The Scottish Parliament

Question reference: S7W-01183

Asked by: Joe Fagan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Monday, 22 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 1 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what obligations are placed on local authorities regarding cross-boundary early years and childcare placements in statute and statutory guidance.

Local authorities have a statutory duty to ensure that funded ELC is available to the children residing within their own area and are also responsible for meeting the statutory guidance requirements in relation to cross-boundary placements.

This guidance is clear that, wherever possible, education authorities should make arrangements that ensure families accessing cross-boundary placements are treated on the same basis as families accessing provision locally. While local authorities do not have a statutory duty to provide funded ELC to children who reside outside their area, they have the power to do so under section 23 of the Education (Scotland) Act (1980).

To ensure families’ choice of provider is not limited by local authority boundaries, the Scottish Government encourages local authorities to work with neighbouring areas through Funding Follows the Child guidance, developed jointly by the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) and the Scottish Government.

Question reference: S7W-01182

Asked by: Joe Fagan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Monday, 22 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 1 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government which local authorities fund and invoice for cross-boundary early years and childcare placements, and what information it has on those that currently do not, but have plans to introduce such arrangements.

Local authorities hold the statutory duty to ensure that funded ELC is available to the children residing within their own area, and are also responsible for meeting statutory guidance requirements in relation to cross-boundary placements.

The Scottish Government does not collect national data on which local authorities fund and invoice each other for cross-boundary funded early learning and childcare placements. Information on individual local authority cross-boundary policies may be available through local authority websites, or via local authority Early Years teams.

To ensure families’ choice of provider is not limited by local authority boundaries, the Scottish Government encourages local authorities to work with neighbouring areas through Funding Follows the Child guidance, developed jointly by the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) and the Scottish Government.

Question reference: S7W-01131

Asked by: Michael Marra, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 1 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S7O-00051 by Angela Constance on 11 June 2026, what time period it references when it refers to a reduction in the number of people waiting for gynaecology services.

Question reference: S7W-01109

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 1 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S7W-00783 by Tom Arthur on 16 June 2026, how many of the proposed homes to be built have been built, broken down by (a) year and (b) local authority.

The following table outlines how many homes have been built as part of successful applications for the Vacant and Derelict Land Investment Programme (VDLIP) since the fund’s introduction in 2021-22.

Local Authority	Year of VDLIP Award	Homes proposed	Homes Built	Year of Build Completion
City of Edinburgh Council	2021-22	444	444	2025-26
City of Edinburgh Council	2022-23	133	0	-
City of Edinburgh Council	2024-25	259	0	-
East Dunbartonshire Council	2022-23	15	0	-
Glasgow City Council	2024-25	42	0	-
Highland Council	2023-24	110	52	2024-2026
North Ayrshire Council	2023-24	6	6	2026-27
West Dunbartonshire Council	2023-24	27	26	2025
TOTAL		1,036	528

Question reference: S7W-01068

Asked by: Max Bannerman, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Reform UK
Date lodged: Monday, 15 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Hannah Mary Goodlad on 1 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the House of Commons Library Standard Note SN/SC/1295, what consideration it has given to whether local authority planning application committees in Scotland qualify as an “appropriate tribunal” under Article 6 (civil) of the ECHR.

The question of compliance of planning legislation with Article 6 of the ECHR was considered by the House of Lords in the case of Alconbury v Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions. In the Court’s 2001 decision it was found that the nature of the decision making process and the right to challenge decisions in the courts was sufficient to provide an Article 6 compliant procedure.

Question reference: S7W-01088

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Edinburgh and Lothians East, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 1 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding so-called corridor care, where patients receive care outwith appropriate clinical settings, what (a) data it collects and (b) advice it (i) provides to and (ii) work it carries out with NHS boards to support them in eradicating the issue.

Currently there is no requirement for NHS Boards to record and submit data on care in non-standard areas, such as hospital corridors, to Public Health Scotland or the Scottish Government; therefore, the Scottish Government does not hold this data.

The Scottish Government accepts that caring for patients in non-standard patient areas is sub-optimal and we are clear that patients should not routinely be treated in corridors or other non-standard areas.

Where this practice is unavoidable, robust measures must be in place to mitigate risks, including appropriate monitoring of patients and minimising time spent in these areas. Health boards must also take all necessary steps to maintain patient safety, dignity and quality of care.

We are taking decisive action in partnership with Health Boards to address the underlying causes of high acute hospital occupancy which can lead to bed blocking and use of non-standard areas. Our focus is firmly on improving patient flow so that people are admitted, treated, and discharged safely and on time.

As part of our first 100 days commitments, we will deliver a comprehensive plan on Improving Flow in Hospitals which will set out improvement in end-to-end patient flow, ensuring people receive the right care, in the right place, at the right time.

Question reference: S7W-01069

Asked by: Adam Harley, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 15 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 1 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the prevalence of patients receiving care outwith appropriate clinical settings, so-called corridor care, and what plans it has to collect and publish data regarding the numbers experiencing this.

We are actively considering the feasibility of a national data collection including considering the most meaningful and reliable metrics. Accurately capturing this information consistently at a national level presents complex technical and operational challenges impacted both by definitional variation as well as variation across systems in terms of physical layout, operational practice and existing recording mechanisms.

We are aware from engagement with stakeholders that the prevalence of patients receiving care in non-standard areas is too high. This is clearly not acceptable which is why our key priority remains addressing the underlying causes of high acute hospital occupancy which results in bed blocking and can lead to the provision of care in non-standard areas. We are focusing on improving patient flow so people are admitted, treated, and discharged safely and on time. As part of our first 100 days commitments, we will deliver a plan on Improving Flow in Hospitals which will set out improvement in end-to-end patient flow, ensuring people receive the right care, in the right place, at the right time.

Question reference: S7W-01147

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Hannah Mary Goodlad on 1 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what advice it provides local authorities in relation to assessing planning applications for AI data centres, including regarding the cumulative energy demand and energy security impact of the entire national data centre pipeline.

National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) designates “Green Data Centres” as National Development. Policy 24 of NPF4 supports Digital Infrastructure, encouraging, promoting and facilitating the roll out of digital infrastructure across Scotland to unlock the potential of all our places and the economy. The Scottish Government is a co-commissioner of the Strategic Spatial Energy Plan which will model likely energy demand up to 2050 and the generation approaches required to support that demand. In a response to Martyn Day MSP on Thursday 25 June, I advised that the Scottish Government is urgently considering whether more formal guidance is required to help local planning authorities. In a response to Gillian MacKay MSP on Thursday 25 June, the First Minister set out that he is giving active consideration to whether the Scottish Government should provide planning guidance to balance the rapid expansion of hyperscale data centres with national energy and climate goals, which are vital to our future prosperity.

Question reference: S7W-01416

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 June 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 28 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will commission a modern traffic circulation plan for Greater Glasgow that focuses on reducing traffic, particularly in residential neighbourhoods, and maximising access to jobs and key services, while prioritising sustainable modes of transport, and whether such a plan will inform decisions on the permanent repair, removal or replacement of the M8 Woodside Viaducts.

Question reference: S7W-01412

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 June 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 28 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of its legal duties to protect and restore seabed habitats under the Marine Strategy Regulations 2010, and how it is delivering on these duties.

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