The Scottish Parliament

Question reference: S6W-40615

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 7 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many employer accounts there are on the Energy Skills Passport pilot scheme, broken down by (a) oil and gas, (b) offshore wind, (c) onshore renewables, (d) construction, (e) defence and (f) any other sector.

The initial version of the industry-led Energy Skills Passport is a tool to support oil and gas workers identify training pathways into key offshore wind roles. Accounts are created by individual workers.

The Energy Skills Passport is an industry-led project, with Offshore Energies UK (OEUK) and RenewableUK (RUK) as the lead bodies.

The latest information available to Scottish Government regarding uptake, which covers the period from launch in January to August 2025, is that around 480 user profiles have been set up on the Passport’s digital system.

For the most up to date figures, we recommend contacting OEUK and RUK directly.

Question reference: S6W-40630

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 7 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many Energy Skills Passport pilot scheme users have (a) found work and (b) commenced funded training where use of the platform was recorded as part of the process in renewable or low-carbon roles since the scheme was launched on 22 January 2025.

Question reference: S6W-40620

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 7 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to its news release of 22 January 2025, Energy Skills Passport, how much of the £3.7 million allocated to the pilot scheme has been spent, and what the forecast outturn is for 2025-26.

Question reference: S6W-40626

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 7 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Energy Skills Passport pilot scheme supports cross-recognition of qualifications across sectors and, if so, which awarding bodies and standards are accepted.

Question reference: S6W-40725

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 7 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the reported 30 schools for which there is no recorded last condition survey date are recorded as being in "Good" condition in its School Estate Statistics 2025.

Schools built within the past five years may not yet have had a condition survey and the condition rating is based on the state of the school at the time of completion of the building works.

In situations where schools were built under PPP (Public-Private Partnerships), PFI (Private finance initiative) or similar arrangements which included school maintenance contracts, local authorities report that the buildings are monitored and maintained by a third party.

It is local authorities’ responsibility to ensure schools built under such arrangements continue to be maintained to a sufficiently high standard, given the maintenance contract that will be in place.

Question reference: S6W-40727

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 7 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the guidance suggesting that such a survey should be carried out every five years, for what reason a reported 120 schools are not recorded as having a suitability survey since 2009 or earlier in its School Estate Statistics 2025.

Question reference: S6W-40741

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 7 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has carried out an assessment of whether there is a link between the prevalence of illicit trade, recent restrictions on products such as single use vapes and the level resources available to Trading Standards in Scotland and, if so, what the outcomes were.

The Scottish Government acknowledges the complex relationship between illicit trade and the introduction of regulatory measures such as the ban on single use vapes. While comprehensive data on the scale of illicit activity remains limited, this issue was considered during the development of the Partial Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment (BRIA) and the public consultation process.

In recognition of the challenges that may arise from such restrictions, the Scottish Government has worked closely with the UK Government and devolved administrations to ensure alignment on regulatory approaches across the UK.

Trading Standards play a critical role in tackling illicit trade and ensuring compliance with new regulations. The Scottish Government has provided an additional £300k to local authorities to support implementation of the ban on single use vapes, including costs associated with storage and appropriate disposal of seized vapes. We have also provided powers to enable Trading Standards officers to issue fixed penalty notices of up to £800 to those in breach of the regulations.

The Scottish Government work closely with the Society of Chief Officers of Trading Standards in Scotland (SCOTSS), who manage the Enhanced Tobacco Sales Enforcement Programme (ETSEP), which is a key component in the Scottish Government’s Tobacco and Vaping Framework. The SG have provided £46k in 2025-26 to support a national coordinator post and specific enforcement projects, which vary year on year.

The Scottish Government remains committed to ensuring that Trading Standards are adequately resourced and supported to respond effectively to the challenges posed by illicit markets. Ongoing engagement with enforcement bodies and local authorities will inform future assessments and policy development in this area.

Question reference: S6W-40726

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 7 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the guidance suggesting that schools should have such a survey every five years, for what reason a reported 34 schools are recorded as not having had a condition survey since 2015 or earlier in its School Estate Statistics 2025.

It is the statutory responsibility of local authorities to manage their school estate, and we expect them to undertake condition surveys at least every 5 years, in line with the condition reporting core facts guidance which the Scottish Government co-produced with local authorities.

In situations where schools were built under PPP (Public-Private Partnerships), PFI (Private finance initiative) or similar arrangements which included school maintenance contracts, local authorities report that the buildings are monitored and maintained by a third party.

It is local authorities’ responsibility to ensure schools built under such arrangements continue to be maintained to a sufficiently high standard, given the maintenance contract that will be in place.

Question reference: S6W-40693

Asked by: Michelle Thomson, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 22 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 7 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the reported calls from the Scottish Retail Consortium and Scottish Tourism Alliance for the UK Government, in its upcoming Budget, to restore tax-free shopping for overseas visitors as a means of supporting Scotland’s retail, tourism and hospitality sectors.

The Scottish Government opposed the abolition of tax-free shopping when it was announced in 2020 and consistently called for the previous UK Government to listen to the industry and reconsider their position on the issue.

The Scottish Government recognises how vital tourism is to our economy. It creates jobs, sustains communities and contributes significantly to the economy and enables visitors and residents alike to experience the incredible offer we have here in Scotland. Many EU countries continue to offer tax-free shopping for non-EU visitors, which make them a more attractive tourist destination. Scotland’s vibrant retail sector is put at a disadvantage as a result.

We call on this UK Government to ensure they are listening to these consistent industry calls regarding the reinstatement of VAT free shopping.

Ultimately, the Scottish Government believes that all tax powers should be devolved to the Scottish Parliament so that we can provide the support that Scottish retailers and tourism businesses need.

Question reference: S6T-02704

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 06 October 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to meet the interim and final child poverty reduction targets, in light of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation’s finding in its report, Poverty in Scotland 2025, that current levels remain largely unchanged since 2021.

Parliament dissolved ahead of election

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