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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-44077

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 March 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 19 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government where local BSL-plan redesign results in increased safeguarding or access risks, what oversight or intervention mechanisms are available.

Question reference: S6W-44076

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 March 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 19 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assurance it can provide that mainstream insourcing models deliver culturally competent, BSL-first, support rather than interpreted access alone.

Question reference: S6W-44074

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 March 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 19 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what method it uses to monitor whether local BSL plans are delivering equitable outcomes in practice.

Question reference: S6W-44075

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 March 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 19 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment has been made of the cumulative removal of specialist deaf-led provision in Edinburgh.

Question reference: S6W-43779

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 February 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 2 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what financial support and guidance it is providing to local authorities, in light of the potential for council and community-owned heat networks to provide accountable and affordable low carbon heat for homes and buildings.

Our Heat Network Support Unit (HNSU) offers advice and grant funding for the pre-capital stages development including for feasibility studies, Outline Business Cases and strategic heat network support for local authorities to build on their Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategies (LHEES). To date, the HNSU has formally supported 55 pre-capital projects in 18 local authority areas, with the Scottish Government committing approximately £3.2 million of financial support. The HNSU also hosts a District Heating Mentoring Programme in collaboration with the Danish Board of District Heating and the Royal Danish Embassy to link Scottish local authorities directly with district heating experience from Denmark to build the capacity and skills required to deliver district heating.

Scotland’s Heat Network Fund (SHNF) provides capital grant funding to public and private sector organisations to support the rollout of zero-emission heat networks across Scotland which meet key criteria including to provide low carbon and affordable heat to end users. In total, through the SHNF and its predecessor, the Low Carbon Infrastructure Transition Programme, Scottish Government has committed approximately £62.6 million to 19 heat network projects, 11 of which are local authority led.

The Scottish Government recognises the important role that community organisations play in identifying and developing local energy solutions and encourage local authorities to undertake community engagement as part of their development of heat networks. As heat networks are inherently local assets, local authority involvement can help to align projects with LHEES and other local plans, and secure third party, private investment where needed. We are currently considering options for community heat network support.

Question reference: S6W-43777

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 February 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 2 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding its plans to ensure that heat networks remain a fair and affordable heating solution for households in Scotland, in light of reports of high, varied and volatile pricing experiences by consumers.

Consumer protection including the price of heat is a reserved matter. We are working with the UK Government and Ofgem to support the introduction of GB-wide heat network authorisations under the UK Energy Act 2023. Authorisations came into effect in January 2026 and will introduce rules around fair pricing, clear and transparent billing and other protections for heat network customers for the first time.

Both the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action & Energy and I have recently written to the UK Government to ask what action it plans to take to address the cost of electricity for heat networks. We await a response on this.

Meanwhile, we are developing further Scottish regulation under the Heat Networks (Scotland) Act 2021 and the future Buildings (Heating and Energy Performance) and Heat Networks (Scotland) Bill which will, in time, allow scrutiny of the expected outcomes and impacts on end users before projects begin construction. In March 2026 we will launch a public consultation on heat network licence proposals which will also set out our future plans in this area, in line with my statement to Parliament on 18 November 2026.

Question reference: S6W-43775

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 February 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 2 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to raise awareness of heat networks amongst consumers, in light of Consumer Scotland’s report, Challenges facing heat network consumers in Scotland, which highlighted a lack of public understanding of heat networks.

The Scottish Government provides core funding to Consumer Scotland to advocate on behalf of Scottish consumers and consider Scottish specific issues, such as those highlighted in this report. My officials will continue to meet regularly with Consumer Scotland to discuss, and provide support, to address the issues raised.

We also see a key role for Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategies (LHEES), which are developed and delivered by local authorities, to help aid public awareness of the likely future heating solutions in their area.

Question reference: S6W-43773

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 February 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 2 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government which resources it plans to provide to consumers on existing heat networks in order to ensure that they are aware of their rights.

Heat network consumer advice is provided by Advice Direct Scotland, funded by Consumer Scotland.

Following the GB wide authorisations which came into force on 27 January 2026 and included consumer protections, Consumer Scotland, Advice Direct Scotland, and Citizen’s Advice Extra Help Unit will advocate for Scottish consumers and escalate key issues. Consumer Scotland are creating content to raise awareness of this with Scottish consumers.

Heat network consumers are able to access direct support through Advice Direct Scotland either via Energy Advice | Energy Advice | energyadvice.scot or through the helpline (0808 196 8660).

Question reference: S6W-43983

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 February 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 12 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure transparent public reporting on water scarcity indicators, drought risk levels and associated infrastructure vulnerabilities.

Question reference: S6W-43981

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 February 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 12 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking, in partnership with Scottish Water, to plan for and respond to long-term water resource pressures highlighted in the recent UN report on global water scarcity, and what assessment it has made of any impact of the reduction in Scottish Water’s budget on future resilience and infrastructure planning.