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: S7W-02457

Asked by: Steven Bonnar, MSP for Uddingston and Bellshill, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 August 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 9 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service regarding the number of Adult Disability Payment (ADP) appeals requiring second or subsequent hearings, including where additional evidence is required, and what assessment it has made of any delays to determining ADP appeals resulting from such additional hearings.

Question reference: S7W-01754

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Flynn on 12 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions and correspondence it has had with the UK Government and the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) regarding the impact of driving test waiting times on access to work, education, healthcare and other services in Scotland.

While driving tests are a fully reserved matter for the UK Government, extended waiting times have had a significant impact on learner drivers across Scotland.

In December 2024, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) introduced a seven-point plan aimed at reducing driving test waiting times and improving learners' experience of the booking process. A public consultation on further improvements to the driving test booking system subsequently ran between 28 May and 23 July 2025.

Following that consultation, the UK Government announced additional measures which were introduced from spring 2026. These changes include reducing the number of times a driving test can be changed from six to two; requiring learners to book and manage their own tests; prohibiting the use of unofficial booking services; and, limiting driving test changes to the three nearest test centres. These measures can be found at: Changes to driving test booking rules in 2026 - GOV.UK

As this is a reserved matter, the Scottish Government had no role in developing these measures, or in the work of DVSA. However we have had considerable correspondence from members of the public on these issues and Transport Scotland officials have met with DVSA to discuss these changes and their implications for Scotland and will continue to engage with the DVSA on these issues and to raise the concerns of learners.

Question reference: S7W-01690

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Gethins on 12 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to its Emergency Heating Oil Scheme, how many applications in each local authority area have been (a) received, (b) approved, broken down by the total amount paid out, and (c) rejected.

The Scottish Government launched the Scottish Emergency Heating Oil Scheme within weeks in response to the spiralling prices caused by the Iran conflict and wider instability, such as Russia's war in Ukraine, undermining energy security across Europe as well as other factors such as the increases to the cost of living due to the UK leaving the EU.

The scheme was put in place to ensure the most vulnerable households are supported during the cost of living crisis, which includes households on means-tested benefits but also those in financial hardship and at risk of self-rationing fuel who have unavoidable additional heating needs, with the first payment made within 24 hours of the scheme launching on 1 April 2026.

As at the end of 9 August 2026, £1,747,800 has been paid out to ensure the most vulnerable households are supported during the cost of living crisis, which includes households on means-tested benefits but also those in financial hardship and at risk of self-rationing fuel who have unavoidable heating needs.

The following table provides the outcome of applications that Advice Direct Scotland have received to the Scottish Emergency Heating Oil Scheme, as at the end of 9 August 2026.

These management figures are taken from a live administrative database and so could be subject to future revision. There are various caveats with the data and should not be regarded as official statistics, these caveats are noted in the following table.

Local Authority	Received	Approved	Awards amount (all awards are for £300)	Eligibility Not Met / Insufficient evidence	Decision Pending
Total	11,970	5,826	£1,747,800	6,063	81
Aberdeen City	37	12	£3,600	25	0
Aberdeenshire	2,114	1,137	£341,100	967	10
Angus	613	322	£96,600	289	2
Argyll and Bute	402	178	£53,400	218	6
City of Edinburgh	31	18	£5,400	13	0
Clackmannanshire	7	2	£600	5	0
Dumfries and Galloway	1,261	675	£202,500	580	6
Dundee City	11	4	£1,200	7	0
East Ayrshire	149	67	£20,100	82	0
East Dunbartonshire	13	4	£1,200	9	0
East Lothian	108	60	£18,000	47	1
East Renfrewshire	17	11	£3,300	6	0
Falkirk	103	41	£12,300	62	0
Fife	343	165	£49,500	177	1
Glasgow City	46	23	£6,900	22	1
Highland	1,916	899	£269,700	1,000	17
Inverclyde	6	2	£600	4	0
Midlothian	138	81	£24,300	56	1
Moray	373	182	£54,600	187	4
Na h-Eileanan Siar	598	270	£81,000	322	6
North Ayrshire	159	56	£16,800	101	2
North Lanarkshire	129	53	£15,900	76	0
Orkney Islands	178	90	£27,000	87	1
Perth and Kinross	735	337	£101,100	390	8
Renfrewshire	17	8	£2,400	8	1
Scottish Borders	643	311	£93,300	329	3
Shetland Islands	125	54	£16,200	69	2
South Ayrshire	527	299	£89,700	225	3
South Lanarkshire	621	310	£93,000	308	3
Stirling	218	81	£24,300	135	2
West Dunbartonshire	26	13	£3,900	13	0
West Lothian	57	20	£6,000	36	1
Local Authority Unknown*	249	41	£12,300	208	0

* Advice Direct Scotland have advised that there is a small number of applications which have not yet been attributed to a particular Local Authority due to challenges with identifying post codes. Advice Direct Scotland are working on remedying this matter.

The approved figures include applications where the payment has been made to the applicant’s chosen supplier and applications that have been approved but the payment is still to be made to the applicant’s chosen supplier.

The eligibility not met / insufficient evidence figures include applications that have been closed as the applicant has not contacted Advice Direct Scotland for 21 days. These applications can be re-opened if the applicant resumes contact.

The decision pending figures include applications that have been passed for formal approval but have not yet been approved.

Question reference: S7W-01720

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Flynn on 11 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S7W-01249 by Stephen Flynn on 9 July 2026, for what reason it has not prepared its own analysis of the proportion of Scotland's greenhouse gas emissions that is attributable to rail transport.

Question reference: S7W-01721

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Flynn on 11 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S7W-01249 by Stephen Flynn on 9 July 2026, what figures, data sources and evidence it relies on when considering the proportion of Scotland's greenhouse gas emissions that is attributable to rail transport, and what assessment it has made of the accuracy and reliability of that information.

Question reference: S7W-01735

Asked by: Julie MacDougall, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Reform UK
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Flynn on 11 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to develop a strategy to encourage foreign investors to create jobs in Scotland.

Question reference: S7W-01922

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Edinburgh and Lothians East, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 11 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether any review of the NHS estate has assessed NHS buildings as containing asbestos and, if so, how many buildings have been so identified.

Question reference: S7W-01917

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Edinburgh and Lothians East, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 11 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how many patients have received cataract surgery in each NHS board, in each year since 2021.

Question reference: S7W-01825

Asked by: Martyn Day, MSP for Falkirk East and Linlithgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 11 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, for the treatment of prostate cancer, what plans NHS Scotland has to provide focal therapy, which targets and destroys only the cancerous area rather than the whole gland.

Question reference: S7W-01918

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Edinburgh and Lothians East, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 11 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what the longest waiting time for cataract surgery has been in each NHS board, in each year since 2021.