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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-41177

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 10 October 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 7 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what the total extent of land designated as Green Belt in Scotland is as at 31 March 2025; what percentage of Scotland’s total land area this represents, and what changes have occurred in the total area designated as Green Belt between 31 March 2024 and 31 March 2025, including any changes resulting from updates to local authority boundaries or Local Development Plans.

Question reference: S6O-05044

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 October 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Housing Statistics for Scotland Quarterly Update: New Housebuilding and Affordable Housing Supply to end June 2025.

Question reference: S6W-40517

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 15 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 30 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what funding is available to support Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) in delivering the next steps of its franchise framework assessment, and whether it will commit to ensuring that adequate resources are provided to support this work.

Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) approved the Final Draft of the Strathclyde Regional Bus Strategy on 19 September. A costed programme and timeline for delivery of a Franchise Framework Assessment as required by the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019) will be considered at a future partnership meeting.

As this work develops, SPT will be required to undertake more detailed appraisals to determine which of the various bus options they want to progress with. In a climate of increasing fiscal pressure, it is important that the business cases for improving bus services are made robustly and in an evidenced based way to support future decision making on funding.

In 2025-26 the Scottish Government provided record funding of over £15.1 billion to local authorities, a real terms increase of 5.5%. It is, however, the responsibility of each local authority to allocate the total financial resources available, including on support for bus provisions such as franchising in their region, on the basis of local needs and priorities, having first fulfilled its statutory obligations. Ultimately, it is for locally elected representatives to make local decisions on how best to deliver services to their local communities.

Question reference: S6W-40486

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 25 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what process is in place for a complainant to make representations to the Scottish Ministers following a report from the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland (Housing and Property Chamber) regarding a property factor’s failure to comply with a Property Factor Enforcement Order, and whether it will consider extending the same right of representation to complainants as is currently afforded to property factors under the Property Factors (Scotland) Act 2011.

During development of the Property Factors (Scotland) Act 2011, careful consideration was given to homeowner redress. The First-tier Tribunal for Scotland was established as an independent judicial body to hear disputes and, where appropriate, issue Property Factor Enforcement Orders (PFEOs).

Failure to comply with a PFEO is formally notified to Scottish Ministers and informs the assessment of whether a property factor remains fit and proper. Ministers’ initial approach is to work with the factor to restore compliance and ensure service standards are met.

Removal from the register is considered only where compliance cannot be achieved, as this prevents the factor from operating anywhere in Scotland and affects all homeowners they serve. Therefore, full consideration of legal requirements, including Tribunal decisions, is essential.

Question reference: S6W-40518

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 15 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 25 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the decision by Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) to progress with its franchise framework assessment, and what engagement its ministers have had with SPT regarding this process.

We encourage all local transport authorities to consider the full range of tools available to them under the Transport (Scotland) 2019 Act, so it is pleasing to see SPT are fully exploring the 2019 Act powers with a view on improving bus services in their area.

I welcome their decision to progress with the recommendations of their Regional Bus Strategy and further develop proposals to deliver a Franchise Framework Assessment using those powers. It is important that the business cases for improving bus services are made robustly and utilise all available evidence and views, before decisions are reached about future investments in the region.

As part of the development and delivery of the bus powers within the 2019 Act my officials engaged with a wide range of stakeholders, particularly local transport authorities, including SPT. I have also met with SPT on several occasions, most recently on 25 March to discuss the progress and plans on their Regional Bus Strategy.

Question reference: S6W-40519

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 15 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 25 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that regional transport partnerships (RTPs) are adequately funded, in light of its reported position that public transport is best delivered at a regional level and the Verity House Agreement’s reported lack of reference to regional bodies in funding frameworks.

The Scottish Government continues to support Regional Transport Partnerships (RTPs) through targeted funding streams aligned with its commitment to delivering public transport at a regional level. While the Verity House Agreement sets out principles for collaboration and funding between central and local government, it does not explicitly reference RTPs, as funding priorities under the Agreement are determined by individual councils. It is the responsibility of Local Authorities to determine their funding priorities.

RTPs remain a key delivery partner in the National Transport Strategy. This financial year, the Scottish Government has allocated £3.47 million specifically for Scotland’s 7 RTPs to support their running costs and implementation of the Regional Transport Strategies. Additional capital and revenue support is also provided through programmes such as the People and Place Programme, which has allocated £23.4 million to all RTPs for 2025–26, an increase from the previous year.

In addition to the People and Place funding, RTPs can apply to the Tier 2 Active Travel Infrastructure Fund for both Design and Construction. This fund is open to Local Authorities, RTPs, and National Park Authorities, with over £35million allocated for 2025–26to support both design and construction projects.

Question reference: S6W-40516

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 15 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 25 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what capital funding is currently available to regional transport partnerships (RTPs) for the delivery of regional transport infrastructure, and whether the criteria for the People and Place Programme will be amended to include regional capital projects such as park and ride facilities that contribute to a sustainable transport network.

The Scottish Government is providing Scotland’s seven regional transport partnerships (RTPs) with up to £15.5 million of capital grant funding from the People and Place Programme (total value £23.4 million, split between resource and capital).

The primary focus of the capital funding is to provide a programme of sustainable and active travel behaviour change interventions on a regional basis to encourage people to travel actively and more sustainably. In addition to the direct capital grant funding, RTPs can apply to the Tier 2 Active Travel Infrastructure Fund for both Design and Construction, and they worked with local authorities in receipt of Bus Infrastructure Fund awards.

There are no plans to amend the current criteria of the People and Places programme to include park and ride facilities as eligible capital projects.

Question reference: S6W-40349

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 22 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how the £2 million investment in Discretionary Housing Payments will be allocated, and what criteria will be used to determine eligibility for support in accessing settled homes in the private rented sector.

The investment in discretionary housing payments (DHPs) announced as part of the Housing Emergency Action Plan on 2 September will be made available to local authorities experiencing the most sustained temporary accommodation pressures via a distribution methodology agreed with COSLA.

This further DHPs will target eligible households in temporary accommodation who are interested in a settled home in the private rented sector but who are concerned about affordability. Local authorities will use DHPs to cover any shortfall between the housing benefit people receive – determined by the UK local housing allowance (LHA) rates – and the actual cost of private rent.

While this additional £2 million investment will be targeted at households in temporary accommodation, local authorities retain discretion to support other households facing shortfalls between their rent and LHA rates. Many local authorities already use this flexibility to help people secure and sustain tenancies in the private rented sector, spending £3.1 million in 2024-25.

Question reference: S6W-40345

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 18 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether the £768 million budget for the Affordable Housing Supply Programme in 2025-26 represents a net increase compared with previous years, and how much is new, versus restored, funding.

Question reference: S6W-40346

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 17 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of the £4.9 billion investment in housing will be delivered through (a) new capital funding and (b) Financial Transactions.