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 46716 questions Show Answers

Order by |

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.

Question reference: S6W-41534

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 6 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many working days have been lost in the NHS in the last five years due to staff stress and other mental health conditions.

Question reference: S6W-41461

Asked by: Sandesh Gulhane, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Friday, 24 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 6 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported increased health risks for children born from first-cousin relationships, whether it will ban first-cousin marriages in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-41620

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 31 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 6 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will adhere to the seven-year timescale set out in the Planning (Scotland) Act 2019 to review local place plans, and report its findings to the Parliament.

As required by the legislation, we will embark on a review of local place plans and lay the report before the Scottish Parliament.

The Act states the review is to be carried out as soon as practicable after the end of the seven-year period, which is seven years on from the Act receiving Royal Assent (after 26 July 2026).

We are in the early stages of considering the scope and delivery of the review, and will engage with community groups and local authorities.

Question reference: S6W-41597

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 6 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish its guidance on the proposed phasing out of cages for laying hens.

Question reference: S6W-41551

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 how many onshore wind turbines are (a) in active operation and (b) inactive across Scotland.

The Renewable Energy Planning Database (REPD) records the progress of renewable electricity projects over 150kW as they move through the planning system. According to this data there are currently 4216 onshore wind turbines in active operation across Scotland.

Please note that there was a minimum installed capacity threshold for inclusion into the REPD of 1MW until 2021, at which point it was lowered to 150kW. This means that projects below 1MW that were going through the planning system before 2021 may not be represented in the REPD database.

The Scottish Government does not hold or collate data on inactive wind turbines.

Question reference: S6W-41521

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 assessment it has made of the compatibility of NHS boards operating so-called First In, First Out-only neurodevelopmental waiting lists with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, specifically articles 3, 23 and 24.

The Scottish Government is responsible for setting the overall policy direction for neurodevelopmental services, and for working with and funding NHS Health Boards and local authorities to ensure they plan and deliver appropriate local services. It is for local NHS Boards and local authorities to decide how they implement these policies to ensure that their local population have the highest quality of care, support and treatment at the right time and in the right place.

Individual health boards are responsible for the management of their waiting lists. Boards are expected to ensure that their approaches to service delivery are consistent with national guidance, including the National Neurodevelopmental Specification for Children and Young People. The Specification complements and sits within the Getting It Right for Every Child approach, and reflects the principles of UNCRC.

Question reference: S6W-41545

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 6 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers that the £71 million National Treatment Centre investment programme is on track across all sites.

Historic real terms cuts to our block grant from the UK Government have put pressure on our capital budget and the delay in the UK Government setting the Autumn budget is having a knock-on effect on our planning.

As a result of budget constraints, in December 2023, all NHS Boards were advised to pause development of all projects not already in construction.

We are currently working with all NHS Health Boards to develop a whole system NHS infrastructure plan to inform long-term investment priorities across Scotland – this includes consideration of National Treatment Centres.

Question reference: S6W-41562

Asked by: Bill Kidd, MSP for Glasgow Anniesland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 6 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made on its commitment to deliver a National Register of Ancient Woodland.

NatureScot is leading on this work, and has set up a steering group including Scottish Forestry and Forestry and Land Scotland. This register will allow Scottish agencies to use a single means of condition assessment for these woodlands rather than the multiple competing methodologies previously used. Procurement is currently underway to appoint a technical officer to undertake the work of assembling all available data.

Question reference: S6W-41439

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 6 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government by what date it will publish the results of, and response to, its consultation on a cruise ship levy.

The Scottish Government continues to consider relevant evidence and analysis as part of our ongoing policy development for a cruise ship levy. This formal analysis will publish early next year.

Port and cruise stakeholders have been working on their own alternative proposals to a levy. We anticipate these will be shared with the Scottish Government in the next few weeks. The Scottish Government will consider these stakeholder proposals alongside the alongside the consultation analysis when deciding next steps.