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-01007

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 12 June 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 26 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Police Scotland regarding cross-border organised crime and so-called county lines drug activity affecting Scotland.

Question reference: S7W-01009

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 12 June 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 26 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what support is available to victims of cuckooing, where a person's home is taken over by others for criminal activity.

Question reference: S7W-00998

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 12 June 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 26 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government by what date Transport Scotland will approve the opening of the new M80 overbridge at Robroyston.

Question reference: S7W-01011

Asked by: Q Manivannan, MSP for Edinburgh and Lothians East, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 12 June 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 26 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the closure of the workplace nursery at Victoria Quay in October 2025, and reports that some staff have reduced their working hours or left employment, (a) what assessment it has made of the impact of the closure on staff with childcare responsibilities, and (b) whether it has any plans to secure new on-site nursery provision.

Question reference: S7W-00992

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 12 June 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 26 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of a 2024 UK Government report suggesting that ketamine use among young people in England and Wales had increased by 231% since March 2013, what plans it has for related research to be carried out in Scotland.

Question reference: S7W-01000

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 12 June 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 26 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S7W-00117 by Kirsten Oswald on 29 May 2026 and in light of reported comments by the First Minister regarding the Northern Ireland Troubles and Sinn Féin, whether any ministers have met with veterans groups on the matter.

Question reference: S7W-00997

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 12 June 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 26 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what specialist services are available in Scotland for people experiencing long-term health complications arising from ketamine use.

Question reference: S7W-00694

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scot and Lothians West, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 01 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 12 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to recycle or reinvest the financial returns generated through previous or current Help to Buy schemes, including any profits or equity stakes, into the delivery of additional housing supply, and, if so, how these funds will be allocated.

Budgets are set annually by the Scottish Parliament: The Scottish Budget Process | Scottish Parliament Website

The Scottish Budget incorporates all money expected to be received from the Barnett determined block grant, borrowing, taxes raised in Scotland and other sources of income including the expected income from the sale of shared equity, including from Help to Buy schemes. This anticipated income then provides the framework for the spending decisions made by Scottish Ministers and set out in the Scottish budget which is then scrutinised voted on by the Scottish parliament.

Income received from Help to Buy Scotland has been, and will continue to be used, to fund the spending decisions made by Scottish Ministers. The Scottish Budget 2026 to 2027 includes anticipated Financial Transaction (FT) Receipts of £80 million which support the Affordable Housing Supply Programme FT budget of £163.4 million. Please refer to the Housing Tab in the supporting Level 4 Workbooks 2026-27 Supporting documents - Scottish Budget 2026 to 2027 - gov.scot.

Question reference: S7W-00665

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 01 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 12 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider exploring the introduction of a public interest test to assess whether a service can be delivered more effectively in-house before any decision to outsource is made.

Public bodies are required to ensure delivery models achieve best value and meet the needs of the communities they serve. Decisions on whether services are delivered in-house or outsourced are a strategic matter for Scottish public bodies, taken through established commissioning and business planning processes.

While there is no single mandated public interest test in Scotland presently, the underlying principle of early, evidence-based assessment of delivery options are reflected in existing frameworks, with the Scottish Public Finance Manual and business case development processes supporting evidence-based decisions. These include consideration of value for money, affordability, risk, skills, capacity and wider impacts.

The Scottish Government keeps its approach to service delivery under review as part of its wider programme of public service reform. As part of this, we are currently exploring the opportunity to introduce a public interest test to further support make or buy decisions.

Question reference: S7W-00834

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 05 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Gethins on 12 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential for geothermal energy in Scotland.

In 2014, a Scottish Government commissioned study identified significant potential for deep geothermal in Scotland’s abandoned mine workings, hot sedimentary aquifers and hot dry rocks.

Our 2021 Heat in Buildings Strategy recognises that this resource, although less well developed in Scotland than other technologies, could have a role to play, for some communities, in the decarbonisation of heat. The Strategy includes a commitment to continue to explore that potential. We continue to work with partners to better understand this resource and to share what we have learned.

The Scotland Heat Map is a GIS tool that can be used to identify opportunities to reduce carbon emissions from heat in buildings. The map enables users to visualise and assess who needs heat and where sources of heat might come from, including the sub-surface.