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-41893

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 14 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 1 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to use the discussions and outcomes from the COP30 UN climate summit in Belem, Brazil, to inform the finalisation and implementation of its draft Climate Change Plan, including any changes that it anticipates making to the actions and timescales set out in the draft plan up to 2040.

Question reference: S6W-41963

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 1 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to review the level of grant support available for solar thermal installations, with a view to bringing it in line with that for solar photovoltaic (PV) systems.

Our Heat in Buildings Programme offers a wide variety of schemes that provide funding to reduce heat demand and decarbonise heat in our homes and buildings.

The Scottish Government currently offers loan funding of up to £5,000 for solar thermal installations through the Home Energy Scotland (HES) Grant and Loan Scheme. No grant or loan support is available for solar PV installations through the scheme, however, targeted support for this measure is available through our Warmer Homes Scotland and our Area Based Schemes, where scheme specific criteria are met.

Currently, the Scottish Government does not plan to review the level of support available for solar thermal installations through the HES Grant and Loan scheme.

Question reference: S6W-41897

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 14 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 1 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Minister for Business and Employment has received any analysis on the net employment impact of floating offshore wind developments, including any potential displacement of existing jobs.

Ministers and officials consider a broad range of evidence to assess the economic opportunities and constraints of offshore wind development. This includes analysis as set out in the Offshore Wind Focus paper and the Social and Economic Impact Assessment for the draft updated Sectoral Marine Plan for Offshore Wind Energy.

Together these sources provide the Scottish Government with an overarching understanding of the economic and employment impacts of offshore wind development, informing ministerial advice and decision-making across relevant portfolios.

Offshore wind developers also provide detailed environmental and socio-economic assessments as part of applications for marine licences and consents. These are reviewed by officials and inform recommendations to relevant Ministers.

Question reference: S6W-41891

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 14 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 1 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its objectives are for engagement at the COP30 UN climate summit in Belem, Brazil, with (a) activists, (b) civil society partners from the Global South and (c) partners in its Climate Justice Fund programmes, and how it will evaluate the outcomes of this engagement.

Question reference: S6W-41898

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 14 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 1 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what action the Minister for Business and Employment takes to ensure that any claims regarding job creation from floating offshore wind projects are independently verified.

A comprehensive social and economic impact assessment was carried out as part of the process to update our Sectoral Marine Plan. This assessment included a strategic analysis of potential employment opportunities arising from the ScotWind and INTOG leasing rounds.

The work was undertaken by external contractors and independently verified through a rigorous quality assurance process. It was further scrutinized through cross-sector stakeholder engagement and a public consultation to ensure transparency and credibility.

The Scottish Government applies rigorous quality assurance to analytical work it undertakes internally or commissions externally.

Question reference: S6W-41909

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 14 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 1 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many board meetings of National Museums of Scotland the Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture has attended since May 2021, and on what dates.

Since May 2021, Ministerial oversight of the National Museums Scotland (NMS) has been led by the Minister for Europe and International Development until January 2022, then the Minister for Culture, Europe and International Development from January 2022 until May 2024. I took over Ministerial oversight of NMS in May 2024.

In that time period, I joined the NMS Board of Trustees pre-meeting session on 8 June 2022. Ministers and I have met when required with the Chief Executive as is normal convention for non-departmental public bodies.

Question reference: S6W-41928

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 14 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 1 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on what the evidential basis is for the Scottish Medicines Consortium's decision not to approve the use of the targeted treatment (a) elacestrant and (b) capivasertib for secondary breast cancer, in light of the drug being approved for use in the NHS in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The (SMC) appraisal is undertaken independently of Scottish Ministers. Making decisions about whether or not to recommend that people should routinely have access to new medicines is a complex task, and the independent SMC bases its decisions on the best available evidence provided to it.

Where licensed medicines, such as elacestrant and capivasertib, are not routinely available on the NHS in Scotland, doctors can use the PACS Tier Two system to request access on a case-by-case basis. The cost of the medicine is not a decision-making criterion when considering PACS Tier Two applications.

Question reference: S6W-41907

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 14 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 1 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many board meetings of National Galleries of Scotland the Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture has attended since May 2021, and on what dates.

Since May 2021, Ministerial oversight of the National Galleries of Scotland (NGS) has been led by the Minister for Europe and International Development until January 2022, then the Minister for Culture, Europe and International Development from January 2022 until May 2024. I took over Ministerial oversight of NGS in May 2024.

In that time period, I have not attended any board meetings of NGS. However, Minister and I have met when required with the Chief Executive as is normal convention for non-departmental public bodies.

Question reference: S6W-41960

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 1 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what policy it plans to implement to classify battery storage as energy generation.

As in the Chief Planner letter dated 27 August 2020, the Scottish Government considers that a battery storage installation generates electricity and is therefore to be treated as a generating station for the purposes of deciding whether Section 36 consent is required. This position has not changed. The letter can be accessed at: .

In addition, electricity storage is subject to the same rules and regulations in Ofgem’s licensing regime as other forms of generation. An Ofgem letter, dated 2 October 2020, setting out the relevant changes to the electricity generation licence can be accessed at: .

Question reference: S6W-41979

Asked by: Maggie Chapman, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 1 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to expand the use of FibroScan across NHS Scotland, with the aim of improving the early detection of liver disease.

The Scottish Government is currently assessing the potential to expand the use of Fibroscans across NHS Scotland through its Centre for Sustainable Delivery (CfSD) which is finalising a Strategic Case paper (rapid assessment) on Intelligent Liver Testing to present to the Innovation Design Authority (IDA) in December.

Intelligent Liver Testing involves Intelligent Liver Function Test (iLFT) and Enhanced Liver Fibrosis testing (ELF) to support the earlier detection of liver disease.