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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

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Question reference: S6W-43103

Asked by: Michael Marra, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 January 2026
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 28 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that officials amended the Screen Scotland funding lines in the Budget Level 4 workbook without ministerial approval, what information it has regarding whether officials have made other unauthorised amendments to the draft Scottish Budget 2026-27.

Question reference: S6W-43350

Asked by: Michael Marra, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 January 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 10 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with (a) Glasgow City Council and (b) Historic Environment Scotland in relation to supporting the preservation of the category A-listed Egyptian Halls.

Question reference: S6W-43092

Asked by: Michael Marra, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 January 2026
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 27 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the point of order by Stephen Kerr MSP in the Chamber on 14 January 2026, whether an earlier published version of its draft Budget 2026-27 included a specific allocation of £500,000 for film houses in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen and, if so, (a) for what reason, (b) when and (c) by whom the decision was taken to remove that funding from the budget; what plans it has to reinstate any such allocation and, if it has no plans to do so, what other targeted support for independent cinemas and film houses is available.

The Scottish Government is absolutely clear on the value of cultural cinema, and we are continuing to engage with Screen Scotland and others to ensure that cultural cinema is protected for Scotland's audiences today and in the long term.

I am pleased that Screen Scotland, our dedicated public agency for screen, has supported cultural cinema – including the Edinburgh Filmhouse and the Aberdeen Belmont after the collapse of their previous parent company, CMI – with funding as well as expert advice and support.

The budget for 2026-27 includes £12m funding for Screen Scotland. We have also funded, and continue to fund, Creative Scotland to support their regularly funded organisations, which include a number of cultural cinemas.

Additionally, the budget provisionally allocates up to £500,000 to support cultural cinemas in Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Aberdeen. These cinemas have made representations to the Scottish Government in relation to the need for support to allow them to continue, or restart, their vital work as cultural cinemas.

The Level 4 Workbook as initially published contained a range of options for spend against my portfolio. Officials therefore updated the published workbook without Ministerial approval, and I instructed the workbooks to be reinstated as originally published.

Question reference: S6W-43095

Asked by: Michael Marra, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 January 2026
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 27 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what (a) consultation it held with and (b) feedback it received from film houses, independent cinemas and representative bodies regarding any proposed budget allocations for film houses in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen, in light of reports that an earlier published version of its draft Budget 2026-27 included an allocation of £500,000 for such film houses.

As noted in my response to Mr. Marra’s PQ, reference S6W-43092 on 27 January 2026, the Scottish Government is absolutely clear on the value of cultural cinema, and we are continuing to engage with Screen Scotland and others to ensure that cultural cinema is protected for Scotland's audiences today and in the long term. For that reason, the budget for 2026-27 provisionally allocates up to £500,000 to support cultural cinemas in Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Aberdeen.

We have had representations over a number of years from Screen Scotland, the Aberdeen Belmont, the Edinburgh Filmhouse, and the Glasgow Film Theatre, in relation to the need for support to allow their work as cultural cinemas to restart, continue, and operate sustainably into the future.

Discussions will take place with all of these organisations to ensure that the proposed funding is disbursed fairly, to best ensure the protection and growth of cultural cinema in Scotland.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.

Question reference: S6W-43228

Asked by: Michael Marra, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 January 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 4 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what the total cost to the Scottish Government was to refer the decision to close St Pius X Primary School and Nursery in Dundee to the School Closure Review Panel.

Question reference: S6W-43096

Asked by: Michael Marra, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 January 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 3 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it routinely retains draft versions of budget spreadsheets and working documents that may change post-publication, and, if so, whether it will commit to making earlier versions available to MSPs where material changes are made in new versions.

Question reference: S6W-43187

Asked by: Michael Marra, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 January 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 3 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its engagement with NHS Tayside regarding mental health services, in particular the proposed move of inpatient learning disability services from Strathmartine Centre in Dundee to Murray Royal Hospital in Perth, in light of the comment by the First Minister on 20 November 2025 in which he stated that he would “give…an undertaking that I will review the issue in January, once I have seen the conclusions of the work that NHS Tayside has committed to doing...I will return to it once I see what progress has been made by December”.

Question reference: S6W-41981

Asked by: Michael Marra, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 4 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the energy costs incurred by (a) it and (b) its public bodies in each of the past five years.

The total cost of gas and electric for Core Scottish Government buildings in the past 5 years is

2019 - £3,156,688 (Electricity £2,662,002, Gas £494,686)

2020 - £2,076,368 (Electricity £1,832,164, Gas £244,204)

2021 - £2,919,646 (Electricity £2,487,991, Gas £431,655)

2022 - £3,752,115 (Electricity £2,937,460, Gas £814,655)

2023 - £5,411,415 (Electricity £4,542,639, Gas £868,776)

2024 - £6,478,435 (Electricity £5,613,007, Gas £865,428)

Information on the energy costs for public bodies is not held centrally.

Question reference: S6O-05231

Asked by: Michael Marra, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 November 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the culture secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding support available to cultural institutions for energy efficiency measures, in light of reports that Dundee Rep, and other similar cultural bodies that operate as wholly owned trading subsidiaries, have been unable to access the SME loan and cashback scheme.

Question reference: S6O-05212

Asked by: Michael Marra, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 November 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting stability and growth in Scotland’s video games sector, including what engagement it has had with Rockstar Games, in light of reports of recent staff dismissals.

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