Questions and answers

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 ��˿�� 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-38049

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 30 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 12 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it is using any data gathered from local authorities to inform future planning for outdoor play and infrastructure beyond the current renewal programme.

The Scottish Government published Scotland’s Play Vision Statement and Action Plan 2025-2030 in March 2025, which emphasises our commitment to play and our vision for the future of play in Scotland. It reinforces our commitment to children’s rights and mitigating the impacts of poverty through the promotion and access to free outdoor play spaces and opportunities.

Within the Vision Statement and Action Plan document we have published a Play Theory of Change which can be used by partners as a framework for further local and community improvements to play opportunities. The Theory of Change identifies place as one of three primary drivers, alongside parents and practitioners, that influence play opportunities for children.

The Vision Statement and Action Plan are designed to reflect the vision of play for Scotland for the next 5 years and the steps we will take within that time to achieve our vision and aim. The Scottish Government will lead on the ten actions in the plan and will collaborate with key partners in their delivery.

Additionally, as part of Planning Reform introduced through the Planning (Scotland) Act 2019, we have made ensuring the sufficiency of outdoor play opportunities a statutory planning duty through the Play Sufficiency Assessment Regulations 2023.

Local authorities may choose to make use of this information to inform their future planning for outdoor play provisions.

Question reference: S6O-04822

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 June 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the Armed Forces Covenant obligation on NHS boards to have due regard for the unique challenges faced by service children, what discussions the veterans minister has had with ministerial colleagues in relation to ensuring that relocations for military postings do not lead to service children being reprioritised to the back of NHS waiting lists, including through the provision of guidance to clinical teams to ensure that this does not happen.

Question reference: S6W-38035

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 30 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 11 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding its £60 million national play park fund, how many play parks have been reported as “renewed” where the only upgrade was cosmetic or maintenance-based, and whether it differentiates between minor and full renewal works in its reporting.

The £60 million play park renewal funding is allocated to local authorities to use across their whole play estate. It is the responsibility of the individual Local Authorities to manage their own budgets and to allocate the total financial resources available to them based on local needs and priorities. The Scottish Government recognise that the extent of renewal and refurbishment will be influenced by local plans and investment priorities and engagement with children and young people.

As agreed with COSLA at the start of the funding programme in 2021, Local Authorities report annually on the number of renewals undertaken in their area at the end of April. Local Authorities are not required to list details of each renewal or the names or locations of every play park that has been renewed. However, in accordance with the agreed national principles and as per the reporting template agreed with COSLA, renewal work can include introducing new equipment, replacing existing equipment, extra seating, suitable surfaces, toilet facilities, planting, improved access points and circulation routes, water fountains and other suitable measures to make parks more inclusive, welcoming and enjoyable.

The Scottish Government worked with COSLA on the national principles for the play park renewal programme, which is used to guide Local Authorities’ renewal programme. The national principles set out how Local Authorities should review their existing estate, prioritise renewal work, and design play parks that offer improved play opportunities for children and families. The national principles state that access to play should be as wide-reaching and inclusive as possible, ensuring all children have access to play spaces where they feel safe and comfortable to use them.

Question reference: S6W-38454

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 06 June 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 20 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-37806 by Natalie Don-Innes on 4 June 2025, how many early learning and childcare settings have been evaluated as "very good" by the Care Inspectorate, in each year from 2015 to 2024, also expressed as a percentage.

Question reference: S6W-38452

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 06 June 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 20 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-37806 by Natalie Don-Innes on 4 June 2025, how many early learning and childcare settings have been evaluated as "excellent" by the Care Inspectorate, in each year from 2015 to 2024, also expressed as a percentage.

Question reference: S6W-38453

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 06 June 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 20 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-37806 by Natalie Don-Innes on 4 June 2025, how many early learning and childcare settings have been evaluated as "good" by the Care Inspectorate, in each year from 2015 to 2024, also expressed as a percentage.

Question reference: S6W-38451

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 06 June 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 20 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-37806 by Natalie Don-Innes on 4 June 2025, how many early learning and childcare settings have been evaluated as "unsatisfactory" by the Care Inspectorate, in each year from 2015 to 2024, also expressed as a percentage.

Question reference: S6W-38456

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 06 June 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 20 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-37806 by Natalie Don-Innes on 4 June 2025, how many early learning and childcare settings have been evaluated as "weak" by the Care Inspectorate, in each year from 2015 to 2024, also expressed as a percentage.

Question reference: S6W-38455

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 06 June 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 20 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-37806 by Natalie Don-Innes on 4 June 2025, how many early learning and childcare settings have been evaluated as "adequate" by the Care Inspectorate, in each year from 2015 to 2024, also expressed as a percentage.

Question reference: S6W-37856

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 22 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 5 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has undertaken any analysis of child development outcomes in settings led by graduate-level staff, compared with those without.