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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-39118

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 July 2025
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Gillian Martin on 3 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the preparation of an environmental policy strategy under section 47 of the UK Withdrawal from the European Union (Continuity) (Scotland) Act 2021.

The Scottish Government has published a consultation on a draft Environment Strategy, building on the Vision and Outcomes document published in 2020, that will fulfil the requirements of section 47 of the UK Withdrawal from the European Union (Continuity) (Scotland) Act 2021.

The draft Environment Strategy brings together our approach for creating a Scotland whose environment is healthy and robust and benefits everyone in Scotland. It sets out a holistic framework for delivering Scotland’s role in protecting our environment by tackling nature loss, climate change and pollution. It focuses on approaches that will improve the health and wellbeing of Scotland’s communities, promote social justice and strengthen our economy, helping us to become a fairer, more prosperous and resilient nation. In this way, it is designed to support the delivery of all four of the government’s priorities.

The consultation is available on Citizen Space at https://consult.gov.scot/environment-forestry/draft-environment-strategy/ and we encourage responses from all parts of society and from our business community. The consultation will close on 29 September.

Question reference: S6O-04865

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 June 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to tailor funding to colleges to ensure that they are providing courses to meet the needs of businesses in an ever changing world.

Question reference: S6O-04809

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 June 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action it is has taken to support NHS Grampian since it was escalated to stage 4 of NHS Scotland's National Performance Framework for finance, leadership and governance.

Question reference: S6O-04695

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S6W-37586

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 May 2025
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Neil Gray on 12 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its consideration of the escalation status for NHS Grampian, under the NHS Scotland Support and Intervention Framework.

NHS Grampian has been experiencing significant financial and operational pressures for several months. This led to the Health Board’s escalation to Stage 3 of the NHS Scotland Support & Intervention Framework for financial management in January 2025. Whilst Stage 3 is the first formal stage of escalation and, as such, NHS Grampian has been receiving tailored support, there remain concerns about the Board’s financial position, plans, leadership and governance; and any associated impact this may have on the delivery of local services.

Following careful consideration, the Government has decided that NHS Grampian’s escalation status be raised to Stage 4 for finance, leadership and governance. Further, formal escalation is felt necessary (along with the additional support and scrutiny this provides) to help mitigate the significant risks to both the local Board and wider, overall NHS Scotland financial positions.

The key focus of this further escalation will be to arrest the rate of expenditure in NHS Grampian and help mitigate immediate concerns about financial and associated operational pressures, and to stabilise the system. One of the key, initial elements of this package of enhanced support and scrutiny will be a whole system diagnostic, to be carried out by an external consultancy and is expected to conclude in June. That will help to inform the tailored support package that follows and will provide a robust basis for the wider, transformation work required over the longer term in NHS Grampian; in support of the local leadership under the new Chief Executive, with the interviews for that post taking place in early June.

With the agreement of Parliament, a ministerial statement will be provided at the appropriate point to keep members updated on this matter.

Question reference: S6F-04057

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 May 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 May 2025

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to water scarcity alerts issued by SEPA for the east of Scotland, in light of low rainfall and warm temperatures.

Question reference: S6O-04557

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 April 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding its work on antisocial behaviour, what discussions it has had with the UK Government about tackling the misuse of e-bikes.

Question reference: S6F-03982

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 31 March 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 April 2025

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government’s response is to reported comments made by the chair of the North Sea Transition Task Force that the North Sea’s future should be a “national mission”.

Question reference: S6W-36315

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 March 2025
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 27 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the impact of taking ScotRail into public ownership, in light of the forthcoming third anniversary of this taking place.

Bringing ScotRail into public ownership and control represented a milestone in the devolved history of the railway in Scotland. Now that the 3rd anniversary of that crucial event approaches, it is right that we reflect on what has been achieved since then, and also look forward to the future.

This Scottish Government has maintained a strong track record of public investment in our railways. Public ownership is a logical extension of this scale of public investment, which remains at record levels - £1.6 billion pounds this year.

Public ownership has created the opportunity to deliver a railway which is run for the benefit of customers. The ability to plan for the long term brings with it the opportunity to modernise Scotland’s railway and deliver passenger services which are efficient and sustainable.

Our approach is widely admired and even envied elsewhere in GB – both our counterparts in Wales and the North of England want to follow our devolved model and success, which is reflected in consistently higher ScotRail train performance and Passenger Satisfaction in Scotland than the GB average.

We have seen strong growth in both passenger journeys and revenue, with a 27 per cent increase in journeys between 2022-23 and 2023-24. And this year, we expect to see that increase further to more than 84 million passenger journeys by the end of March this year.

We know that affordability is a key factor in the decision to choose rail, therefore we have kept fares increases as low as possible to maintain the affordability of rail as a travel option while balancing the increasing costs of inflation to the public purse.

The off-peak all-day trial which was funded by the Scottish Government from the end of 2023 until September 2024, simply could not have been undertaken under private franchising and, unsurprisingly, the cheaper simpler fares which were offered were popular with customers. We have learnt a lot from that trial – which will be used to develop further fare offers.

Since last September, regular travellers have been able to take advantage of a 20 per cent discount on all season tickets (which is the equivalent of a 40 per cent saving on the cost of day tickets), and an increase in the number of journeys available with a Flexipass – which offers a saving of 32 per cent.

We are seeing an increase in passengers on our railway - passenger journeys on our publicly owned train services are up 4.5% for each 4-week period this year compared to the same period last year when the trial was running.

ScotRail continues to develop fares initiatives which can help attract more passengers, while offering savings and added value to existing rail users.

It now employs 500 more staff than ever before, with 250 of those being train drivers meaning driver recruitment is at record levels and making real progress towards eradicating the reliance on rest day working that is all too common across the rail industry. ScotRail is also making progress in ensuring passengers feels safe with the expansion of its travel safe team into the east of the country, bringing the team up to 37 members.

Capacity on the West Highland Line has recently been increased in a boost for the tourism economy, and ScotRail is demonstrating innovation by trialling the use of vegetable oil as an alternative to diesel fuel.

Next week ScotRail will publish a report that sets out the value it brings to the economy, and I would encourage everyone with an interest in Scotland’s railway to read this once available.

We have achieved much to make Scotland’s railway successful in the last 3 years but there is much more we wish to do to give the people of Scotland the rail service they need and deserve.

Question reference: S6O-04534

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 March 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the potential impact of the UK Government’s Spring Statement on the Scottish Budget.