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-38886

Asked by: Meghan Gallacher, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 20 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 4 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on which clean heating solutions are most effective for reducing fuel poverty in rural and remote areas.

The Scottish Government will introduce a revised Heat in Buildings Bill that will set a new target for decarbonising heating systems by 2045, alongside continuing work to reduce fuel poverty. This includes introducing a minimum energy efficiency standard in the private rented sector, where fuel poverty rates are at 44%. The worst levels of fuel poverty are associated with the lowest energy performance certificate bandings.

The revised Heat in Buildings Bill will take a technology-neutral approach to decarbonising Scotland’s buildings, recognising that different properties and people will require different heating solutions. It is important that a whole-house approach is taken to ensure that whichever heating solution is chosen for the property can run effectively, and this might involve installing energy efficiency measures as well as a heating system.

While not appropriate for most homes, which will be suitable for heat pumps or heat networks, bioenergy – as a low carbon, renewable energy source – may be the best solution for decarbonising homes in some remote and rural communities. We intend to ensure sustainable bioenergy and biofuels remain an option for these communities. Support for households in, or at risk of, fuel poverty is available through our Warmer Homes Scotland scheme, including those in rural and remote areas.

Question reference: S6W-38887

Asked by: Meghan Gallacher, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 20 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 4 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will make an assessment of any potential merits of the use of renewable liquid gases in properties where a heat pump cannot be fitted.

While not appropriate for most homes, bioenergy, including renewable liquid biofuels, is a low carbon, renewable energy source which can prove the best solution to decarbonising heating in some remote and rural communities. We intend to ensure that sustainable bioenergy and biofuels remain an option for these communities, and the provisions of our proposed Heat in Buildings Bill will take a technology-neutral approach so that building owners are able to choose the technology which is right for them.

We are currently consulting on proposals for a Heat and Energy Efficiency Technical Suitability Assessment (HEETSA). The consultation will remain open until 29 August 2025. The HEETSA will include a technical suitability assessment methodology that allows for the comparative assessment of different clean heat options in a property and provide information on when the installation of a system would not be suitable.

Question reference: S6W-38830

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 4 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S6W-38221 and S6W-38222 by Marie Todd on 17 June 2025, whether its answer means that fewer than five people under 18 have been subject to a place of safety order in each of the last five years, and, if this is not the case, in which of the last five years there were more than five people under 18 who were made subject to a place of safety order.

The Mental Welfare Commission publish an annual monitoring report on the use of the Mental Health Act which breaks down the percentage of individuals subject to a place of safety order by age. The publication does not provide the number of people subject to a place of safety order by age.

The requested information is not held by the Scottish Government. As it is a matter for the Mental Welfare Commission, you may wish to contact them directly at: [email protected].

Question reference: S6W-38748

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 4 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what the percentage mortality was of naturally produced (a) salmon ova, (b) alveins, (c) fry, (d) parr and (e) smolts in each year since 2021.

Question reference: S6W-38767

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 4 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will list any meetings held in the last 10 years between Scottish Enterprise and representatives of Flamingo Land Lomond Banks, or consultants acting on its behalf.

Question reference: S6W-38836

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 4 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of it adopting a mechanism for the carbon contracts pilot to offer to buy a portion of carbon credits at an agreed price, what other options to support investment were considered; for what reasons they were rejected, and whether it will publish its latest assessment of these reasons.

Question reference: S6W-38765

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 4 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether there has been any assessment of the potential impact of a reported reduction in funding by Integration Joint Boards (IJB) on dementia services.

In addition to the overall financial envelop for Health and Social Care reaching record levels at £21.7 billion in 2025-26, the budget includes almost £2.2 billion for social care and integration – exceeding our commitment to increase funding by 25% by almost £350 million.

Despite this, I recognise the challenges that Health and Social Care Partnerships are facing in balancing budgets during current financial pressures.

Whilst the Scottish Government has overall responsibility for health and social care support policy in Scotland, it is for local authorities and health boards to work with the Health and Social Care Partnerships to ensure that social care support services are in place to provide people with the appropriate support. The Scottish Government does however expect that whenever changes are set to take place, all stakeholders are consulted and that services continue to offer the necessary support required.

Question reference: S6W-38741

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 4 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it has reportedly delayed commencement of section 1(4) and section 30(2) of the Children (Scotland) Act 2020.

The Scottish Government outlined our approach to commencing section 1(4) and section 30(2) of the Children (Scotland) Act 2020 in my letter of 11 March 2025 to the Convener of the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee. This letter can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/-/media/files/committees/equalities-human-rights-and-civil-justice-committee/correspondence/2025/non-implementation-of-acts-of-the-scottish-parliament-11-march-2025.pdf. As I outlined, the Scottish Government intends to lay commencement regulations later this year which will include section 1(4) and section 30(2). There will be a lead-in period of around 12 months before these provisions come into force to take account of operational implications for the courts and any need to put court rules in place.

Question reference: S6W-38773

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 4 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how much (a) it and (b) Scottish Enterprise has spent on engagement with Flamingo Land Lomond Banks in each year since it first indicated an interest in the site at Balloch.

Question reference: S6W-38768

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 4 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will list each occasion that Scottish Enterprise met with Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park at which the Flamingo Land Lomond Banks planning application was discussed.