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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

Filter your results Hide all filters

Displaying 4322 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S7W-02907

Asked by: Sanne Dijkstra-Downie, MSP for Edinburgh Northern, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 16 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how many vehicles have been searched or seized using powers introduced under the Circular Economy (Scotland) Act 2024 in relation to suspected illegal waste activity, and how many of these cases have led to enforcement action since the introduction of the Act.

Question reference: S7W-02837

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 16 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to work proactively with the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service to address any systemic delays in the prosecution of sexual offences and to improve support for survivors of sexual violence.

Survivors show great bravery and trust in our justice system when they come forward to report sexual violence. There has been a long-term increase in the reporting and prosecution of sexual offence cases, which in part reflects the growing confidence victims have in reporting, as well as the success of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) in prosecuting these cases.

The Scottish Government and COPFS meet regularly at both Ministerial and official level, and improving the experiences of survivors of sexual offences is a key area of focus. Through the Victims Taskforce, co-chaired by myself and Lord Advocate, we are working with justice partners to improve the experiences of victims and survivors, including those affected by sexual violence - in particular COPFS are members of the Trauma-informed Workstream of the Taskforce, dedicated to implementing the trauma informed knowledge and skills framework, and the Communications Workstream, which focuses on improving communication with victims and witnesses. The Taskforce’s work is informed by the Victims and Survivors Advisory Board, ensuring that lived experience is central to the development of a trauma-informed and person-centred justice system that better meets the needs of victims and survivors.

The Scottish Government has also significantly increased investment in COPFS over recent years, recognising the growing volume and complexity of casework, including the increase in sexual offence cases. The Crown Office budget allocation for 2026-27 is £259.9 million – more than double the Service’s published budget for 2019-20.

Question reference: S7W-02808

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 September 2026
Current Status: Holding Answer by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 16 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that the proposed operational framework for Compulsory Sales Orders will integrate with existing efforts to streamline Compulsory Purchase Orders to provide a comprehensive toolkit for urban regeneration.

Question reference: S7W-02905

Asked by: Sanne Dijkstra-Downie, MSP for Edinburgh Northern, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 16 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how much money has been recovered from individuals and organisations involved in illegal waste operations in each of the last five years.

SEPA has provided the following information on Fixed Monetary Penalties (FMPs) and Variable Monetary Penalties (VMPs) paid in relation to waste related activities under relevant legislation. The value of penalties paid in each of the last five financial years is set out in Table 3 in below.

Monetary Penalties paid 3[AD1]

	FY2021-22	FY2022-23	FY2023-24	FY2024-25	FY2025-26
FMPs Paid	£3,000	£4,959	£7,046	£3,540	£9,100
VMPs Paid	-	-	£8,010	-	£8,385
Total	£3,000	£4,959	£15,056	£3,540	£17,485

3 Any monies paid to SEPA in response to issued monetary penalties are transferred to the Scottish Consolidated Fund. SEPA do not receive Court Fine payments or Proceeds of Crime Confiscations.

In addition, where penalties remain outstanding, debt recovery action is initiated or repayment plans agreed. All outstanding unpaid Penalties have been referred to debt collection as of 7 September 2026.

The current cumulative value of outstanding penalties subject to recovery action or repayment arrangements is £66,003.67 for VMPs and £20,180 for FMPs.

These figures relate to the issuance of any FMP or VMP by SEPA for offences under Control of Pollution Act 1989, Environmental Protection Act 1990, Environment Act 1995, and Environmental Authorisations (Scotland) Regulations 2018. These figures do not include fines imposed by the Courts or confiscations through Proceeds of Crime for criminal proceedings in relation to illegal waste offences.

Question reference: S7W-02804

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 16 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to introduce primary legislation to establish Compulsory Sales Orders, following the publication on 26 August 2026 of the summary of responses to its consultation on compulsory purchase reform and the analysis report of its consultation on compulsory sale and lease orders.

The Scottish Government’s ‘Compulsory Purchase Reform in Scotland’ consultation demonstrated support for reforming and modernising Scotland's compulsory purchase system and we have committed to legislate for the proposed reforms during this Parliament, as set out in the Programme for Government.

The consultation also included questions about compulsory sale orders, and while respondents expressed support in principle, some questioned whether this could offer additional advantages beyond a reformed compulsory purchase process, with uncertainty about efficacy, justification and practical operation. As part of continuous improvement, we will continue to monitor whether compulsory sale powers could provide any additional benefits beyond a reformed compulsory purchase system.

Question reference: S7W-03305

Asked by: Lloyd Melville, MSP for Angus South, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 September 2026
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Stephen Flynn on 16 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its regulatory check of local road user charging powers under Part 3 of the Transport (Scotland) Act 2001.

Given the ongoing financial pressures facing households, we do not believe it is appropriate to continue work on the regulatory check of local road user charging powers at present. Accordingly, no further work is being taken forward.

The Scottish Government remains committed to meeting Scotland's carbon budget targets and achieving net zero emissions by 2045. We will continue to support sustainable travel and reduce transport emissions, contributing to delivery of the Climate Change Plan while helping to realise the economic opportunities of the transition to net zero.

Question reference: S7W-02902

Asked by: Sanne Dijkstra-Downie, MSP for Edinburgh Northern, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 16 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has identified any illegal waste sites in Scotland containing more than 20,000 tonnes of waste, comparable to the "super sites" recently identified in England, and, if so, how many such sites are known to SEPA.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) has provided data on the number of illegal waste sites containing more than 20,000 tonnes in Scotland and this is set out in the following table. The data provided is based on the investigation progress as of 7September 2026.

SEPA seeks to disrupt identified illegal activity as quickly as possible using an interventions approach to minimise the occurrence of ‘super sites’ as far as possible.

Further Information is available from SEPA.

Illegal waste sites identified with an excess of 20,000 tonnes of waste^[1]evidenced

Site Location (SEPA Geographic Locations)	Number of known Sites
Argyll, Hebrides and South Highlands	n/a
Edinburgh, Lothian and Borders	n/a
Fife, Angus and Dundee	n/a
Falkirk, Alloa, Stirling and Perth	n/a
Grampian & Speyside	n/a
Greater Glasgow and Clyde Estuary	n/a
Lanarkshire	1ⁱ
North Highland and Northern Isles	n/a

^[1]Waste remains in-situ with investigation ongoing. Tonnage not yet determined as deposits are above and below ground.

It should be noted that where SEPA investigations are still active, the tonnage may not yet be fully determined or it may be part of the evidence. As such, any data released into the public domain could compromise the investigation, influence witness statements, affect future court proceedings or impact the privacy of those involved. The data provided is set out to protect detection and investigative processes.

Throughout an investigation the calculated tonnage on site may increase or decrease, e.g. it may be determined that the illegal deposit initially identified as being above ground extends below ground level upon further investigation, resulting in an increase in tonnage. The actual tonnage of waste on a site can only be fully known once the waste has been removed and Waste Transfer Notes / Special Waste Consignment Notes / Invoices provide the definitive weight.

Question reference: S7W-02805

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 16 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the specific impact that the introduction of Compulsory Sales Orders would have on the ability of local authorities to tackle the reported backlog of long-term empty homes and derelict commercial properties.

Last year’s consultation, Compulsory Purchase Reform in Scotland, also included questions on compulsory sale orders, including whether they would add any benefits beyond a reformed compulsory purchase order process, as a tool for tackling long-term vacant or derelict properties. It is unclear from the analysis of responses whether compulsory sale powers would in practice be a simpler, quicker or cheaper option than compulsory purchase powers. Not all action on empty homes requires legislative reform and in 2026-27 we are investing £2 million to support the work of the successful Scottish Empty Homes Partnership to continue to drive down the number of empty homes.

Question reference: S7W-02806

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 16 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to include powers for Compulsory Sales Orders in any bills during the current parliamentary session, in light of the strong support for such powers expressed by local authorities and housing associations responding to its recent consultation.

As set out in S7W-02804 on 16 September 2026, views on compulsory sale orders were supportive in principle, but with valid questions on what additional advantages might be over a reformed compulsory purchase process. We will continue to monitor whether compulsory sale powers could provide any additional benefits beyond a reformed compulsory purchase system.

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.

Question reference: S7W-02807

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 16 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what interim measures it is taking to support local authorities bring vacant and derelict buildings back into productive use while the statutory framework for Compulsory Sales Orders is being developed.

We have not committed to the development of a statutory framework for Compulsory Sale Orders. National Planning Framework 4 encourages, promotes and facilitates the reuse of brownfield, vacant and derelict land and empty buildings, to help reduce the need for greenfield development. Existing compulsory purchase powers can be used to help bring such land and buildings back into use. We will continue to monitor whether compulsory sale powers could provide any additional benefits beyond a reformed compulsory purchase system.