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-35229

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 11 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an updated assessment of whether Scotland is on track to reach net zero by 2045.

This Government’s commitment to net zero by 2045 is absolutely unwavering. We await the advice of the Climate Change Committee on new Carbon Budget levels, expected on 21 May 2025. Once we have received this advice, we will bring forward the Scottish Carbon Emission Targets via secondary legislation, with the aim of publishing a draft Climate Change Plan to achieve those targets in the autumn, which will set a deliverable course towards net zero. The analysis undertaken by the Ricardo study, which was published on the Scottish Government Website in 2024, was only based on the information at that time on delivery of policies in the Climate Change Plan update which covers the period up to 2032. Further policies are currently under development for the next Climate Change Plan which will cover the period up to 2040 and the draft for consultation will include information on costs and benefits of the policies.

Question reference: S6W-35238

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 11 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its guidance on applying the waste hierarchy, what discussions it has had with (a) SEPA and (b) affected communities regarding new energy-from-waste incineration sites that have already received approval, including what consideration has been made for community (i) consent and (ii) engagement regarding these sites.

There are currently three Energy from Waste (EfW) sites currently in construction and commissioning and SEPA keeps the Scottish Government updated about their development.

With respect to community consent, these facilities require planning consent from the relevant local authority and a permit from SEPA. Both the planning process and SEPA permitting process include formal consultation processes.

For EfW permits, SEPA consults the public twice: firstly at an early stage of the application and again on SEPA’s draft determination and draft decision document. This process has been followed for all EfW permits to date. Some EfW facilities also have regular liaison meetings with their local community and SEPA attends when invited.

Permits plus compliance and monitoring data are published by SEPA on its public register and EfW operators are also required, via the permit, to publish their monitoring data on their own website. There is also a 24 hour pollution hotline which members of the public can use to inform SEPA of any issues associated with an EfW facility.

Question reference: S6W-35283

Asked by: Gillian Mackay, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 11 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider the merits of a national HIV testing week for Scotland.

A national HIV testing week was carefully considered by the HIV Transmission Elimination Scoping Group, including clinical and public health experts, who did not recommend that it should be prioritised in the short to medium term. Based on the Group’s advice, our HIV Transmission Elimination Delivery Plan 2023-26 sets out our approach to addressing stigma and promoting HIV testing on a consistent, year-round basis. However, the Scottish Government has committed to reviewing the potential costs and benefits of a national testing week once priority actions to expand capacity and improve access to testing have been progressed.

Question reference: S6W-35218

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 11 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government on what dates since 2011 were any costs of HMP Highland communicated to the Scottish Government, and what the estimated costs were on each date.

There has been regular communication between the Scottish Government and the Scottish Prison Service on HMP Highland, including costs, since 2011, in line with updates to the Infrastructure Investment Plan.

In September 2011 the Scottish Government was updated that the total capital investment for HMP Highland was estimated at £52m.
In August 2014 the Scottish Government was updated that the total capital investment for HMP Highland was estimated at £62.8m.
In December 2015 the Scottish Government was updated that the total capital investment for HMP Highland was estimated at £66m.
In July 2018 the Scottish Government was updated that the total capital investment for HMP Highland was estimated at £73.9m.
In November 2018 the Scottish Government was updated that the total capital investment for HMP Highland was estimated at £80.5m.
In March 2020 the Scottish Government was updated that the total capital investment for HMP Highland was estimated at £92m.
In February 2021 the Scottish Government was updated that the total capital investment for HMP Highland was estimated at £98m - £110m.
In July 2022 the Scottish Government was updated that the total capital investment for HMP Highland was estimated at £139.5m.
In February 2024 the Scottish Government was updated that the total capital investment for HMP Highland would be £209m.

Question reference: S6W-35233

Asked by: Sandesh Gulhane, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 11 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many people in Scotland have (a) transfusion dependent thalassaemia and (b) sickle cell disease, also broken down by how many might be eligible for treatment with exagamglogene autotemcel, a gene-edited therapy manufactured in Scotland, if this was made available.

Question reference: S6T-02395

Asked by: Meghan Gallacher, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 10 March 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 11 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that people live in safe, warm homes, in light of reports that the number of properties falling below the "tolerable standard" in order to be fit for habitation has increased from an estimated 54,000 in 2018 to 729,000 in 2023.

Question reference: S6T-02407

Asked by: Audrey Nicoll, MSP for Aberdeen South and North Kincardine, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 10 March 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 11 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of joint calls on the UK Government from business leaders in Scotland for the project to be progressed as a priority, whether it will provide an update on what engagement it has had with the UK Government regarding the Acorn carbon capture and storage project and Scotland’s journey to net zero.

Question reference: S6F-03889

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 10 March 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 13 March 2025

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6F-03900

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 10 March 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 13 March 2025

To ask the First Minister whether he will provide an update on how the Scottish Government is working to improve healthy life expectancy.

Question reference: S6F-03906

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 10 March 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 13 March 2025

To ask the First Minister what steps the Scottish Government is considering to further support Scotland's universities, in light of reports that the University of the West of Scotland reported a multi-million pound deficit in the last financial year, with other universities across Scotland in a similar financial position.