- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 19 December 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 13 January 2026
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-42077 by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 9 December 2025, whether it will list the membership of the Working Group on the Supreme Court Judgement.
Answer
The Working Group was convened by the Permanent Secretary and is chaired by the Director General for Education and Justice. The membership of the Working Group includes representatives from every relevant portfolio area across the Scottish Government, including officials from the following Director Generals (DG):
- DG Corporate
- DG Communities
- DG Education and Justice
- DG Economy
- DG Exchequer
- DG Net Zero
- DG Health and Social Care
- DG Strategy and External Affairs
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 18 December 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 13 January 2026
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it has not yet introduced speed awareness courses, and whether it will commit to a timeline for their introduction.
Answer
Much of the law on prosecution and punishment of road traffic offences is reserved to the UK Government (UKG). However, the Scottish Government continues to discuss the importance of implementing Road Traffic Diversionary Course (RTDC) which includes Speed Awareness Courses, with the UKG.
Since this area of law is reserved, officials are actively engaging with the UK Government through a dedicated steering group to progress the development of proposals and to introduce these courses in Scotland.
While a date for the commencement of these courses has not yet been finalised, we are committed to working with the UKG to bring forward legislative change as soon as possible.
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 18 December 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 13 January 2026
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to provide certainty to renewable energy investors concerned about delays to major manufacturing decisions in Scotland.
Answer
The Scottish Government is doing everything within its power to ensure that the renewable energy opportunity for Scotland is realised.
In offshore wind, we continue to work to provide investors with policy certainty. We have consulted on proposals to update Scotland’s offshore wind ambition and will publish an updated Offshore Wind Policy Statement setting out an updated ambition for Scotland in 2026. We have committed significant investment to support offshore wind infrastructure and the supply chain in Scotland. To date, we have unlocked almost £900m of investment: our own investment of almost £150 million is crowding in a further £70m from UK public finance institutions and leveraging up to £670 million in private investment.
Where a decision by the UK Government is required to enable manufacturing proposals to move forward, we await the timely outcome of that process.
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 18 December 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 13 January 2026
To ask the Scottish Government how it is engaging with companies involved in Scotland’s offshore wind supply chain, in light of reports that developers may source equipment from other European hubs.
Answer
The Scottish Government engages regularly with companies in the offshore wind supply chain. Our strategic investment in critical enabling infrastructure and supply chain facilities is leveraging significant private investment and crowding in additional funding from UK public finance institutions. Under our Just Transition Fund, our 2025-26 projects have a particular focus on enabling offshore wind infrastructure and the wider supply chain, as does our funding for the Energy Transition Zone.
Our enterprise agencies work closely with companies through innovation accelerators including the Launch Academy and CAN-DO feasibility funding calls as well as through manufacturing factsheets and masterclasses. And our agencies’ demand-led programmes connect offshore wind projects with innovative Scottish floating wind technology and service providers.
Offshore wind developers have made commitments to invest an average of £1.5bn in Scotland per project across the ScotWind projects. We expect developers to honour their Supply Chain Development Statement (SCDS) commitments, which were a condition of their being awarded Lease Option Agreements.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 December 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 13 January 2026
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to maintain or increase its funding allocation to the Climate Justice Fund in its upcoming Budget.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-42632 on 13 January 2026. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 December 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 13 January 2026
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the alignment of its international development and climate justice programmes, including Climate Just Communities, with international commitments to increase climate adaptation finance made at COP30.
Answer
Locally-led and participatory adaptation is essential to climate justice programming and projects – including our Climate Just Communities project.
During COP30 the Scottish Government announced £100,000 funding to the Regions4 Network to deliver projects aimed at supporting communities in the Global South adapt to climate impacts such as extreme weather or food and water insecurity in a way that tackles existing inequalities.
Officials are currently exploring the next stage of the Climate Justice Fund pending finalised budget – including on how to ensure locally-led adaptation is included as part of future programmes and projects.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 December 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 13 January 2026
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to mitigate any risk of disruption to projects funded by the Climate Justice Fund if current contracts conclude in March 2026 without further or replacement funding in place.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-42632 on 13 January 2026. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.
- Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 January 2026
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Current Status:
Answered by Ivan McKee on 13 January 2026
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has paid for services from the Global Disinformation Index since it was founded in 2018, and, if so, whether it will provide details of this, broken down by each year.
Answer
The Scottish Government have made no payments to the Global Disinformation Index (either as a grant or for goods or services) and no contracts have been awarded to this organisation.
It is noted that we do not hold spend data for our electronic Purchasing Card (ePC) – which is used for the purchase of low-value goods and services – for the period 1 January 2018 to 31 December 2019.
A link to the ePC policy is provided below for information:
https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-government-electronic-purchasing-card-epc-policy-2/
- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 05 January 2026
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 13 January 2026
To ask the Scottish Government what options have been developed with stakeholders regarding the mandatory reporting for food waste and surplus by businesses.
Answer
As set out in the Circular Economy and Waste Route Map, the Scottish Government will establish an expert advisory group to help develop the most effective way to implement mandatory public reporting for food waste and surplus by businesses, with the intention of developing options from 2025-26. We continue to gather relevant evidence and engage with stakeholders to understand key issues. We will also consider any relevant responses to the consultation on the draft Circular Economy Strategy for Scotland. Options will be developed with stakeholders as part of our engagement with the expert advisory group, once established.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 19 December 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 13 January 2026
To ask the Scottish Government, following the Supreme Court judgment that sex, for the purposes of the Equality Act 2010, is biological, whether it considers that a woman needs to complain to her employer before action is taken to follow the law.
Answer
The Scottish Government accepts the judgment of the Supreme Court. It is the responsibility of employers and service providers to interpret and comply with the Equality Act 2010, and for the regulator - the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) - to enforce the Act.