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-00253

Asked by: David Green, MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 May 2026
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 5 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) GPs, (b) consultants and (c) dentists have been recruited to rural and island areas through the Golden Hellos initiative, which aims to improve such recruitment in rural and island communities, in each of the last five years, and how retention rates compare with urban areas.

The Scottish Government does not hold this information. Golden Hello payments are issued to eligible GPs by NHS Territorial Health Boards.

NHS Boards are not required to inform the Scottish Government of the number of Golden Hello payments that are made to eligible GPs. NHS Boards are responsible for all contractual arrangements with their GP practices. As a result, the Scottish Government does not routinely monitor these arrangements.

The Golden Hello initiative does not currently apply to dentists or consultants.

Question reference: S7W-00450

Asked by: Joe Fagan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 May 2026
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 5 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how many battery energy storage applications have been (a) granted and (b) rejected by the Energy Consents Unit.

Question reference: S7W-00310

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 May 2026
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 5 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its commitment to reduce the public sector workforce, for what reason the devolved civil service headcount increased in the year to December 2025.

In the calendar year to December 2025 the core Scottish Government made a reduction of 2.5% in its total workforce, including both directly employed FTE and contingent worker headcount, as a result of tighter recruitment controls being implemented and taking effect.

The increases in the overall number has occurred in specific public bodies outside of core Scottish Government. As tighter recruitment controls are rolled out across Public Bodies we will see headcount reductions there too to meet our targets going forward.

Question reference: S7W-00604

Asked by: Andrew Baxter, MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 May 2026
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 5 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what representations it has made to the UK Government regarding the impact on service users in Scotland of changes to Motability scheme costs and mileage arrangements arising from its Autumn Budget 2025 tax changes.

The Scottish Government has been working closely with Motability to understand how any changes it is considering to its provision as a consequence of the removal of tax exemptions in the UK Budget might affect customers in Scotland, including those living in rural, remote rural and island communities.

The UK Government did not consult the Scottish Government on its changes to the associated tax exemptions in the November 2025 Budget, despite the clear and significant impacts for the devolved Accessible Vehicles and Equipment (AVE) Scheme in Scotland under which Motability is the provider. Scottish Ministers wrote to the UK Government in November upon becoming aware of the potential tax changes, emphasising that they would cause significant fear and uncertainty for disabled people who rely on the AVE Scheme to remain mobile.

The 1 July 2026 commencement announced by Motability for its changes in the rest of the UK is not set to apply in Scotland. However there may need to be future changes to Motability’s provision in Scotland under the AVE Scheme as a result of the UK tax changes, in which case customers will be notified as soon as possible.

The Scottish Government remains committed to the AVE Scheme and ensuring that eligible clients get the right support to meet their needs and to allow them to remain independent.

Question reference: S7W-00629

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 May 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Flynn on 5 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the use of discontinuous electrification to electrify the east coast rail line to Aberdeen.

Question reference: S7W-00572

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 May 2026
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 5 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to establish an urban regeneration company for Glasgow city centre, based on the Clyde Gateway model, in light of the debate on motion S6M-06302 (Transforming Scotland’s Vacant and Derelict Sites) on 14 December 2022 in which the Minister for Public Finance, Planning and Community Wealth said, “I have been incredibly impressed with what I have seen at Clyde Gateway, particularly in respect of the bold and almost entrepreneurial spirit in its vision for the area. There is certainly something in Mr Sweeney’s suggestion that that model could play a bigger role and be replicated, so that its culture, vision and attitude can better inform how the public sector as a whole engages in long-term redevelopment projects” and the article in The Herald on 8 January 2024, Sauchiehall Street could pass for a zombie apocalypse set.

Question reference: S7W-00633

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 May 2026
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 5 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what timeline has been agreed for the £500 million investment to extend free childcare to children aged between nine months and 12-years-old that it announced in March 2026.

The Scottish Government is in the early stages of work to develop a future childcare expansion. This will draw on learning from the delivery of the expansion to 1140 hours, insights from our work in Early Adopter Communities, and the experience and voices of the childcare sector, parents, carers and children. Any expansion should be firmly focused on the needs of children and families.

As set out in Parliament, detailed design, delivery approaches and timelines are still being developed but our commitment is to expand childcare provision over the course of the current parliamentary term. Given the scale and complexity of the programme, further information on scope, costs and phasing will be set out as work progresses.

Question reference: S7W-00632

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scot and Lothians West, Reform UK
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 May 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 5 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made toward establishing a register of ancient woodlands.

In line with the action in the Scottish Biodiversity Delivery Plan, the development of a new Ancient Woodland Register is in progress.

NatureScot is leading this and has set up a steering group which includes public bodies and wider stakeholders to support the development of the Register. Resources have been allocated to commission a contractor over the next two years to work with the steering group to develop and publish the Register.

Question reference: S7W-00517

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Edinburgh and Lothians East, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 May 2026
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 5 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government when "Isla’s Principles", to ensure that children and young people presenting with potential cancer symptoms receive prompt diagnoses, will be fully implemented across NHS Scotland.

Question reference: S7W-00628

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 May 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Flynn on 5 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to support further electrification of the east coast rail line to Aberdeen by the end of the current parliamentary session.

The Scottish Government remains committed to continued electrification of passenger rail services in Scotland.

Electrification plans are being developed to align with Scotrail's fleet renewal requirements, in order to deliver electrification and decarbonisation in the most efficient manner. Our plans for the fleet renewal programme is set out in Transport Scotland Rail Recharged: Scotland’s Fleet Transition Strategy, published in November 2025.