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-38071

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 09 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 19 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Scottish Medicines Consortium guidance on the use of ritlecitinib for alopecia areata is in alignment with the guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), which states that living with severe alopecia areata can have a profound impact on psychosocial health.

Following a full submission from Pfizer Ltd, in advice published on 8 April 2024, the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) accepted ritlecitinib (Litfulo®) for use in the National Health Service (NHS) in Scotland for the treatment of severe alopecia areata in adults and adolescents aged 12 years and over. The detailed advice is available on the SMC’s website:

https://scottishmedicines.org.uk/medicines-advice/ritlecitinib-litfulo-full-smc2610/

The SMC and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) utilise different processes and methodologies, particularly in terms of scope and timelines and therefore, it would not be appropriate to comment on whether their guidance aligns.

Question reference: S6W-38520

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 09 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 19 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what specific steps are being taken to address the reported ongoing issue of land ownership at Tarbolton Moss landfill site.

Question reference: S6W-38486

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 09 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 19 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether the cost of littered materials, which will be included in the upcoming deposit return scheme, will be used to calculate the total cost of litter to be included in the (packaging) extended producer responsibility scheme.

The Scottish Government is committed that extended producer responsibility for packaging (pEPR) should cover the full net costs of both binned and ground litter cleanup and disposal, and to its introduction in regulations as soon as practicable. However, binned and ground littered household packaging cleanup and disposal costs are not yet included in disposal cost fees producers are obligated to pay under the pEPR scheme.

PackUK, the scheme administrator for pEPR, will fund public information campaigns focused on the reduction of littered packaging, and report on items of packaging commonly littered or disposed of in street bins. Items covered by the upcoming deposit return scheme (drink containers made of PET plastic, aluminum, and steel) are excluded from disposal cost fees under pEPR.

Question reference: S6W-38521

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 09 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 19 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with the private company that expressed interest in taking on the Tarbolton Moss landfill site, and whether any outcomes or next steps have been identified from any such engagement.

Question reference: S6W-38488

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 09 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 19 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-36825 by Gillian Martin on 8 May 2025, whether local authorities will be permitted to use funds from the extended producer responsibility scheme to cover payments to emissions trading schemes.

In line with the Verity House Agreement, funding resulting from extended producer responsibility for packaging (pEPR) will not be ring-fenced or directed, unless there is a clear joint understanding to do so. However, the purpose of the funding, to pay for the cost of managing household packaging waste - is clearly set out in legislation.

Payments under pEPR will support the costs of effective and efficient collection systems for household packaging waste. This includes the costs of incineration. Payments will be adjusted in future years to account for additional costs that local authorities may face, including those incurred under the proposed expansion of the emissions trading scheme.

Question reference: S6W-38487

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 09 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 19 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of how the cost of litter collection will be calculated for inclusion in the costs chargeable under the (packaging) extended producer responsibility scheme.

The Scottish Government is committed that extended producer responsibility for packaging (pEPR) should cover the full net costs of both binned and ground litter cleanup and disposal, and to its introduction in regulations as soon as practicable. There is not yet the availability of the data which would allow accurate cost recovery calculations to be made for litter costs in year two of the scheme.

PackUK, the scheme administrator for pEPR, will fund public information campaigns focused on the reduction of littered packaging, and report on items of packaging commonly littered or disposed of in street bins. We will continue to engage with local authorities, producers, and waste management companies as a costing model is developed and the underpinning data becomes available.

Question reference: S6W-38489

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 09 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 19 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to any Scottish firms bidding for contracts in the UK-wide civil nuclear sector.

Question reference: S6W-38519

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 09 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 19 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what lessons have been learned from the Tarbolton Moss case to inform future policy on the management and remediation of abandoned landfill sites.

There are provisions in the Pollution Prevention and Control (Scotland) Regulations 2012 and the Landfill (Scotland) Regulations 2003 to require companies to make adequate financial provisions for landfill aftercare and this requirement is also included in the Environmental Authorisations (Scotland) Amendments Regulations 2025. However, in the case of Tarbolton Moss the company was dissolved without any such funds remaining.

Officials continue to work with SEPA to understand how this occurred to ensure that the risk for similar future scenarios is minimised.

Furthermore, to minimise risk of further site abandonment, we will continue to work closely with local authorities and commercial operators to examine challenges faced before the commencement of the ban on landfilling biodegradable municipal waste on 31 December 2025.

Question reference: S6W-38522

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 09 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 19 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the Tarbolton Moss landfill site, what mechanisms are being used to coordinate communications between SEPA, Scottish Government officials, and the local community, including the Tarbolton Tenants and Residents Association.

Question reference: S6W-38525

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Monday, 09 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 19 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has paid to GB Railfreight to undertake shunting duties at Carstairs for Caledonian Sleeper in each of the last two financial years.