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-01952

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Flynn on 20 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what meetings the minister with responsibility for energy has had with representatives of the Scottish National Investment Bank since 2024, on what dates, and what was discussed.

There have been two meetings between the minister with responsibility for energy and representatives of the Scottish National Investment Bank since 2024.

11 January 2024: Meeting between Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Net Zero and Energy and the Bank to discuss strategic priorities.

12 March 2024: Meeting between Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Net Zero and Energy and the Bank. Introductory meeting with Chair and Chief Executive of the Bank to discuss the Bank’s progress to date and ambitions for the future.

You can find information about Ministerial engagements on the Scottish Government website at the following link:

Ministerial engagements, travel and gifts - gov.scot

Question reference: S7W-01961

Asked by: David Barratt, MSP for Cowdenbeath, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 20 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to introducing legislation to prohibit the sale, supply and release of sky lanterns, and the release of helium balloons, into the atmosphere, in similar terms to the Sky Lanterns and Balloons (Prohibition) Act 2021 on the Isle of Man.

The Scottish Government is aware of the risks that sky lanterns and helium balloons can pose to wildlife, livestock and marine animals through ingestion and entanglement. That is why we will continue to work with Keep Scotland Beautiful and other partners through delivery of the National Litter and Flytipping Strategy to prevent all sources of litter, raise awareness of their environmental impacts and encourage responsible behaviours that help protect Scotland’s natural environment.

Question reference: S7W-01936

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scot and Lothians West, Reform UK
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Flynn on 20 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to review the requirement for disabled National Entitlement Card holders whose condition is permanent, including people registered severely sight impaired, to renew their card periodically and re-submit evidence of eligibility, noting that cards issued to people aged 60 and over carry no expiry date.

National Entitlement Cards produced on the grounds of disability have an expiry date, valid up to a maximum of three years, based on the individual’s evidence of eligibility.

Health conditions for individuals may change over time as can eligibility for disability benefits which passport to the scheme. Therefore, cardholders renewing their cards need to provide updated evidence to confirm they continue to meet the eligibility criteria and receive the right type of card. This also ensures that the scheme is administered properly and protects the integrity and future sustainability of the scheme.

However, I can confirm that my officials are exploring the potential to improve the alignment between the duration of National Entitlement Card entitlement and the eligibility criteria for the scheme.

Question reference: S7W-02586

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S7W-02587

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S7W-02326

Asked by: Julie MacDougall, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Reform UK
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 19 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the recent wildfire in the Cairngorms National Park, for what reason it (a) made a request for vehicles from the Ministry of Defence, specifically water bombing helicopters, that the Ministry does not possess, and (b) turned down an offer from the Ministry of Boeing CH-47 Chinook helicopters as part of efforts to combat the fire.

As part of the response to the significant wildfire in the Cairngorms two commercially hired helicopters were in use for water bombing the fire. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) assessed that additional aerial support to drop water on the fire could aid the response. The Scottish Government sought to explore every available avenue of support and that included requesting military assistance in the form of aerial support to drop water on the fire from the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to supplement the existing aerial resources that were in place. The response was that the MoD did not currently possess aerial firefighting assets stationed within the UK.

The MOD did offer Chinook helicopters for the movement of people, troops and logistical support. However, the Scottish Government received assurance from SFRS that it had sufficient firefighters and volunteers along with logistical support to deal with the fire and therefore the offer of this other military support was not taken up.

Question reference: S7W-02349

Asked by: Michelle Campbell, MSP for Renfrewshire North and Cardonald, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 07 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Hannah Mary Goodlad on 19 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, for each local authority, (a) how many businesses received non-domestic rates relief and (b) the total value of relief awarded, in (i) 2024-25 and (ii) 2025-26.

The requested information can be found in Table 4 of both the Non-domestic rates relief statistics 2024 and the Non-domestic rates relief statistics 2025.

The figures in these publication are based on Billing System Snapshots, an annual property-level data return provided to the Scottish Government by councils. Values of reliefs are estimates based on the reliefs in place on the snapshot date. The values of reliefs reported are the total values of reliefs, funded by both the Scottish Government and by councils.

Outturn values of reliefs, including a breakdown by council area, are published in Non-domestic rates income statistics.

Question reference: S7W-01998

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 24 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 19 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of Nourish Scotland's report, Public Diners: By the Public.

The Scottish Government notes the contents of, and welcomes the effort that Nourish Scotland has put into better understanding public diners through their Public Diners: By The Public report.

We understand that a pilot scheme and further research is being undertaken in Dundee to better understand the real-world impacts of public diners. The Scottish Government is looking forward to seeing the findings of this project, in particular evidence on the feasibility and sustainability within a Scottish setting.

Question reference: S7W-01654

Asked by: Sanne Dijkstra-Downie, MSP for Edinburgh Northern, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 24 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 19 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what measures it will take to mitigate the frequency and impact of the discharge of combined sewage overflows, such as those experienced in Portobello, Edinburgh.

Scottish Water will deliver 95 improvement projects set out in its Improving Urban Waters Routemap Annual Update 2025 by December 2027. These projects include 19 overflows impacting Water Quality and 27 with sewage-related debris issues.

For Portobello specifically, Scottish Water, in collaboration with SEPA and the council, is currently carrying out a £1m study to identify potential bathing water impacts. This includes a pollution study to determine possible misconnections between the combined sewer system and the surface water/burn network. It also includes updating an impact assessment model to identify whether routine overflow events from the combined sewer system are impacting bathing water performance.

Question reference: S7W-01655

Asked by: Sanne Dijkstra-Downie, MSP for Edinburgh Northern, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 24 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 19 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what lessons it has learned from coastal locations where combined sewage overflows have been successfully reduced, and the extent to which these could be applied to other areas experiencing negative impacts from such overflows, such as Portobello, Edinburgh.

Each location can present unique challenges. Given this and level of investment often required, an evidence-led, targeted and prioritised approach to managing water quality at specific locations is essential. Within the last 10 years, Scottish Water has invested £2.7bn in improving and maintaining Scotland's public drainage system and infrastructure, with the Improving Urban Waters Routemap committing an investment of up to £500m.

In preparation for the current investment period (SR21-27), comprehensive studies were carried out to prioritise actions. Investigations found that 24 overflow locations required upgrades to deliver an improvement in water quality, and these are included in Scotland's third River Basin Management Plan (211222-final-rbmp3-scotland.pdf) to be delivered by December 2027.