Skip to main content
Loading…

Seòmar agus comataidhean

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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

Criathragan Hide all filters

Dates of parliamentary sessions
  1. Session 1: 12 May 1999 to 31 March 2003
  2. Session 2: 7 May 2003 to 2 April 2007
  3. Session 3: 9 May 2007 to 22 March 2011
  4. Session 4: 11 May 2011 to 23 March 2016
  5. Session 5: 12 May 2016 to 4 May 2021
  6. Session 6: 13 May 2021 to 8 April 2026
  7. Current session: 14 May 2026 to 18 August 2026
Answer status
Question type

Displaying 2601 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S7W-02508

  • Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
  • Date lodged: Monday, 17 August 2026
  • Current Status: Answer expected on 15 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether its Chief Scientific Adviser for Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture has provided advice on the use of LiDAR technology to assess wildfire risk and, if so, whether it will publish any such advice.

Question reference: S7W-02507

  • Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
  • Date lodged: Monday, 17 August 2026
  • Current Status: Answer expected on 15 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will commission research comparing vegetation and fuel loads across Scotland during the drought and wildfires of 2026 with those recorded during the drought of 1976, including through the use of LiDAR data, satellite imagery and historic land-management records.

Question reference: S7W-02493

  • Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
  • Date lodged: Monday, 17 August 2026
  • Current Status: Answer expected on 15 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Historic Environment Scotland regarding the creation of a targeted, fast-track grant stream exclusively for small business owners seeking to restore original architectural details to listed or conservation area commercial properties.

Question reference: S7W-02502

  • Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
  • Date lodged: Monday, 17 August 2026
  • Current Status: Answer expected on 15 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is, regarding any impact on Scotland, on the statement by the Director General for Rail Services at the UK Department for Transport, Alex Hynes, to the House of Commons Transport Select Committee that “by having bi-mode trains you inadvertently weaken the business case for further electrification”.

Question reference: S7W-02503

  • Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
  • Date lodged: Monday, 17 August 2026
  • Current Status: Answer expected on 15 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to introducing national planning policy, similar to the Edinburgh Design Guidance published by the City of Edinburgh Council in September 2025, to encourage or require the use of traditionally designed cast-iron architectural street furniture in designated conservation areas, and whether it has assessed the potential impact of such a policy on Scotland's domestic foundry sector.

Question reference: S7W-02515

  • Asked by: Martyn Day, MSP for Falkirk East and Linlithgow, Scottish National Party
  • Date lodged: Monday, 17 August 2026
  • Current Status: Answer expected on 15 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what role it anticipates credit unions will play in supporting financial education, tackling illegal money lending and contributing to child poverty prevention.

Question reference: S7W-02498

  • Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
  • Date lodged: Monday, 17 August 2026
  • Current Status: Answer expected on 15 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers there to be any conflict between the operation of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997 and the Building (Scotland) Act 2003 in cases involving dangerous listed buildings, and, if so, what action it plans to take to ensure that public safety measures do not unnecessarily result in the loss of historic buildings.

Question reference: S7W-02500

  • Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
  • Date lodged: Monday, 17 August 2026
  • Current Status: Answer expected on 15 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered the potential use of floating or submerged inshore data centres and, if so, what assessment it has made of their potential to reduce renewable energy constraint costs, utilise seawater cooling, and provide a source of heat for district heating networks.

Question reference: S7W-02506

  • Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
  • Date lodged: Monday, 17 August 2026
  • Current Status: Answer expected on 15 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to adopting approaches used in Wales to apply Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) mapping to wildfire prevention and planning, and whether it will consider developing a comprehensive LiDAR-based wildfire risk map for Scotland.

Question reference: S7W-02484

  • Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scot and Lothians West, Reform UK
  • Date lodged: Monday, 17 August 2026
  • Current Status: Answer expected on 15 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding section 121 of the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019, how it is (a) monitoring compliance by NHS boards regarding their duty to work with community transport organisations to improve access to healthcare and (b) enforcing implementation by NHS boards.