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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-44127

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Independent
Date lodged: Monday, 09 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 18 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recent recommendation by the Scottish Health Technologies Group to retain specialist chronic pain interventions, including intravenous (IV) lidocaine infusions, injections and radiofrequency treatments, whether it plans to support NHS Scotland and remove current restrictions, including within NHS Highland, which has reportedly stopped accepting new patients for these interventions that many patients consider life-changing.

The Scottish Government acknowledges the Scottish Health Technologies Group recommendations regarding specialist interventions for managing chronic non-malignant pain in adults. NHS Scotland is required to consider SHTG recommendations and discussions are underway to understand how those recommendations can inform sustainable, consistent and effective service delivery across Scotland.

We continue to work with work with clinicians, third sector organisations and people with lived experience of chronic pain to deliver the actions in our Pain Management Service Delivery Framework.

We have set out the wider policy within which NHS Scotland is expected to deliver services and expect all NHS Boards, including NHS Highland, to provide high quality care that is safe, effective and person-centred. We expect that decisions about the appropriateness of treatment for chronic pain, or specific medications for pain management, will be made by the clinician in discussion with the patient to ensure the most suitable treatment is made available based on their medical history.

Question reference: S6W-44057

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Independent
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 17 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will propose the scheduling of a ministerial statement on the use of Scotland’s inshore seas for the marine storage of offshore wind platform bases or other apparatus, in light of the potential impacts on the marine environment and on economic and recreational activities, such as fishing, angling and sailing, which depend on near-shore waters.

The Scottish Government has no current plans to propose the scheduling of a ministerial statement on the use of Scotland’s inshore seas for the marine storage of offshore wind platform bases or other apparatus.

Storage and constructions of floating offshore wind farm foundations is considered through the established marine licensing process, which assesses potential impacts on the marine environment, and on other users of the sea.

The Scottish Government ensures that, where required, decisions affecting the marine environment include public consultation so that affected communities and stakeholders, including those involved in fishing, angling, and sailing, can express their views.

Question reference: S6W-44049

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Independent
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 17 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in the event that Scottish Enterprise awards a £1.8 million grant to a company on the basis that clawback is payable in certain circumstances, and those circumstances arise, and the company had assets of around £131,000 at the approximate time of the award, whether any liability would fall on the CEO or any other officer, or whether the loss to the public purse would be written off.

Question reference: S6W-44053

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Independent
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 17 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason Scottish Enterprise reportedly did not (a) carry out an assessment of displacement or (b) have an independent analysis of the need for marine storage of offshore wind platform bases, prior to awarding a £1.83 million grant to Offshore Solutions Group.

Question reference: S6W-44054

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Independent
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 17 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether Scottish Enterprise carried out any consultation with Highlands and Islands Enterprise prior to it awarding a £1.83 million grant to Offshore Solutions Group.

Question reference: S6W-44048

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Independent
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 17 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers it consistent with required financial practices and the finance manual for Scottish Enterprise to award a £1.8 million grant, with clawback provisions, to a company whose latest accounts show assets of around £131,000 and, if so, for what reason.

As the Scottish Government’s national economic development body, Scottish Enterprise is responsible for its own funding decisions.

For all grants provided, Scottish Enterprise is required to undertake rigorous due diligence on companies seeking funding to ensure compliance with Scottish Public Finance Manual (SPFM) standards https://www.gov.scot/publications/commercial-due-diligence-guidance/pages/4/. Requirements vary depending on the nature of the support and funding provided.

Question reference: S6W-44050

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Independent
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 17 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is aware of any plans by the Auditor General to carry out an inquiry into the £1.83 million grant awarded to Offshore Solutions Group, a company whose latest accounts, as of April 2024, show net current assets of around £131,000.

Question reference: S6W-44052

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Independent
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 17 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it took, prior to awarding a £1.83 million grant to Offshore Solutions Group, to assess whether that grant could cause displacement through loss of business or loss of opportunity to other sectors, including loss of revenue for ports and harbours with existing capacity to provide the required storage and for the inshore fishing sector, whose fishing grounds might be severely affected by the use of those areas for the storage of around 60 large offshore wind platform bases.

Question reference: S6W-44051

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Independent
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 17 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has evidence demonstrating that the storage requirements for offshore wind platform bases cannot be met by combining onshore storage and storage in existing ports and harbours and, if so, whether it will publish this.

Question reference: S6W-44079

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Independent
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 16 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the 2026-27 Budget, how much of the capital budget is allocated for active travel, and whether it will set out in full the detail of the projects that will be funded.

The Scottish Government has proposed an allocation of £226 million for sustainable and active travel investment in the 2026-27 Budget. Of this total, £213 million is designated for capital expenditure.

Full details of the specific projects to be supported through this investment will be set out once they are confirmed in the new financial year. Over the past two years, the programme has focused heavily on delivery through Local Authorities and Regional Transport Partnerships, and we intend to continue utilising this model to maximise local impact and ensure effective implementation.