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-39343

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 July 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 30 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the reported finding of the independent evaluation of the Just Transition Fund that it has, to date, delivered limited, temporary and precarious employment outcomes, and what immediate steps it will take to ensure that the fund delivers secure, sustainable jobs for workers and communities in north east Scotland.

The independent evaluation of the Just Transition Fund (JTF) found that, in its first two years of operation, the Fund created and safeguarded 230 jobs, alongside the provision of more than 750 training places, and leveraged over £34 million in additional investment.

The evaluation also highlighted the need for ongoing monitoring and evaluation of projects supported through the Fund to fully understand its longer-term impact on employment and the wider outcomes supported through the Fund, including economic growth, community empowerment, and environmental sustainability.

To ensure we maximise the impact for workers and communities, the Fund will specifically focus on projects that support jobs, skills and economic opportunities in 2025-26, with £8.5 million of new funding available.

Question reference: S6W-39342

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 July 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 29 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what changes it will make to the design and delivery of the Just Transition Fund, in light of reported concerns regarding the findings of the independent evaluation that it commissioned in relation to transparency, administrative complexity and a lack of multi-year funding to support sustainable outcomes to deliver a just transition for Scotland.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that the Just Transition Fund (JTF) is responsive to the needs of the North East and Moray. This includes full consideration of the recommendations of the independent evaluation to support ongoing improvements to the 10-year Fund in a way which aligns with Scottish Government’s budget position.

The independent evaluation highlighted the positive and catalytic impact of support delivered through the Fund in its first two years of operation. We have already delivered against some of the report’s recommendations. For example, updated application material and guidance were issued as part of the 2025-26 open capital funding round for the JTF to support greater transparency of process.

Question reference: S6W-39345

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 July 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 12 August 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of the funding to support a just transition for Scotland is structured as (a) grants and (b) loans or investments, and what its position is on how these proportions impact the sustainability of job creation.

Question reference: S6W-38632

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 20 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what progress is being made in developing the Musselburgh Flood Prevention Scheme.

The development and delivery of flood protection schemes is a local authority responsibility, and the Scottish Government provides funding to support them to do so.

Musselburgh Flood Protection Scheme (MFPS) was notified on 21 March 2024 as required under the Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009. East Lothian Council are currently considering all the submissions made through this process, including objections, before making their preliminary decision on whether to:

confirm the proposed scheme without modification,
confirm the proposed scheme with modifications, or
reject the proposed scheme.

East Lothian Council will be able to provide further detailed information on how this process is being progressed.

Question reference: S6W-38633

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 20 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when it will release its promised financial support for the Musselburgh Flood Prevention Scheme.

To date the Scottish Government has distributed £11.5 million to East Lothian Council against the council’s forecast expenditure for the Musselburgh Flood Protection Scheme. This is sufficient to fund East Lothian Council’s forecast expenditure for the financial years 2025–26, 2026–27 and part of 2027–28.

This funding has been distributed through the General Capital Grant, which means East Lothian Council has autonomy to allocate it in line with the council’s priorities.

Question reference: S6W-38272

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 10 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when the consultation process being carried out by Transport Scotland on lessons to be learned from experience in England and Wales regarding the effectiveness of moving traffic enforcement, including the experience in school streets, will begin.

Transport Scotland has confirmed that enforcing moving traffic offences would require new primary legislation. Officials are exploring the use of ANPR for school street enforcement as part of broader policy development on moving traffic violations. This includes consultation with the Department for Transport and other stakeholders to assess the effectiveness of such enforcement in England and Wales, including school streets.

While this work is part of Transport Scotland’s longer term plans, no specific timeline has been set for its commencement.

Question reference: S6O-04767

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 May 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what support it is giving to local authorities to enable them to implement their Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategies.

Question reference: S6W-36162

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 22 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what support it can provide to homeowners of traditionally built homes to maintain energy efficiency in the transition to renewable energy, and what impact Edinburgh College withdrawing its stonemasonry apprenticeship might have on this.

The Scottish Government recognises the value and special characteristics of Scotland’s traditional and protected buildings. Traditionally built properties make up around 18% of all homes in Scotland and may have different requirements to other homes because of their construction type, location or status.

Although Edinburgh College ceased delivery of the Stonemasonry Modern Apprenticeship in 2023, there are still three centres of stonemasonry MA training across Scotland: City of Glasgow College (CoGC) and Historic Environment Scotland (HES) at Stirling and Elgin.

The Scottish Government continues to work to ensure traditional skills needed to undertake retrofitting work are available. Scotland’s revised strategy for the historic environment “Our Past Our Future” has as one of its three key priorities “Delivering the transition to net zero”. Collaboration will be key to achieving success, as is working across different sectors and employer groups, and working nationwide across regional borders.

On 3 April 2025 it was announced that a new national training centre for Scotland, focused on traditional skills, had secured £3.7 million of National Lottery support. Scotland’s Centre of Excellence for Canals and Traditional Skills will be located near Lock 16 on the banks of the Forth and Clyde Canal in Falkirk. The centre, which will see Scottish Canals partner with Historic Environment Scotland, will focus on developing pathways into heritage skills training, volunteering, and employment within the historic environment sector.

On 8 April 2025, Historic Environment Scotland, Historic England and Cadw, published a new retrofit training handbook to support learners undertaking retrofit qualifications.

Question reference: S6W-36160

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 22 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what action is being taken to preserve traditionally built homes and to make them wind and weathertight in an energy-efficient manner, in light of the need to reduce carbon emissions across all housing stock.

The Scottish Government recognises the value and special characteristics of Scotland’s traditional and protected buildings, and we are taking a range of action to ensure they are preserved in a way that supports the reduction of carbon emissions. Traditionally built properties make up around 18% of all homes in Scotland. These homes may have different requirements to other homes based on their construction type, location or status.

In 2025-26 the Scottish Government is investing over £300m in heat and energy efficiency programmes, including for traditional properties. Households can access advice and funding through Home Energy Scotland, funded by the Scottish Government.

Home Energy Scotland specialist advisors are trained to provide advice on traditional homes, working closely with Historic Environment Scotland, who we continue to work closely with to ensure that Scotland’s traditional and protected buildings are properly maintained and preserved. Through Historic Environment Scotland’s Grants programme, we invest around £13.5 million a year to support building repairs, ancient monuments, archaeological work, and conservation.

The Scottish Government also continues to work to ensure the availability of the traditional skills needed to undertake retrofitting work. On 3 April 2025 it was announced that a new national training centre for Scotland, focused on traditional skills, had secured £3.7 million of National Lottery support.

The Scottish Government will also continue to make representations to UK Government requesting the implementation of a VAT reduction in the context of encouraging maintenance and energy efficiency improvements in traditional buildings.

Question reference: S6W-36161

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 17 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that Scotland will remain at net zero emissions, should it achieve its legal target by 2045, in light of reports of inefficient heating measures in traditionally built homes.

My recent statement to Parliament confirmed that we intend to introduce a Heat in Buildings Bill in Year 5 of this Parliamentary session. This will create a target for decarbonising heating systems by 2045, and send a strong signal to homeowners, landlords and other building owners on the need to prepare for change.

We know that certain types of buildings might be more challenging to decarbonise, such as traditional and protected properties, for example. We will therefore ensure that any regulations we bring forward will provide suitable flexibility to account for this.

We continue to work with key partners, including Historic Environment Scotland, to support the best solutions to transition Scotland’s traditional buildings to be more energy efficient and to use clean heating systems while being sympathetic to their character and features.

We are investing over £300m in heat and energy efficiency programmes in 2025-26, including support for traditional properties.

We are also considering how we could provide for a more bespoke assessment of the technically-suitable energy efficiency and clean heating measures available for owners of traditional buildings.