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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

Filter your results Hide all filters

Displaying 2670 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S7W-01639

Asked by: Sanne Dijkstra-Downie, MSP for Edinburgh Northern, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 10 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Gethins on 7 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the extent to which local authorities are effectively incorporating heat network zones into their Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategies, and what action it is taking where progress is insufficient.

Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategies(LHEES) support local authorities to take a strategic approach to the delivery of heat networks. The Scottish Government has reviewed all 32 LHEES and found that all local authorities have assessed the potential for heat networks and identified any potential heat network zones in their LHEES. Where appropriate, local authorities have also identified actions to support heat network delivery in their LHEES delivery plans.

The 32 LHEES set out the significant opportunities for the development of heat networks across Scotland. They identified large-scale opportunities for heat networks in many towns and cities – with Glasgow and Edinburgh highlighting potential for heat networks to serve up to 4.4 and 3.7 TWh of heat demand per year. Opportunities for shared ground loops in less heat dense areas were also identified, for example in Highland Council’s LHEES.

We have created a clear pathway from LHEES to delivery with respect to heat networks: LHEES identify potential heat network zones, and our HNSU is working with local authorities to help commercialise them, in preparation for any capital funding bid to SHNF.

Question reference: S7W-01764

Asked by: Duncan Dunlop, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 7 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it plans to have with the independent panel of experts developing recommendations for the UK Department for Education and UK Department of Health of Social Care on the design, structure and content of the draft National Inclusion Standards and Specialist Provision Packages.

Proposals announced by The Department for Education in April 2026 seek to implement major structural change to the system of support for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

As part of the proposals, expert panels are being established to develop recommendations on the design, structure and content of the National Inclusion Standards and Specialist Provision Packages. These expert panels will establish the recommended level of support required for children and young people in both mainstream settings and specialist provisions as well as identifying the appropriate means of delivering this support.

Scottish Government officials are actively engaged with colleagues within the Department for Education on the ongoing reforms, and will engage with the Expert Panels for National Inclusions Standards and Specialist Provision Packages where appropriate.

Question reference: S7W-01634

Asked by: Sanne Dijkstra-Downie, MSP for Edinburgh Northern, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 10 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Gethins on 7 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what funding has been allocated to Scotland's Heat Network Fund for the current financial year, and whether it will commit to maintaining this fund across the full current parliamentary session, with flexible timelines to account for rising delivery costs.

Heat in Buildings is allocated £302.5m capital in the 2026-27 Scottish Budget, which includes funding for Scotland’s Heat Network Fund. This budget provides flexibility across schemes, and spending via Scotland’s Heat Network Fund is dependent on there being demand from projects that meet essential criteria and represent good value for money.

Scotland’s Heat Network Fund is currently open until March 2030 as announced by the previous administration. It operates flexible timelines to accommodate the complex development cycle of a heat network.

Question reference: S7W-01769

Asked by: Kristopher Leask, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 17 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Gethins on 7 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will set out the process by which the Strategic Spatial Energy Plan (SSEP), which it is co-sponsoring with the UK Government, will be approved, and when it expects that process to be concluded.

The process for the development and approval of the SSEP is set out in the Commissioning letter and the SSEP methodology both of which are publicly available. The decision on the initial pathway for the SSEP will be made by the Secretary of State in autumn 2026, following input from Scottish and Welsh Governments. The finalised Pathway Options Report prepared by NESO will be issued to UK, Scottish and Welsh Government at the end of August. It is expected that the chosen pathway will go out for public consultation in early 2027 with the final SSEP agreed in Autumn 2027.

Question reference: S7W-01674

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scot and Lothians West, Reform UK
Date lodged: Monday, 13 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 7 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration has been given to the development of a funding model that recognises the heritage and community value of listed places of worship in Scotland.

Question reference: S7W-01680

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Flynn on 7 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what methodology is used to determine the frequency of train services on the Milngavie line and what would be required to restore a service frequency of four services per hour outwith peak times.

Question reference: S7W-01672

Asked by: Jack Middleton, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Flynn on 7 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government when it expects a £2 bus fare cap to be rolled out in Aberdeen.

Following the successful introduction of the Bus Fare Cap Pilot across the Highlands and Islands earlier this year, work is ongoing with partners, including operators, to progress a £2 bus fare cap to Glasgow, Ayrshire, Dunbartonshire, Renfrewshire, Lanarkshire and Inverclyde within the first 100 days of this government.

We are also committed to bringing forward legislation for a £2 bus fare cap across Scotland by the end of this parliament, building on the evidence from the current pilot.

Question reference: S7W-02317

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 August 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 3 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government when it will complete and publish a quantitative and spatially specific assessment of the contribution that measures in the 2025 Programme of Measures under the Marine Strategy Regulations 2010 are expected to make towards Scotland's agreed share of UK-wide seafloor integrity targets.

Question reference: S7W-02318

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 August 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 3 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to the question S7W-01610 by Maree Todd on 5th August 2026, whether, and on what timeline, it will publish the recommendations provided by the six Long Term Conditions Advisory Groups.

Question reference: S7W-02328

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scot and Lothians West, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 August 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 3 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government (a) how many housing adaptations have been approved through the Registered Social Landlord Adaptations Programme in 2026-27 so far, broken down by registered social landlord, and (b) what proportion this represents of the estimated 8,500 adaptations associated with the programme that were budgeted for as part of its Budget for 2026/27.