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-02419

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Flynn on 10 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether the High Growth Unit will operate within government or as a public body

Question reference: S7W-02763

Asked by: Laura Moodie, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 31 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 10 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish an update to the Ancient Woodland Inventory and what consideration it will give to updating the inventory on a rolling basis.

Question reference: S7W-02623

Asked by: Andrew Baxter, MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 21 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 10 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of reports that Pension Credit claims have been incorrectly recalculated following awards of Pension Age Disability Payment or Carer Support Payment, and what steps it is taking to resolve problems with communication between Social Security Scotland and the Department for Work and Pensions.

When concerns have been raised about the interaction between Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) benefits and Pension Age Disability Payment or Carer Support Payment, Social Security Scotland has worked with DWP to investigate those cases.

Investigations undertaken to date have not identified any systemic issues affecting Pension Credit calculations following an award of Pension Age Disability Payment or Carer Support Payment. Neither have they identified evidence that the cases examined resulted from a failure in the routine sharing of information between Social Security Scotland and DWP.

Social Security Scotland continues to work closely with DWP to ensure information is shared appropriately and systems operate as intended. This includes investigating individual cases when concerns are raised and working jointly with DWP to resolve any issues identified.

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-02743

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 31 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 10 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has committed to flood defence schemes in 2026-27, and how much it plans to commit in each year of the current parliamentary session.

In 2026-27 £42 million of the local government General Capital Grant will be allocated to flood resilience activity. Local authorities are responsible for developing and delivering flood protection schemes in their areas and funding provided to local authorities this year has been provided on a flexible basis to support local needs and priorities.

Funding allocations for future years of the current parliamentary session will be considered through future budget and local government finance settlements. In parallel, we are working with COSLA to reform funding arrangements for major flood resilience projects to ensure greatest efficiency for public funds.

Question reference: S7W-02649

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 10 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact on the Scottish Land Commission's work and expertise, particularly in relation to community land ownership, of operating with four rather than five Land Commissioners, as provided for in the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2016.

I wrote to the Parliament’s Rural Affairs Committee on 3 September 2026 to notify them of my intention to bring forward a Scottish statutory instrument which, subject to Parliament’s consideration, will amend the number of Land Commissioners at the Scottish Land Commission from five to four. We expect the instrument to be laid in early October. The letter can be found on the Parliament’s website https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/committees/current-and-previous-committees/session-7/rural-affairs-committee/correspondence/2026/land-reform-scotland-act-2016-of-3-september

Ministers will continue to comply with the requirements of the 2016 Act, including having regard to the desirability of the Commission, taken as a whole, having expertise or experience across the areas set out in the 2016 Act when making future appointments.

Question reference: S7W-02493

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 17 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 10 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Historic Environment Scotland regarding the creation of a targeted, fast-track grant stream exclusively for small business owners seeking to restore original architectural details to listed or conservation area commercial properties.

Decisions relating to the development and administration of HES grant programmes are operational matters for HES, which exercises its functions independently of Scottish Ministers.

There may be existing HES grants which would be suitable for small business owners to apply for. More information on HES grants and funding is available on the organisation's website: https://www.historicenvironment.scot/grants-and-funding/.

Question reference: S7W-02502

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 17 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Flynn on 10 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is, regarding any impact on Scotland, on the statement by the Director General for Rail Services at the UK Department for Transport, Alex Hynes, to the House of Commons Transport Select Committee that “by having bi-mode trains you inadvertently weaken the business case for further electrification”.

Question reference: S7O-00248

Asked by: Yi-pei Chou Turvey, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 September 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on ensuring that families, particularly those in rural areas, have choice and flexibility in accessing childcare services

Question reference: S7O-00243

Asked by: Katherine Sangster, MSP for Edinburgh and Lothians East, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 September 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that students who are enrolled in, but not regularly attending college courses, are accurately classified in statistics on young people who are not in education, employment or training.