are considering the remaining recommendations of the report, including those relating to outcomes and measurement.

Question reference: S6W-41189

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 10 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 7 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any economic impact of youth work across Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-41203

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 10 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 7 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what central support mechanisms it has in place to assist local authorities in the effective deployment of youth work programmes, and how any such mechanisms are monitored.

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-41264

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 13 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 7 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many Disclosure Scotland permanent job vacancies have remained unfilled for more than six months since May 2021.

I have asked Gerard Hart, Chief Executive of Disclosure Scotland to respond. His response is as follows:

From January 2022 to September 2025, there have been four permanent vacancies at Disclosure Scotland that were unfilled for more than six months (from when advert went live to start date). We cannot access data for the period May 2021 to December 2021 as the iCIMS system that stored this data has been discontinued.

Question reference: S6W-41727

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S6W-41550

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 6 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many ministerial directions it has issued in each year since 2021, broken down by the reason for each being issued.

Since 2021 there have been two occasions where Accountable Officers for parts of the Scottish Administration have formally sought written authority (often referred to as ministerial direction). Both were regarding Fergusson Marine (Port Glasgow) and written authority was sought in relation to value for money.

The details of these, and all written authorities since devolution, are published on the Scottish Government website at https://www.gov.scot/collections/written-authorities-from-scottish-ministers/

Question reference: S6W-41520

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 6 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to ensure that NHS boards’ neurodevelopmental pathways comply with the National Neurodevelopmental Specification, which was published in 2021 and requires needs-led, case-by-case assessment, rather than purely chronological waiting lists.

The National Neurodevelopmental Specification for Children and Young People sets out the seven standards for all children’s services to support children and young people with neurodevelopmental support needs, including NHS boards and local authorities.

The Specification takes a needs-based approach to providing neurodevelopmental support. It is underpinned by principles of GIRFEC and intended to be delivered by all children’s services partners through a multi-agency approach.

The National Neurodevelopmental Specification should be used by all children’s services, including health boards, local authorities and community partners through a whole system, multi-agency approach. It is vital that the support provided by these children’s services are based on the Getting it Right for Every Child approach.

The Scottish Government is working to support children’s services partners to implement the Specification in full and, in partnership with COSLA, has undertaken a review of implementation. This was informed by engagement with local authorities, health boards and a range of stakeholders – including representatives of parents and lived experience.

The review identified a number of key challenges in implementing the Specification and set out a number of actions to support progress. The Scottish Government and COSLA are working with the newly established Children and Young People’s Neurodevelopment Taskforce to take forward these actions, which will support local authorities and NHS Boards to implement the Specification.

Question reference: S6W-41549

Asked by: Maggie Chapman, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 6 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the most recent data from SEPA's Scottish Pollutant Release Inventory, which reportedly shows rising levels of toxic pollution, including mercury, from Scotland's incinerators.

The 2022 independent review of the role of incineration in Scotland states that in the short-term, incineration will have a role to play in managing our waste as we transition to a circular economy.

As we continue to increase our reuse and recycling rates, we will produce even less waste, however we will still need an appropriate way to manage our unavoidable and unrecyclable waste.

That’s why the Scottish Government’s Fourth National Planning Framework (NPF4) makes clear that development proposals for energy-from-waste facilities will not be supported, except under limited circumstances.

Emissions from energy from waste plants are strictly controlled under the Pollution Prevention and Control regulatory regime. Research shows that correctly operated modern energy from waste facilities should have minimal impact on overall local air quality.

Question reference: S6W-41555

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 6 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how many wind turbine blades have been sent to landfill in (a) Scotland and (b) elsewhere in the UK since 2021.

The Scottish Government does not hold or collate any information relating to how many wind turbine blades have been sent to landfill.

However, we are committed to circularity, which is why the Onshore Wind Sector Deal includes an aspiration to make Scotland a European hub for wind turbine blade recycling. ReBlade’s facility in Dumfries is one such example, with further capacity likely needed as more turbines are decommissioned.