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: S6W-38285

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 19 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the reported decision not to fund the proposed submarine welding centre on the Clyde aligns with its commitment to supporting Scotland's shipbuilding industry and skilled workforce.

We recognise the importance of the shipbuilding sector for Scotland’s economy including its strategic importance in shaping Scotland’s future workforce. That is why we are already undertaking a major programme of reform to the skills system to ensure that it meets Scotland’s needs, including investing up to £2 million to develop engineering skills in the Glasgow City Region, designed by the Clyde Maritime Cluster in partnership with Skills Development Scotland. We are also actively engaging with the UK Government on the development of its forthcoming Industrial Strategy and its planned review of the National Shipbuilding Strategy, emphasising Scotland's strengths in shipbuilding and maritime technology. However, the Scottish Government’s long-standing policy position is that neither the Government nor its agencies use public money to support the manufacture of munitions.

Question reference: S6W-38646

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 19 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what measures are in place to ensure that local authorities effectively enforce smoke control area regulations and address complaints, particularly regarding the use of unauthorised fuels in domestic wood-burning stoves.

Question reference: S6W-38488

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 09 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 19 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-36825 by Gillian Martin on 8 May 2025, whether local authorities will be permitted to use funds from the extended producer responsibility scheme to cover payments to emissions trading schemes.

In line with the Verity House Agreement, funding resulting from extended producer responsibility for packaging (pEPR) will not be ring-fenced or directed, unless there is a clear joint understanding to do so. However, the purpose of the funding, to pay for the cost of managing household packaging waste - is clearly set out in legislation.

Payments under pEPR will support the costs of effective and efficient collection systems for household packaging waste. This includes the costs of incineration. Payments will be adjusted in future years to account for additional costs that local authorities may face, including those incurred under the proposed expansion of the emissions trading scheme.

Question reference: S6W-38486

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 09 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 19 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether the cost of littered materials, which will be included in the upcoming deposit return scheme, will be used to calculate the total cost of litter to be included in the (packaging) extended producer responsibility scheme.

The Scottish Government is committed that extended producer responsibility for packaging (pEPR) should cover the full net costs of both binned and ground litter cleanup and disposal, and to its introduction in regulations as soon as practicable. However, binned and ground littered household packaging cleanup and disposal costs are not yet included in disposal cost fees producers are obligated to pay under the pEPR scheme.

PackUK, the scheme administrator for pEPR, will fund public information campaigns focused on the reduction of littered packaging, and report on items of packaging commonly littered or disposed of in street bins. Items covered by the upcoming deposit return scheme (drink containers made of PET plastic, aluminum, and steel) are excluded from disposal cost fees under pEPR.

Question reference: S6W-38470

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 09 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 19 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what funding it has provided to small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) in the last 12 months, and what percentage of any funding went to SMEs based outside of Edinburgh and Glasgow.

The Scottish Government supports the full range of businesses primarily through its enterprise agencies, Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and South of Scotland Enterprise. As such the allocation of this direct funding to the size of businesses is held by each agency along with the number of businesses supported outside the cities of Edinburgh and Glasgow. Please email Scottish Government Enterprise Sponsorship team on [email protected] if you would like to contact the agencies directly.

Question reference: S6W-38471

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 09 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 19 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many micro-grants of £500 Business Gateway has provided in the last 12 months, broken down by (a) location of recipient and (b) what they were used for.

Question reference: S6W-38519

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 09 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 19 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what lessons have been learned from the Tarbolton Moss case to inform future policy on the management and remediation of abandoned landfill sites.

There are provisions in the Pollution Prevention and Control (Scotland) Regulations 2012 and the Landfill (Scotland) Regulations 2003 to require companies to make adequate financial provisions for landfill aftercare and this requirement is also included in the Environmental Authorisations (Scotland) Amendments Regulations 2025. However, in the case of Tarbolton Moss the company was dissolved without any such funds remaining.

Officials continue to work with SEPA to understand how this occurred to ensure that the risk for similar future scenarios is minimised.

Furthermore, to minimise risk of further site abandonment, we will continue to work closely with local authorities and commercial operators to examine challenges faced before the commencement of the ban on landfilling biodegradable municipal waste on 31 December 2025.

Question reference: S6W-38071

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 09 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 19 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Scottish Medicines Consortium guidance on the use of ritlecitinib for alopecia areata is in alignment with the guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), which states that living with severe alopecia areata can have a profound impact on psychosocial health.

Following a full submission from Pfizer Ltd, in advice published on 8 April 2024, the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) accepted ritlecitinib (Litfulo®) for use in the National Health Service (NHS) in Scotland for the treatment of severe alopecia areata in adults and adolescents aged 12 years and over. The detailed advice is available on the SMC’s website:

https://scottishmedicines.org.uk/medicines-advice/ritlecitinib-litfulo-full-smc2610/

The SMC and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) utilise different processes and methodologies, particularly in terms of scope and timelines and therefore, it would not be appropriate to comment on whether their guidance aligns.

Question reference: S6W-38386

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 19 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it currently oversees the work of non-departmental public bodies, also known as quangos; how they are held accountable for their decision-making, and whether it plans to review any such arrangements.

The Scottish Public Finance Manual (SPFM) sets out the lines of accountability for public bodies. Executive NDPBs are directly accountable to Ministers, and through Ministers to Parliament. The Chief Executive is designated as the Accountable Officer (AO) responsible for the use of resources. However, Ministers remain accountable to the Parliament for the allocation of public funds. A Board holds the Chief Executive to account and the relationship between Ministers, SG and the NDPB is set out in the relevant legislation and the Framework Document for the public body. Sponsorship also plays a crucial role in ensuring that public bodies are contributing as fully as possible to delivering the Government’s targets and National Performance Framework national outcomes.

Further information can be found in the written submission to the SPCB Supported Bodies Landscape Review Committee which can be viewed on the Parliament’s website.

Question reference: S6O-04854

Asked by: Colin Beattie, MSP for Midlothian North and Musselburgh, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 June 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the aim under action 20 of the Housing to 2040 strategy to streamline and accelerate the adaptations system.