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-38041

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 30 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 13 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what data it has on how the £60 million for play park renewal has been (a) allocated and (b) spent across all 32 local authorities.

Capital funding for the play park renewal programme is distributed to all 32 Local Authorities based on population of 0-14 year olds and rurality. In the first year, the formula was:

1.95% on population 0-14

2.5% on rurality

From 2022-23, the formula was:

1.93% on population 0-14

2.7% on rurality

The full table of allocations to each local authority by year is:

Local Authority	2021-22	2022-23	2023-24	2024-25	2025-26	Total
Aberdeen City Council	£188,000	£185,000	£373,000	£559,000	£932,000	£2,237,000
Aberdeenshire Council	£296,000	£308,000	£616,000	£924,000	£1,539,000	£3,683,000
Angus Council	£108,000	£111,000	£220,000	£330,000	£550,000	£1,319,000
Argyll and Bute	£76,000	£79,000	£157,000	£235,000	£391,000	£938,000
City of Edinburgh Council	£414,000	£406,000	£811,000	£1,216,000	£2,027,000	£4,874,000
Clackmannanshire Council	£47,000	£46,000	£93,000	£139,000	£231,000	£556,000
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar Council	£29,000	£32,000	£62,000	£93,000	£156,000	£372,000
Dumfries and Galloway Council	£140,000	£146,000	£291,000	£437,000	£728,000	£1,742,000
Dundee City Council	£125,000	£122,000	£243,000	£365,000	£609,000	£1,464,000
East Ayrshire Council	£112,000	£112,000	£224,000	£336,000	£561,000	£1,345,000
East Dunbartonshire Council	£102,000	£100,000	£202,000	£303,000	£505,000	£1,212,000
East Lothian Council	£108,000	£108,000	£218,000	£327,000	£545,000	£1,306,000
East Renfrewshire Council	£102,000	£101,000	£204,000	£306,000	£509,000	£1,222,000
Falkirk Council	£147,000	£145,000	£289,000	£434,000	£723,000	£1,738,000
Fife Council	£344,000	£342,000	£681,000	£1,022,000	£1,703,000	£4,092,000
Glasgow City Council	£525,000	£514,000	£1,028,000	£1,542,000	£2,570,000	£6,179,000
Highland Council	£234,000	£245,000	£488,000	£732,000	£1,219,000	£2,918,000
Inverclyde Council	£65,000	£63,000	£126,000	£189,000	£314,000	£757,000
Midlothian Council	£98,000	£97,000	£197,000	£295,000	£492,000	£1,179,000
Moray Council	£92,000	£94,000	£188,000	£282,000	£469,000	£1,125,000
North Ayrshire Council	£118,000	£117,000	£231,000	£347,000	£578,000	£1,391,000
North Lanarkshire Council	£324,000	£319,000	£635,000	£952,000	£1,586,000	£3,816,000
Orkney Islands Council	£24,000	£26,000	£51,000	£77,000	£128,000	£306,000
Perth and Kinross Council	£140,000	£144,000	£291,000	£437,000	£728,000	£1,740,000
Renfrewshire Council	£158,000	£155,000	£307,000	£461,000	£768,000	£1,849,000
Scottish Borders Council	£113,000	£117,000	£234,000	£352,000	£586,000	£1,402,000
Shetland Islands Council	£28,000	£31,000	£61,000	£91,000	£151,000	£362,000
South Ayrshire Council	£94,000	£94,000	£189,000	£283,000	£472,000	£1,132,000
South Lanarkshire Council	£298,000	£296,000	£597,000	£896,000	£1,493,000	£3,580,000
Stirling Council	£84,000	£85,000	£168,000	£253,000	£421,000	£1,011,000
West Dunbartonshire Council	£81,000	£79,000	£157,000	£235,000	£392,000	£944,000
West Lothian Council	£186,000	£184,000	£369,000	£553,000	£922,000	£2,214,000
Total	£5,000,000	£5,000,000	£10,000,000	£15,000,000	£25,000,000	£60,000,000

The Scottish Government does not hold data on local authorities receipted spend on play park renewals. In accordance with the reporting template agreed with COSLA in 2021, local authorities are not required to provide a detailed breakdown of the play park renewal funding. It is the responsibility of individual local authorities to manage their own budgets and to allocate the total financial resources available to them based on local needs and priorities.

Question reference: S6W-38040

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 30 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 13 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has received any data on the inclusion of accessible or inclusive equipment in play parks renewed using its renewal funding, and whether this data will be published.

The Scottish Government does not receive data from Local Authorities on the inclusion of accessible or inclusive equipment in play parks renewed using the renewal funding. As noted in the answer to S6W-38036 on
13 June 2025, Local Authorities report annually every April on their play park renewals carried out as a result of the Scottish Government’s £60m play park renewal funding.

As noted in the answer to S6W-38037 on 13 June 2025 the Scottish Government has chaired quarterly network meetings of Local Authority play park leads. The network allows Local Authorities to provide updates and how funding is being used and to share best practice and common issues.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at /chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

Question reference: S6W-38042

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 30 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 13 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has assessed the (a) geographic and (b) socio-economic spread of play park renewals funded through its £60 million fund, and, if so, whether it will publish any such assessment.

The £60 million play park renewal funding is allocated to local authorities to use across their whole play estate. It is the responsibility of 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.

The Scottish Government does not hold data centrally on the geographic and socio-economic spread of play parks within local authority estates.

Question reference: S6W-38045

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 30 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 13 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether any local authorities have reported any challenges or delays in delivering play park renewals, and whether it has collated and currently holds data on any such delays.

Question reference: S6W-38043

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 30 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 13 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what baseline data was used to determine the scale of need for play park renewal prior to distributing the £60 million of funding.

Question reference: S6W-38047

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 whether any (a) national and (b) regional targets were set as part of the £60 million play park renewal programme, and how performance against any such targets is being (i) measured and (ii) recorded.

Question reference: S6W-38046

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 whether any formal evaluation of the £60 million play park renewal programme has been commissioned, and whether this will include full access to delivery data by local authorities.

Question reference: S6W-38044

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 many play parks have been permanently removed or closed since 2021, and whether these are included in delivery statistics for the national play park renewal programme.

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: 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.