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-02708

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 10 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will review the buildings identified in the Buildings at Risk Register for Scotland, which has been paused, to identify potential opportunities to unlock and accelerate affordable housing delivery in empty town and city centre buildings.

There are no plans review the buildings identified in the Buildings at Risk Register for Scotland to identify potential opportunities to unlock and accelerate affordable housing delivery in empty town and city centre buildings.

The Scottish Government is committed to supporting local authorities and communities to tackle persistent vacant and derelict land and empty town and city centre buildings.

This is supported through our regeneration investment programmes which are providing up to £52 million in resource and capital programmes for community-led regeneration across Scotland in 2026-27. This may be used to transform vacant and derelict land and empty buildings into homes. Local authorities may also choose to use Affordable Housing Supply Programme grant to convert empty properties into housing.

Additionally as part of ongoing work to support the establishment of More Homes Scotland, we are undertaking an exercise alongside local authorities to understand potential opportunities to unlock and accelerate affordable housing delivery on vacant and derelict land and in empty town and city centre buildings.

Local authorities have responsibility for delivering local housing development and local regeneration. They are best placed to develop the right partnerships to deliver regeneration and to identify suitable sites and funding for regeneration activity.

Question reference: S7W-02798

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 31 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 10 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the increasing number of services moving online, what measures it is taking to ensure that people who cannot afford, or do not have reliable access to, the internet are not disadvantaged or left without access to essential services and emergency communications.

As more services move online, it is important that people are not excluded and that non-digital routes remain available for those who cannot or do not wish to use digital services.

Our Sustainable Public Services Delivery Plan sets out how services will be designed around the needs of people and communities to be accessible and inclusive. To complement this work, we are developing a Digital Inclusion Delivery Plan to be published later this year. This will set out clear actions to address the wider barriers that prevent people from participating digitally and how we will work with partners, including local government, to achieve this.

Since 2024, the Scottish Government has committed more than £870,000 in grant funding to support over 50 local digital inclusion projects across Scotland. We also continue to work with Ofcom and delivery partners to raise awareness of affordable connectivity options, including social tariffs.

Alongside this work, we are continuing to improve access to reliable broadband across Scotland through investment of more than £600 million in the Reaching 100% (R100) programme and our key role in delivering Project Gigabit in Scotland.

The UK Government’s Emergency Alerts service can be used in Scotland to provide warning and advice in a life-threatening emergency. The Scottish Government works with the UK Government and resilience partners to support the use of the system in Scotland where required. People who cannot receive an Emergency Alert can still be informed through other means used by emergency responders, and the system does not replace local news, radio, television or social media.

Question reference: S7W-02483

Asked by: Julie MacDougall, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Reform UK
Date lodged: Friday, 14 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 10 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what action it plans to take to address the reported increased pressures faced by schools in supporting pupils who speak English as a second language, in light of recent figures indicating that the number of pupils with English as an additional language currently stands at around 60,000, compared with 10,000 in 2006.

The Scottish Government recognises the valuable contribution that children and young people who speak English as an additional language (EAL) make to Scotland's schools and communities. We are aware that the number of pupils recorded as having English as an additional language has increased over recent years, reflecting Scotland's increasingly diverse population and our proud reputation as an attractive and welcoming country.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that all children and young people receive the support they need to access learning and achieve their full potential. Responsibility for the delivery of education and for meeting the needs of pupils who require EAL support rests with local authorities. Under the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004, education authorities must identify, make provision for and review the additional support needs of children and young people whose education they are responsible for. We recognise that support for EAL will reduce as pupils’ English language levels increase.

Through the local government finance settlement, local authorities receive funding to provide education services and to respond to local needs and demographic changes. Between 2012-13 and 2024-25, ASL spending has increased from £540m across all local authorities to almost £1.1 billion - an increase of £560m in the last 10 years. The Scottish Government also funds Enquire, the national advice and information service on additional support for learning, who provide information, advice, training, learning resources and support services to help support children and young people with specific additional support needs, including those with English as an additional language.

The Scottish Government will continue to work with local authorities, Education Scotland and other partners to monitor emerging pressures, share effective practice and ensure that schools have access to appropriate guidance and support to meet the needs of Scotland's increasingly diverse learner population.

Question reference: S7W-03138

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 September 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 24 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government when the last independent audit of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service was carried out, and what the findings of this audit were.

Question reference: S7W-03101

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 September 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 24 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the number of annual bus orders required to sustain Alexander Dennis manufacturing operations in Scotland.

Question reference: S7W-03139

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 September 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 24 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, what action has it taken to (a) review and (b) address any deficiencies in essential and safety-critical training.

Question reference: S7W-03147

Asked by: Laura Moodie, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 September 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 24 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what the annual cost is for the delivery of the National Standardised Assessments for Scotland (NSA) for children and young people in P1, P4, P7, and S3.

Question reference: S7W-03103

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 September 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 24 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of whether public procurement rules place bus manufacturers operating in Scotland at a competitive disadvantage against overseas manufacturers.

Question reference: S7W-03097

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 September 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 24 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how many Alexander Dennis employees have been supported to date through the £4.1 million furlough support package announced in September 2025.

Question reference: S7W-03109

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 September 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 24 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what representations it has made to the UK Government since 1 January 2026 regarding the impact of imported buses on the competitiveness of bus manufacturing in Scotland.