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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-41038

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Reform UK
Date lodged: Monday, 06 October 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 3 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Glasgow Life regarding the reported proposal to reduce the number of indoor tennis courts at Scotstoun Sports Campus to accommodate padel courts; what assessment it has made of the potential impact that such a proposal would have on tennis development programmes, local and national tournaments, and community access, and whether it will encourage Glasgow Life to consider alternative locations for padel courts that would allow Scotstoun to retain its current status as Scotland’s leading indoor tennis venue.

Question reference: S6W-40332

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Reform UK
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 16 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on a potential ban of the sale of rhododendron ponticum in Scotland.

We are aware that there have been calls for a ban on sale of Rhododendron ponticum, most recently in the Woodland Trust’s 2021 Rhododendron in the Rainforest report. However, there are challenges associated with such a ban.

The taxonomy of invasive rhododendron is complex. Rhododendron ponticum is used as a root stock and sold as different domesticated varieties; it is not known to be particularly invasive. The invasive rhododendron in the countryside and older garden plantings is thought to be the result of hybridization with the Appalachian species Rhododendron catawbiense. A significant amount of genetic research would be required to define what the hybrid is before its sale could be prohibited and to develop a reliable genetic test that could be used in inspections and enforcement. It is believed currently that only a small proportion of the plants sold as Rhododendron ponticum are thought to be invasive hybrid rhododendron.

In addition, the UK Internal Market Act 2020 would have potentially raised questions as to the legal effect of any Scotland-only ban.

Question reference: S6W-40334

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Reform UK
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 16 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will discuss a potential ban on the sale of rhododendron ponticum at the next meeting of the British-Irish Council.

Question reference: S6W-40331

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Reform UK
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 16 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how much its agencies have spent on the (a) removal and (b) control of rhododendron ponticum in each year since 2020-21.

Since 2021, Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) have worked with the Alliance for Scotland’s Rainforest to identify landscapes where they can work co-operatively with other land managers to effectively control rhododendron at the landscape scale. FLS accounting systems do not differentiate rhododendron control from other environmental expenditure such as Invasive Non-Native Species control. Therefore, it is not possible to provide exact figures of expenditure on a) removal and b) control of Rhododendron ponticum in each year since 2020-21. However, between 2022-23 and 2024-25 £1.685 million was spent on INNS and rhododendron removal and follow-up control in priority rainforest areas. During the current financial year, £1.397 million has been made available for INNS and rhododendron control.

Scottish Forestry has agreed £1.793 million of grant support for the eradication of rhododendron since the 2020-21. The funding provided is to support works that secure the removal of rhododendron from the funding area.

In addition, a number of Nature Restoration Fund projects aimed at improving and restoring areas of Atlantic rainforest include rhododendron control and removal. NatureScot does not hold precise information on the elements of those project costs that are solely directed at rhododendron control, but the total of the awarded costs of these projects from 2020-21 to 2024-25 is £1.734 million. The total of the awarded costs for 2025-26 is £1.322 million.

Question reference: S6W-40333

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Reform UK
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 16 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions (a) it and (b) its agencies has had with the horticultural sector regarding the invasiveness of rhododendron ponticum.

Question reference: S6W-38649

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 20 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when there will be a stakeholder consultation on NatureScot's reported work to develop a list of irreplaceable habitats, and whether any types of species-rich grassland will be included in any such list.

As committed to in our Biodiversity Delivery Plan, we are revising the Scottish Biodiversity List of species and habitats. A process involving stakeholders is already underway to produce a revised list by the end of 2025. This summer, NatureScot and Scottish Government officials will be working with a range of stakeholders to prioritise habitats and species which are of principle importance for the conservation of biodiversity in Scotland and provide advice to Ministers. Workshops to consider these lists are planned for August and early September. The importance that species-rich grasslands have for biodiversity both as habitats, and for supporting species dependent on them, will form part of this exercise.

Question reference: S6O-04853

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 June 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has plans to reform the planning appeals process.

Question reference: S6W-37662

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 16 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 29 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has invested in restoring Scotland’s rainforest since the 2021 election, broken down by (a) agency and (b)(i) capital and (ii) revenue spending.

Since May 2021 Naturescot have invested nearly £4 million in rainforest restoration activities through the Nature Restoration Fund: £3,933,357 capital and £381,291 resource.

Scottish Forestry (SF) are not able to give the precise breakdown of funding as requested in the time frame required. This is because the data for grant support is not in a format that allows us to spatially analyse it quickly against the Atlantic Rainforest zone. However, since 2015 SF have committed £6 million of Forestry Grant Scheme funding for the management of existing native woodlands within the rainforest zone, with £1 million made available in 2023. This is all resource spending.

Forestry and Land Scotland have invested £6.14 million in rainforest restoration since 2022: £1,899,000 resource and £4,241,000.

Question reference: S6O-04734

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 May 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what actions it is taking to end the housing emergency.

Question reference: S6F-04113

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 May 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 May 2025

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to The Hunter Foundation report, Lessons from Singapore for Scotland's Economy.