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-38019

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 30 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 13 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many counselling sessions have taken place in schools in each year since 1999, broken down by local authority area.

Local Authorities have the statutory responsibility for education therefore the Scottish Government does not hold this information centrally. Local authorities may hold this information.

As part of the Scottish Government’s commitment to invest in access to school counselling services, since 2021 local authorities have reported on key measures of their service delivery. A summary of these reports can be found at:

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-38017

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 30 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 13 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how much has been spent on school security measures in each year since 1999, broken down by local authority area.

Question reference: S6W-38036

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 specific data it has received from local authorities on the (a) number and (b) condition of play parks renewed using the £60 million national play park fund since 2021.

As noted in S6W-38035 on 11 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. The reports from Local Authorities detail the number of play parks in their estate, the number of play parks identified for renewal, the number of play parks they have renewed in that financial year and the number of play parks they have renewed to date since the funding started. Since September 2021, when funding for the renewal programme commenced, Local Authorities have reported that over 1,100 play parks have been renewed. Local Authorities are invited to share details of their play park renewals and the details of the engagement with the local community but are not required to list details of each renewal. The reporting format was developed and agreed in collaboration with COSLA in 2021.

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-37036

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 13 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it issues to charities that receive public funds on remaining politically neutral, and how it monitors compliance with any such guidance.

Scottish Government grant funding is subject to standard terms and conditions, which state that:

“No part of the Grant shall be used to fund any activity or material which is party political in intention, use, or presentation, or appears to be designed to affect support for a political party.”

Grant managers are expected to maintain strong relationships with grantees, with regular monitoring and reporting to ensure funding delivers agreed outcomes.

The Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator provides on how charities can engage on political issues appropriately.

Question reference: S6W-37939

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 13 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it estimates it would need to provide to local authorities to cover the cost of implementing a national council tax freeze in 2026-27.

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-38057

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 30 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 13 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what appointments the Minister for Housing had in the two weeks to 23 May 2025.

Question reference: S6W-38016

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 30 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 13 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what review it has undertaken of the provision of school security measures across the school estate.

Question reference: S6W-38595

Asked by: Lorna Slater, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 June 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 26 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to its grant agreements and contracts, what its position is on whether excluding employment costs arising from legal obligations to employees, including parental leave, sick leave and redundancy, from eligible costs, is in keeping with its fair work commitments.