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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-41179

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 10 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 28 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with stakeholders regarding the use of powers granted under the Legislative Consent Motion on the UK Government’s Pension Schemes Bill, specifically in relation to any potential consolidation or merger of Scottish Local Government Pension Scheme funds.

Question reference: S6W-41180

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 10 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 28 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, following the passage of the Legislative Consent Motion on the UK Government’s Pension Schemes Bill, what next steps it plans to take, and what timeline it envisages for any reforms to the Scottish Local Government Pension Scheme.

The proposed powers in the Pensions Schemes Bill ensure Scottish Ministers maintain parity of powers with the UK Government for the respective Local Government Pension Schemes.

Our Programme for Government demonstrates our commitment to encouraging investment in Scotland, and we are actively engaging with pension funds, including the local government funds, to collaborate and explore opportunities to support the growth of the Scottish economy.

Question reference: S6W-41181

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 10 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 28 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to use the powers granted under the Legislative Consent Motion on the UK Government’s Pension Schemes Bill to create pooled investment schemes or “megafunds” similar to the ones allowed in England and Wales, and what assessment it has made of any potential benefits and risks of such funds.

Question reference: S6W-41178

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 10 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 28 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of contributions held by the Scottish Local Government Pension Scheme funds are invested in Scotland, and how this compares to the rest of the UK and internationally.

Question reference: S6W-41177

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 10 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 27 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what the total extent of land designated as Green Belt in Scotland is as at 31 March 2025; what percentage of Scotland’s total land area this represents, and what changes have occurred in the total area designated as Green Belt between 31 March 2024 and 31 March 2025, including any changes resulting from updates to local authority boundaries or Local Development Plans.

Question reference: S6O-05044

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 October 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Housing Statistics for Scotland Quarterly Update: New Housebuilding and Affordable Housing Supply to end June 2025.

Question reference: S6W-40517

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 15 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 30 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what funding is available to support Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) in delivering the next steps of its franchise framework assessment, and whether it will commit to ensuring that adequate resources are provided to support this work.

Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) approved the Final Draft of the Strathclyde Regional Bus Strategy on 19 September. A costed programme and timeline for delivery of a Franchise Framework Assessment as required by the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019) will be considered at a future partnership meeting.

As this work develops, SPT will be required to undertake more detailed appraisals to determine which of the various bus options they want to progress with. In a climate of increasing fiscal pressure, it is important that the business cases for improving bus services are made robustly and in an evidenced based way to support future decision making on funding.

In 2025-26 the Scottish Government provided record funding of over £15.1 billion to local authorities, a real terms increase of 5.5%. It is, however, the responsibility of each local authority to allocate the total financial resources available, including on support for bus provisions such as franchising in their region, on the basis of local needs and priorities, having first fulfilled its statutory obligations. Ultimately, it is for locally elected representatives to make local decisions on how best to deliver services to their local communities.

Question reference: S6W-40519

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 15 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 25 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that regional transport partnerships (RTPs) are adequately funded, in light of its reported position that public transport is best delivered at a regional level and the Verity House Agreement’s reported lack of reference to regional bodies in funding frameworks.

The Scottish Government continues to support Regional Transport Partnerships (RTPs) through targeted funding streams aligned with its commitment to delivering public transport at a regional level. While the Verity House Agreement sets out principles for collaboration and funding between central and local government, it does not explicitly reference RTPs, as funding priorities under the Agreement are determined by individual councils. It is the responsibility of Local Authorities to determine their funding priorities.

RTPs remain a key delivery partner in the National Transport Strategy. This financial year, the Scottish Government has allocated £3.47 million specifically for Scotland’s 7 RTPs to support their running costs and implementation of the Regional Transport Strategies. Additional capital and revenue support is also provided through programmes such as the People and Place Programme, which has allocated £23.4 million to all RTPs for 2025–26, an increase from the previous year.

In addition to the People and Place funding, RTPs can apply to the Tier 2 Active Travel Infrastructure Fund for both Design and Construction. This fund is open to Local Authorities, RTPs, and National Park Authorities, with over £35million allocated for 2025–26to support both design and construction projects.

Question reference: S6W-40518

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 15 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 25 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the decision by Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) to progress with its franchise framework assessment, and what engagement its ministers have had with SPT regarding this process.

We encourage all local transport authorities to consider the full range of tools available to them under the Transport (Scotland) 2019 Act, so it is pleasing to see SPT are fully exploring the 2019 Act powers with a view on improving bus services in their area.

I welcome their decision to progress with the recommendations of their Regional Bus Strategy and further develop proposals to deliver a Franchise Framework Assessment using those powers. It is important that the business cases for improving bus services are made robustly and utilise all available evidence and views, before decisions are reached about future investments in the region.

As part of the development and delivery of the bus powers within the 2019 Act my officials engaged with a wide range of stakeholders, particularly local transport authorities, including SPT. I have also met with SPT on several occasions, most recently on 25 March to discuss the progress and plans on their Regional Bus Strategy.

Question reference: S6W-40516

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 15 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 25 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what capital funding is currently available to regional transport partnerships (RTPs) for the delivery of regional transport infrastructure, and whether the criteria for the People and Place Programme will be amended to include regional capital projects such as park and ride facilities that contribute to a sustainable transport network.

The Scottish Government is providing Scotland’s seven regional transport partnerships (RTPs) with up to £15.5 million of capital grant funding from the People and Place Programme (total value £23.4 million, split between resource and capital).

The primary focus of the capital funding is to provide a programme of sustainable and active travel behaviour change interventions on a regional basis to encourage people to travel actively and more sustainably. In addition to the direct capital grant funding, RTPs can apply to the Tier 2 Active Travel Infrastructure Fund for both Design and Construction, and they worked with local authorities in receipt of Bus Infrastructure Fund awards.

There are no plans to amend the current criteria of the People and Places programme to include park and ride facilities as eligible capital projects.

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