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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 MSPs 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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

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Question reference: S6W-42307

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 December 2025
Current Status: Holding Answer by Mairi McAllan on 17 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-41434 by Mairi McAllan on 18 November 2025, whether it plans to publish the final review report and options for ministers to consider for new accommodation standards for seasonal workers developed by its Housing Standards and Quality team, and, if so, by what date this will happen.

Question reference: S6W-42309

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 December 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 17 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-41436 by Mairi McAllan on 19 November 2025, whether it will consider introducing a relationship between the charge levied by the employer for accommodation and the accommodation offset rate when it introduces bespoke statutory accommodation standards.

Question reference: S6W-42244

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 01 December 2025
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 17 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what emergency support is available from it or the UK Government to any local authorities that are forced to use financial reserves due to the impact of any decisions that are outwith their control, such as asylum policy changes.

Local authorities must use the financial resources available to them as efficiently as possible to ensure the best possible value. How this is done is a matter for each council.

The Scottish government has provided local government in Scotland with record funding of over £15.1 billion, an increase of over £1 billion or 5.5 per cent in real terms compared to 2024-25. Decisions on the use of reserves for specific services are rightly the responsibility of councils to take where it is prudent and sustainable to do so.

The Scottish Government will continue to work in partnership with local government to address the challenges facing councils and ensure we are operating sustainable people centred public services that communities expect and deserve.

Question reference: S6W-42242

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 01 December 2025
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 17 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what mechanism exists, or is being considered, to enable financial costs for local authority services to be shared across Scotland when they result from policy decisions not made locally, such as changes to asylum policy.

Funding for local government is distributed to councils on the basis of a needs-based formula agreed with COSLA on behalf of all 32 local authorities. Any changes to that funding, including new funding or changes to distribution, are subject to formal financial governance processes through the joint Scottish Government and COSLA Officers’ Settlement and Distribution Group (SDG). SDG recommendations are then subject to political sign-off from Scottish Ministers and COSLA Leaders.

This mechanism allows for the costs of targeted interventions to be shared across Local Authorities if Leaders accept recommendations from SDG to do so.

Similarly, in the past the Scottish Government has sought to prioritise funding for specific Local Authorities to reflect unique situations or circumstances or to recognise their contribution to the roll-out of national policies such as Ukraine resettlement funding. However, it is important to note that targeting of funding in this way can be at odds with the principles set out in the Verity House Agreement.

The vast majority of funding to Local Government is provided by means of a block grant. It is then the responsibility of individual local authorities to manage their own budgets and to allocate the total financial resources available to them, on the basis of local needs and priorities, having first fulfilled their statutory obligations and the jointly agreed set of national and local priorities. Should councils wish to work together to share costs on a regional or national basis, they are at liberty to do so outside the auspices of SDG.

Question reference: S6W-42635

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 December 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 13 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to maintain or increase its funding allocation to the Climate Justice Fund in its upcoming Budget.

Question reference: S6W-42631

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 December 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 13 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it allocated £500,000 received through Barnett consequential funding in 2024-25 to trading standards for tobacco and vapes enforcement in Scotland, which would be proportionate to the UK allocation, as set out in the Legislative Consent Memorandum for the Tobacco and Vapes Bill.

Question reference: S6W-42604

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 December 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 13 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding has been allocated to Bikeability training in Lanarkshire since its introduction in 2010–11, and what plans it has to increase uptake among primary school pupils.

Question reference: S6W-42633

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 December 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 13 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the alignment of its international development and climate justice programmes, including Climate Just Communities, with international commitments to increase climate adaptation finance made at COP30.

Question reference: S6W-42607

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 December 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 13 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how it monitors the effectiveness of Safe Routes to School programmes in Lanarkshire, and what improvements are planned for 2026.

Question reference: S6W-42606

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 December 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 13 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what investment has been made in active travel infrastructure in Lanarkshire in each of the last five years to improve road safety for children walking and cycling to school.