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: S7F-00007

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 June 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 4 June 2026

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S7F-00010

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh North Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 June 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 4 June 2026

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S7W-00451

Asked by: Joe Fagan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 May 2026
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 3 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how many of the battery energy storage applications approved by the Energy Consents Unit are operational.

It is the Scottish Ministers who determine applications made under sections 36 and 37 of the Electricity Act 1989. The Energy Consents Unit administers these applications on their behalf.

The Energy Consents Unit does not retain data on applications which subsequently become operational. This information is available in the UK Government’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) quarterly extracts from their Renewable Energy Planning Database. The publication includes operational information pertaining to battery energy storage system (BESS) applications approved by Scottish Ministers: Renewable Energy Planning Database: quarterly extract - GOV.UK

Question reference: S7W-00226

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 May 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Flynn on 3 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to support the trial introduction of side road zebra crossings.

Question reference: S7W-00563

Asked by: Emma Roddick, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 May 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 3 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government when it expects the new Deer Code to be in place.

The Natural Environment (Scotland) Act 2026 (the 2026 Act) introduces provisions that will make changes to the Code of Practice for Deer Management currently defined by the Deer (Scotland) Act 1996.

We expect that the provisions in the 2026 Act will be enacted in a phased manner, and we will set out further details about the timetable for commencing and implementing the individual provisions in the 2026 Act in due course.

We will continue to engage with stakeholders during the commencement and implementation phases, and we will ensure stakeholders and members of the public have sufficient time to prepare before we commence any provisions that would directly impact on them.

Question reference: S7W-00624

Asked by: Max Bannerman, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Reform UK
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 May 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 3 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what planning and practice scenarios have been undertaken with rural Scottish Fire and Rescue Service stations to address the practicalities of it responding to a potential battery energy storage scheme fire.

Planning and training for tackling fires are operational matters for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) to consider. SFRS continually reviews its operational response concerning emerging technology, including battery storage, to keep communities safe and has the ability to deploy a range of resources that can be utilised by highly skilled crews to successfully bring incidents to a safe conclusion.

Question reference: S7W-00429

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 May 2026
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 3 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what legislation it plans to introduce in relation to the social security portfolio in the current parliamentary session.

The Government will bring forward such social security legislation as is necessary to continue to ensure the effective operation of delivery and improved outcomes for clients. That will include in due course the regulations required to introduce Scottish Child Payment for children under 1, which will increase the total payment amount to £40 per week during 2027-28, benefitting an estimated 12,000 children, to implement measures in the Social Security (Amendment) (Scotland) Act 2025, and to uprate social security benefits on an annual basis.

Question reference: S7W-00596

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 May 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 3 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has allocated to projects through the Croft House Grant Scheme, broken down by local authority area, in each year since 2016.

This Government is committed to continuing to help crofters and their families to live on and work their croft, contributing to the sustainability of our rural and island communities.

Area *	Croft House Grant Funding Awarded since 2016 (£)
Argyll	1,169,281.54
Barra	447,442.68
Caithness	509,045.36
Harris	300,473.60
Inverness	468,281.18
Lewis	2,776,910.16
North Uist	728,162.72
Ross-shire	746,022.80
Shetland	1,099,077.61
Skye	2,131,492.36
South Uist	992,556.44
Sutherland	996,751.92

*Figures are broken down by the Rural Payments and Inspections Division by area not by local authority area.

Question reference: S7W-00614

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 May 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Gethins on 3 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assistance is being provided to households that are reliant on domestic heating oil and are facing substantial increases in cost.

Global events continue to reinforce the impact of high energy prices with the crisis in the Middle East significantly increasing the cost of heating oil and liquid petroleum gas ("LPG"). That is why the Scottish Government launched the Scottish Emergency Heating Oil Scheme on 1 April, more than doubling the support made available from the UK Government. Eligible households can apply for support of £300 towards the cost of heating oil or LPG.

The Scottish Government also proactively supports vulnerable households through our energy efficiency schemes, winter heating benefits, investment in free income maximisation support, welfare and debt advice. We have maintained investment in the Scottish Welfare Fund, providing vital support to those in crisis.

However, energy pricing and regulation is fully reserved to the UK Government, and that is why the Scottish Parliament recently passed a motion calling for energy powers to be immediately devolved to the Scottish Parliament.

The UK Government must take their responsibilities seriously by putting in place robust and effective consumer protections and introducing targeted energy bill discounts, available to all fuel users, to reduce the number of households in fuel poverty.

Question reference: S7W-00562

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 May 2026
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 3 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government when provisions will be in place to allow Social Security Scotland to recover debt from any clients who were overpaid benefits through the Sheriff Court system.