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

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Question reference: S7W-01858

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Hannah Mary Goodlad on 18 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it maintains, or plans to create, a list of the number, location and size of all current and proposed data centres in Scotland, and whether this is available to the public.

This matter is under active consideration by the Scottish Government, and Parliament will be kept informed of the outcomes of those considerations – including the potential for planning guidance – in due course.

Planning applications for data centres are a matter for the relevant local authority in the first instance. Planning applications and supporting documentation are available to view on the relevant local authority web pages.

Question reference: S7W-01783

Asked by: Jenny Young, MSP for Central Scot and Lothians West, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 18 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how many schools use the Gatsby Benchmarks to assess their careers guidance provision, and what the average benchmark score achieved is.

The Gatsby Benchmarks are a careers guidance framework used in England.

Careers support is devolved and the Gatsby Benchmarks do not form part of Scotland’s approach. While individual schools may choose to use the framework if they consider it useful, the Scottish Government does not collect or hold information on its use. Information on the number of schools using the Gatsby Benchmarks, or on any benchmark scores achieved, is therefore not held centrally.

Question reference: S7W-02116

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 18 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how many people it anticipated would be (a) seen and (b) treated at the Cardonald GP walk-in clinic during its first year of operation, and what its position is on whether this will be achieved, based on the latest attendance figures.

Question reference: S7W-02043

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian Coast and Lammermuirs, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 24 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 18 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that childcare providers have access to appropriately trained staff to support disabled children within expanded childcare provision.

Our approach to expansion will involve working closely with local authorities, private and third sector providers, representative bodies and national skills bodies to ensure that workforce requirements are understood and addressed. This will include ensuring that the workforce has the knowledge, skills and support required to meet the needs of children with additional support needs and deliver high-quality, inclusive childcare provision.

Question reference: S7W-02042

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian Coast and Lammermuirs, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 24 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 18 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what opportunities it will provide to ensure that the lived experiences of parent carers of disabled children, including children with complex additional support needs, inform the planned expansion of childcare provision across Scotland.

Our approach to expansion will be informed by the lived experience of parent carers of disabled children, including those with complex additional support needs. We recognise that understanding the experiences of families is essential to ensuring that future childcare provision is accessible, inclusive and responsive to children's individual needs, and supports families to access the services they require.

Question reference: S7W-01872

Asked by: Andrew Baxter, MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 18 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the effectiveness of the Respect for All anti-bullying framework in reducing bullying experienced by children with additional support needs in primary schools.

I am clear there must be a zero tolerance approach to bullying. Respect for All provides an important framework to support local authorities, schools and other settings to prevent and respond to bullying behaviour.

The guidance was updated in 2024 to reflect the latest evidence and good practice, and includes updated guidance on prejudice-based bullying, including bullying experienced by children and young people with additional support needs.

Question reference: S7W-01786

Asked by: Jenny Young, MSP for Central Scot and Lothians West, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 18 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) 16- to 18-, (b) 19- to 21- and (c) 22- to 24-year-olds started apprenticeships in each year since 2018,

Question reference: S7W-02112

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 18 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what the cost has been to the public purse of the Cardonald GP walk-in clinic in each week of its operation and, in this period, how many people (a) attended the clinic, broken down by the number of subsequent referrals made to (i) hospitals and (ii) other NHS services, and (b) did not get treatment, due to them being registered at a GP practice not covered by the clinic.

Question reference: S7W-02066

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian Coast and Lammermuirs, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Hannah Mary Goodlad on 18 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the assessment of solar development proposals on prime agricultural land under National Planning Framework 4, how the continued grazing of livestock beneath and between solar panels is taken into account.

National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) is part of the development plan and contains national planning policy. Policy 5 (soils) sets out policy on prime agricultural land and policy 11 (energy) sets out policy on renewable energy. NPF4 should be read and applied as a whole, alongside the relevant local development plan and other material considerations. Factors for and against development will be weighed up in the balance of planning judgement.

Question reference: S7W-01787

Asked by: Jenny Young, MSP for Central Scot and Lothians West, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 18 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government (a) how many and (b) what proportion of (i) 16- to 18-, (ii) 19- to 21- and (iii) 22- to 24-year-olds have not completed their apprenticeship in each year since 2018.

Skills Development Scotland (SDS) collects and publishes Modern Apprenticeship (MA) data with the latest full year data covering 2025-26.

https://www.skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk/media/josfrdus/modern-apprenticeship-supplementary-tables-quarter-4-2025-26.xlsx

Information on MA achievements and number of leavers is published by age band and year, but the age bands used by SDS are 16-19 and 20-24 and 25+.