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-02050

Asked by: Donald MacKinnon, MSP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 24 July 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 21 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure households in need are able to access the Emergency Heating Oil Scheme.

Question reference: S7W-01580

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 24 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how considerations of the Woodland Carbon Code, green finance initiatives and biodiversity net gain will influence the scope and delivery of the National Register for Ancient Woodland.

Question reference: S7W-01425

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 24 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the reported closure of 142 school play areas in the Highland Council area pending inspection, and what discussions it has had with Highland Council regarding any impact on children's wellbeing and levels of physical activity.

The management and maintenance of school estates, including playground equipment, is a statutory responsibility of local authorities. Scottish Government officials remain in close contact with the Highland Council regarding its programme of playground equipment inspections.

The Council has advised that inspections are progressing and are expected to be completed by September. Where inspections have been completed, equipment has either remained in use, been reopened following assessment or, where issues have been identified, appropriate remedial actions have been put in place. Equipment presenting a potential safety concern remain unavailable when awaiting repair, replacement or further assessment.

The Council has confirmed that it recognises the importance of outdoor play and physical activity and has advised that, while some equipment has been temporarily unavailable, schools have continued to provide access to playground areas, outdoor learning opportunities, physical education and other play activities to help minimise any impact on children's wellbeing and physical activity.

Nonetheless, I will raise your concerns with Highland Council when we next meet.

Question reference: S7W-01673

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 24 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to fulfil its duties under section 12 of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2025.

The Scottish Ministers made commencement regulations that brought section 12 into force on 16 March 2026.

The effect of section 12 coming into force is to place a duty on Scottish Ministers to publish a model lease for hutting within three years from the date of Royal Assent, that is by 16 December 2028.

Work is underway to ensure that the model will be published in good time, including through engagement with organisations who have developed model lease clauses for hutting in their region.

Question reference: S7W-01581

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 24 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to compile the proposed ancient woodland condition reports for the National Register of Ancient Woodland, including the frequency of updates and arrangements for publication.

The project team has not yet determined the methodology, format or update frequency for ancient woodland condition reporting. Developing these elements will form a substantial part of the project's work. The Register will provide outputs, including the spatial data layer, in an open, accessible, updatable and machine-readable format to maximise their usefulness. The team will follow the FAIR principles—Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable—and use recognised UK geospatial standards when developing the specification.

Question reference: S7W-01871

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 24 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the risk that post-2027 drone class-marking requirements could lead to otherwise safe and operational drones being prematurely replaced, resulting in increased electronic waste.

Product standards are a reserved matter, with drone class-marking requirements for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) set by the Civil Aviation Authority. The Scottish Government has not assessed any impacts associated with the introduction of these requirements. Drones reaching end of life can be managed through existing Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) arrangements that support collection, treatment and recycling at the end of life.

Question reference: S7W-01398

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 29 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 24 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the option of issuing retail bonds available to individuals and public institutions, and for what reason this option was not pursued in favour of wholesale bond issuance available to institutional investors.

The Scottish Government bond programme is designed to maximise value for the Scottish taxpayer by diversifying our sources of borrowing and provide more opportunities to promote Scotland as a place to invest and do business.

Therefore, in line with the Investment Panel recommendation, the Government is pursuing a conventional issuance model aimed at institutional investors. However, this does not preclude retail participation in future, and the programme is being structured to retain flexibility for a range of issuance options in subsequent years.

Question reference: S7W-01419

Asked by: Thomas Kerr, MSP for Glasgow, Reform UK
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 24 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the publication in June 2026 of the Independent Inquiry into White Working Class Educational Outcomes report, whether it will assess the extent to which white working-class boys and young men experience educational or socio-economic disadvantage in Scotland, and whether it will consider introducing targeted measures to address this where such disadvantage is identified.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that all children and young people have the opportunity to succeed, regardless of their background.

Through the Scottish Attainment Challenge, we are investing up to £200 million in 2026-27 to improve outcomes for children and young people impacted by poverty. Schools and local authorities are supported to use national and local data to identify need and target support accordingly.

This investment is complemented by wider action to tackle the impact of poverty on children's lives, including the provision of free school meals, support through the School Clothing Grant, and action across government to reduce child poverty through measures such as the Scottish Child Payment.

Question reference: S7W-01319

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Gethins on 24 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S7O-00110, S7O-00114 and S7O-00115 by Gillian Martin on 24 June 2026 and S7F-00023 by John Swinney on 25 June 2026, what action it is taking to assess the cumulative electricity demand and energy-security impact of all the proposed hyperscale AI data centres.

Regulation and management of the electricity market is a reserved matter, however through our existing work with NESO (National Energy Systems Operator), DESNZ and stakeholders, we are assessing future energy demand and energy security considerations in the production of the Strategic Spatial Energy Plan (SSEP) and the Regional Energy Strategic Plan. This includes data centres, and will enable us to plan for generation and demand scenarios from 2030-2050.

Question reference: S7W-01387

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 26 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 24 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with NHS Dumfries and Galloway regarding any impact of the Vision 3 system rollout in GP practices in the region.

Public Services Delivery Scotland has maintained regular engagement and planning discussions with representatives from NHS Dumfries and Galloway throughout the implementation programme. Communication and coordination have been undertaken through established governance and project management arrangements to support rollout planning and delivery.

NHS Dumfries and Galloway has agreed and signed off implementation plans up to and including Quarter 4 2026.