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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

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-44058

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Dorothy Bain on 18 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what briefings have been provided to the First Minister by the Lord Advocate on Operation Branchform that have not yet been disclosed to the Parliament.

I explained to Parliament on 18 and 25 February and in my letter to the Presiding Officer on 24 February 2026, in respect of the case known as Operation Branchform, that I did not provide briefings on the case to the First Minister. I provided limited factual information to the government on two occasions, first, on his appearance in court on petition in March 2025 and then again on the service of the indictment in January 2026.

Question reference: S6W-44049

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Independent
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 17 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in the event that Scottish Enterprise awards a £1.8 million grant to a company on the basis that clawback is payable in certain circumstances, and those circumstances arise, and the company had assets of around £131,000 at the approximate time of the award, whether any liability would fall on the CEO or any other officer, or whether the loss to the public purse would be written off.

Question reference: S6W-44057

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Independent
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 17 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will propose the scheduling of a ministerial statement on the use of Scotland’s inshore seas for the marine storage of offshore wind platform bases or other apparatus, in light of the potential impacts on the marine environment and on economic and recreational activities, such as fishing, angling and sailing, which depend on near-shore waters.

The Scottish Government has no current plans to propose the scheduling of a ministerial statement on the use of Scotland’s inshore seas for the marine storage of offshore wind platform bases or other apparatus.

Storage and constructions of floating offshore wind farm foundations is considered through the established marine licensing process, which assesses potential impacts on the marine environment, and on other users of the sea.

The Scottish Government ensures that, where required, decisions affecting the marine environment include public consultation so that affected communities and stakeholders, including those involved in fishing, angling, and sailing, can express their views.

Question reference: S6W-44045

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 17 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has ever produced any guidance on single-sex spaces in leisure centres, and, if so, what the content of that guidance is.

Public bodies, including any which operate leisure centres, are expected to comply with all relevant legislation and regulations including the Equality Act 2010. It is for service providers to interpret and ensure that they meet their legal duties and they should obtain legal advice as appropriate.

As the regulator of the Equality Act 2010, it is the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) who ensure compliance and enforcement of the Act, including providing technical guidance and a Code of Practice. This guidance provides organisations with information to understand their role in ensuring that people with the protected characteristics, as set out in the Act, are not discriminated against when using services provided.

Where new non-domestic buildings, including leisure centres, are being constructed, The Building (Scotland) Regulations 2004 (as amended) apply. The Scottish Government publishes guidance to support compliance with these regulations, including (since 2005) the Non-domestic Technical Handbook. The Handbook guidance does not address ‘single-sex spaces’ but does set requirements for the provision of sanitary facilities, which may include provision for male, female and unisex toilets. While the building regulations set out a requirement for initial provision of sanitary accommodation in a manner that suits the expected use of a building, the regulations do not control the onward operation and management of facilities.

Question reference: S6W-43883

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 17 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it gave to the security of employment of the workers at Wave Energy Scotland as part of its decision to not allocate the organisation funding in its draft Budget 2026-27.

The Scottish Government has confirmed that transitional funding for WES will be provided in financial year 2026-2027 which will give WES the opportunity to explore longer term funding solutions. It is of course important that WES continues to engage directly with their workforce as they consider the impact of future financial planning. My intention is that the work by the Scottish Government, Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), and WES on the transitional funding in 2026-27 will support constructive engagement with staff on WES’s future direction in line with Fair Work principles.

Question reference: S6W-44050

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Independent
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 17 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is aware of any plans by the Auditor General to carry out an inquiry into the £1.83 million grant awarded to Offshore Solutions Group, a company whose latest accounts, as of April 2024, show net current assets of around £131,000.

Question reference: S6W-44043

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 17 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-43618 by Gillian Martin on 17 February 2026, and in light of the evidence given by the Scottish Fiscal Commission at the Finance and Public Administration Committee meeting on 3 March 2026, whether it will commission work to examine the implications for Scotland of the issues covered in the UK Government report, Global biodiversity loss, ecosystem collapse and national security.

Question reference: S6W-44031

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 17 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how many combined sewer overflows there are in the Highlands and Islands region.

As this is an operational matter for Scottish Water, I have asked them to respond. Their reply is as follows:

This information is not available by parliamentary region; however Scottish Water has provided the closest equivalent which includes the local authority areas of: Shetland, Orkney, Na h-Eileanan an Iar, Highland, and the whole of Moray and Argyll and Bute. Scottish Water has 826 combined sewer overflows in this region.

Question reference: S6W-44033

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 17 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-42347 by Gillian Martin on 16 December 2025, how many combined sewer overflows do not currently have an overflow monitor in place.

Question reference: S6W-43885

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 17 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what role the constitution of Wave Energy Scotland as a subsidiary of Highlands and Islands Enterprise played in its decision-making when it allocated funding in its draft Budget 2026-27, and what its position is on whether this type of arrangement supports the security of employment of public sector workers.

Wave Energy Scotland (WES) is a subsidiary of Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE). As a non-departmental public body, HIE operates independently of the Scottish Government and is responsible for setting out arrangements between itself and its subsidiaries, including WES.

Transitional funding for WES will be provided in financial year 2026-2027, giving WES the opportunity to explore longer term funding solutions.