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: S6O-04569

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 April 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it is ensuring access to early learning and childcare for families in rural areas, in light of reports of recent nursery closures.

Question reference: S6W-35714

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 17 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 31 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has asked the UK Health Security Agency to conduct a review into any health effects of electromagnetic fields from overhead lines.

The Scottish Government recognise there could be public concerns relating to the potential health effects of electromagnetic fields from overhead lines.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) take the lead on public health matters associated with radiofrequency electromagnetic fields for the UK.

Central to their advice is that exposure to radio waves should comply with the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP).This is the approach adopted by officially mandated authoritative organisations and these bodies conclude overall that a causal relationship between exposure and long-term health effects has not been established.

UKHSA is committed to carefully continue monitoring the emerging scientific evidence in between the publication of comprehensive evidence reviews and providing any necessary advice to Scottish Government.

Therefore, the Scottish Government have not requested the UK Health Security Agency to conduct a review into any health effects of electromagnetic fields from overhead lines.

Question reference: S6W-35665

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 31 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-35018 by Alasdair Allan on 24 February 2025, whether it will provide an update on what engagement and analysis it has undertaken with the UK Government to understand what the financial impact will be on consumers facing a change in tariff as a result of the ending of the Radio Teleswitch Service, such as those with Total Heating Total Control meters.

The Scottish Government has no powers over the Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS). It is the responsibility of the UK Government, Ofgem, and energy suppliers to carry out analysis of the impact of the RTS switch-off and take appropriate action.

However, we are committed to raising awareness and working with those responsible to ensure that consumers are not negatively affected by the switch-off. This includes contributing to RTS related engagement, consultations, and roundtables as well as raising the profile of the switch-off across the media.

We have written to and engaged with the UK Government, Ofgem, and industry on several occasions to press them to take the necessary steps to protect consumers in Scotland from detriment. This includes highlighting the unacceptable situation whereby consumers are unwittingly penalised for upgrading their meter.

The recent Ofgem consultation on RTS related changes to license conditions proposed that suppliers must take all reasonable steps to provide a tariff that leaves the consumer ‘no worse off’ than their existing arrangements as a result of a RTS meter replacement. The Scottish Government supports this position and has also been pressing for the introduction of a fund to support households and businesses facing expensive re-wiring through no fault of their own.

Any consumers experiencing difficulties with their supplier, including questions relating to tariffs, should contact Advice Direct Scotland (ADS). ADS receives funding from the Scottish Government as part of our devolved responsibilities for consumer advocacy and advice. Services include the free national energy advice helpline, available on 0808 196 8660 or at energyadvice.scot.

Question reference: S6W-35622

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 27 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to backdating the 36-month time limit to claim an Additional Dwelling Supplement repayment to 1 October 2022.

Increases to the timelines relating to the Land and Buildings Transaction Tax Additional Dwelling Supplement were introduced with prospective effect from 1 April 2024, following a process of consultation.

The Scottish Government made clear in the initial December 2021 call for evidence and views on the Additional Dwelling Supplement that any changes arising from the process would not be made retrospective. The subsequent consultation on draft legislation published in February 2023 confirmed that the proposed changes, including to the relevant timelines, would have prospective effect only.

In this context, the Scottish Government has not considered backdating the 36 month time limit to claim an Additional Dwelling Supplement repayment to 1 October 2022.

Question reference: S6W-35784

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 25 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the brokerage discussions with NHS Grampian regarding the overspend for 2024-25.

Question reference: S6W-35632

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 21 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of it being approved by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency for the rest of the UK, for what reason the medication, Givinostat, for people with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, is not available through NHS Scotland.

A conditional marketing authorisation was granted by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency for givinostat (Duvyzat®) on 20 December 2024. A conditional marketing authorisation is an early temporary licence.

The pharmaceutical company that markets Duvyzat® has offered a national Early Access Programme which provides free of charge access to the medicine for the treatment of ambulant young people aged six years and older with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. This has been in place since late December 2024.

It is for individual Health Boards to consider the implementation of any new medicine, and ultimately for the clinician in charge of a person’s care to advise on suitable treatment options. The Scottish Government is aware that Health Boards are currently considering how to schedule offering this medicine in the most fair and equitable manner.

Question reference: S6W-35693

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 14 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 21 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will investigate the recent fire at the battery energy storage system site at Rothienorman in Aberdeenshire.

Question reference: S6W-35251

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 11 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether community councils are statutory consultees regarding applications under sections 36 and 37 of the Electricity Act 1989, where the development concerned requires an environmental impact assessment, and, if not, whether it plans to include them.

Statutory consultees are those set out in legislation as requiring to be consulted on submission of an application.

Community councils are not referred to as statutory consultees of applications for energy consents under sections 36 and 37 of the Electricity Act 1989. However, consultation responses from non-statutory consultees such as community councils and public bodies are important considerations during the determination process.

The Scottish Government is committed to further strengthening engagement for communities by making pre-application consultation a statutory requirement as part of the UK Government’s proposed reforms to electricity infrastructure consenting in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-35267

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 6 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to changing the funding process of distributing community benefit from the current model of local community benefit funds administered by the communities impacted by developments to a central fund distributed by it.

Community benefits from renewable energy developments are voluntary arrangements between communities and developers. Despite the powers to mandate community benefits being reserved to the UK Government, Scotland has made significant progress with a voluntary approach through our Good Practice Principles. Over the past 12 months, renewables developers have offered more than £30 million to local communities.

We are currently consulting on our Good Practice Principles for onshore and offshore renewable energy developments, to ensure we continue to support sustainable and meaningful outcomes for people in Scotland. This includes seeking views on local, regional and national approaches to community benefits. The consultation closes on the 11 April and we will consider all responses as we work towards updating the guidance by the end of 2025. We want to gather a wide range of views from across communities, industry, the third sector and public sector partners, and encourage everyone to take part.

Question reference: S6O-04419

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 March 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 12 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will outline its funding strategy for health and social care partnerships in the North East Scotland region.