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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.

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Question reference: S6W-43851

Asked by: Roz McCall, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 February 2026
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 24 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide financial support to third sector organisations to enable them to meet the training requirements set out under the National Framework for Adult Support and Protection Learning and Development in Scotland.

The National Framework for Adult Support and Protection (ASP) Learning and Development in Scotland provides a multi-agency, multi-disciplinary resource to ensure that all those involved in supporting and protecting adults are appropriately trained and skilled for their role. It prioritises workforce development and underscores the importance of dialogue, collaboration, and partnership across professional groups. The Framework aims to support a consistent approach across Scotland which can be adapted for local use to enhance existing local training approaches. An implementation plan has been developed and will be delivered by the by the National ASP Coordinator and supported by the multi-agency National Learning and Development Network. This includes work with early adopter sites to provide feedback and a multi-agency review on its use 10 months following publication. Colleagues in learning and development roles within multi-agency local partnerships are in a unique position to support best practice. They can develop the knowledge and skills required in practitioners across all organisations and services, promoting multi-agency, multi-service shared learning.

Question reference: S6W-43852

Asked by: Roz McCall, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 February 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 5 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure consistent implementation of the National Framework for Adult Support and Protection Learning and Development in Scotland across all local authority areas.

Question reference: S6W-43853

Asked by: Roz McCall, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 February 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 5 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish an implementation plan, including measurable outcomes, for the National Framework for Adult Support and Protection Learning and Development in Scotland.

Question reference: S6F-04684

Asked by: Roz McCall, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 16 February 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 February 2026

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government’s response is to reports that hundreds of teachers have sought medical treatment following attacks by pupils in the last five years.

Question reference: S6W-43575

Asked by: Roz McCall, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 February 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 10 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any risk that afforestation poses to species-rich grasslands and nationally important species, and whether it will take steps to protect species-rich grasslands by recognising them as irreplaceable habitats within Scots law.

Scottish Forestry is the competent authority responsible for regulating woodland creation. Their assessment of afforestation proposals follows a defined process governed by the Forestry (Environmental Impact Assessment) (Scotland) Regulations 2017 and supported by the UK Forestry Standard (UKFS). The process involves several stages designed to identify, avoid, prevent and where necessary, mitigate negative impacts on environmental receptors, including biodiversity, set out in the Regulations. Therefore, there is already a robust assessment process that provides a strong consideration of protected habitats, priority habitats, protected species and designated sites.

Question reference: S6W-43576

Asked by: Roz McCall, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 February 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 10 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of reported community concerns about the potential impacts of large-scale forestry proposals on nationally important species or habitats, and what steps it is taking to ensure that future afforestation proposals do not destroy or damage these species or habitats.

Scottish Forestry ensures the protection of nationally important habitats and species by applying a robust and proportionate process to all afforestation proposals under the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Regulations. This process begins by assessing if significant negative effects have been avoided or prevented. Where there are identified significant adverse impacts, particularly within sensitive or high-value ecological areas, Scottish Forestry requires the proposal to enter the full EIA consent process. This ensures that risks are comprehensively assessed and that appropriate mitigation measures are secured before any consent is granted.

Question reference: S6W-43463

Asked by: Roz McCall, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 January 2026
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 10 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what funding it or its agencies, including through Sustrans, (a) have provided and (b) plan to provide to support the Trowan-Comrie all-abilities core path project.

Support has been provided to the Comrie paths project through Transport Scotland and its delivery partner Walk Wheel Cycle Trust (formerly Sustrans). The sum of £171,788 has been awarded across three separate projects;

Invermilton to Baird’s Monument: £78,038

Baird’s Monument to Crieff: £56,250

Comrie link: £37,500

These projects provide improvements along National Cycle Network Route 775 between Comrie and Crieff, which supports and contributes to the all abilities path corridor.

In addition to this Perth and Kinross Council has received £796,000 funding through the Active Travel Infrastructure Fund Tier 1 and £132,313 through the Local Authority Direct Award for Active Travel in 2025-26, both funds allow the Local Authority autonomy to invest in the region.

Question reference: S6W-43464

Asked by: Roz McCall, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 January 2026
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 9 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on to what degree investment in local core paths and all-abilities routes remains a priority within its active travel and outdoor access policies.

Access authorities, that is our local and National Park authorities, have a duty under the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 to uphold access rights and to draw up a plan for a system of paths, a Core Path network, which is sufficient to give local users and visitors reasonable access throughout their area. As a local authority responsibility, the Scottish Government supports this duty primarily through the provision of the annual block grant to local authorities.

Funding to support access was devolved in the Local Government concordat reached in 2008 and remains the responsibility of Local Authorities. Local government funding for access is distributed through a Grant-Aided Expenditure Land Access £8.1 million block grant allocated based on proportions of population and path lengths, with a minimum allocation of £70,000.

However, the funding is not ring-fenced. It is the responsibility of individual Local Authorities to manage their budgets and allocate the total financial resources available on the basis of local priorities, once they have met their statutory obligations. The Scottish Government provided record block grant funding of over £15 billion to local authorities in 2025-26, an increase of £1 billion or 4.7 per cent in real terms compared to last year’s budget.

In addition, access may be improved through active travel infrastructure. The Scottish Government supports Local Authorities to deliver active travel infrastructure through Tier 1 of the Active Travel Infrastructure Fund which Local Authorities receive directly and can use with the flexibility to meet their own local priorities.

For larger scale projects to promote everyday journeys, these can be funded through Tier 2 of the Active Travel Infrastructure Fund for which applications are invited annually from Local Authorities, Regional Transport Partnerships and National Park Authorities. Projects funded though Tier 2 should ensure that they improve the quality of access for all abilities, supported by Equality Impact Assessments. Where required, there is also a suite of other guidance and best practice that delivery partners should use in developing projects to ensure that accessibility is considered at the outset.

Question reference: S6W-42903

Asked by: Roz McCall, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 January 2026
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 22 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to review the eligibility criteria for funded early learning and childcare for two-year-olds, and what action it is taking to increase uptake among eligible families.

We do not have plans to review the legislation or statutory guidance for the current offer of funded ELC.

We provide statutory guidance for local authorities on their duties and powers in relation to funded ELC: Introduction - Early learning and childcare: statutory guidance - July 2021 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot). Local authorities also have a discretionary power to provide access to funded ELC to any child residing in their area, as they see fit.

The 2024 Programme for Government (PFG) set out a commitment to work with local authorities to maximise uptake of our existing offer for eligible two year olds, with a focus on families most at risk of poverty and on areas with some of the lowest take up rates.

Through our National Improvement Project, we are working with local authorities and the Improvement Service on focused action in five local authorities as well as promoting good practice to increase uptake for eligible two-year-olds across all local authority areas.

Question reference: S6W-42902

Asked by: Roz McCall, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 January 2026
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 22 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how it is ensuring that the funding rates set for the delivery of funded early learning and childcare are sustainable for providers across all local authorities, including in rural and island communities.

Local authorities are responsible for setting sustainable rates that reflect the costs of delivering funded early learning and childcare (ELC), in line with guidance published annually by the Scottish Government and COSLA. Guidance for 2026-27 will be published by the end of March. We will also publish findings from an independent national survey of funded ELC providers’ costs undertaken by the Diffley Partnership, intended to improve the evidence base available to inform rate-setting processes.

In addition, the draft 2026-27 Budget confirmed that we will provide a further £11 million each year to support local authorities to set sustainable rates that enable staff delivering ELC in private and third sector services to continue to be paid at least the real Living Wage.