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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-39867

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 28 August 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether section 30(1) and (3) to (7) of the Children (Scotland) Act 2020 came into force on 22 June 2025.

Question reference: S6W-39868

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 28 August 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of how many children have been affected by the reported delayed implementation of the Children (Scotland) Act 2020.

There has been no formal assessment of how many children have been affected by delays in implementation of the Children (Scotland) Act 2020, but the Scottish Government recognises the need to implement the Act to ensure the best interests of children are at the centre of any family proceedings.

The Scottish Government remains committed to implementing the Act, and I refer the member to the recent meetings of the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee on unimplemented legislation where further commencement and implementation of the 2020 Act was discussed – on 10 December 2024 [see Official Report columns 11 to 15] and 24 June 2025 [see Official Report columns 10 to 14].

Question reference: S6W-39869

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 28 August 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the requirements of section 30 of the Children (Scotland) Act 2020, what measures have been put in place to ensure that a children’s hearing, pre-hearing panel, or court has regard to any risk of prejudice to the child’s welfare that a delay in proceedings would pose.

Section 30(1), (3), (4), (5), (6) and (7) of the Children (Scotland) Act 2020, on delay in children’s hearings and adoption and permanence proceedings, came into force on 22 June 2025:

The Children (Scotland) Act 2020 (Commencement No. 3 and Saving Provision) Regulations 2025.

Section 30(2), relating to delay in cases under section 11 of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 (e.g. contact and residence) is not yet in force. It will be included in the next set of commencement regulations planned for October 2025. Since it is linked to the commencement of other provisions where there will be operational implications, there will be a 12 month lead-in period before the provisions in the next set of commencement regulations will come into force.

I refer the member to a meeting of the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee on unimplemented legislation (including the 2020 Act) on 24 June 2025 regarding this commitment: Official Report (see columns 10 to 14).

Question reference: S6O-04876

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 August 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what role the finance secretary has in authorising any continued expenditure of public bodies that incur substantial legal costs, including those covered by the Clinical Negligence and Other Risks Indemnity Scheme.

Question reference: S6W-39564

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Monday, 28 July 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 25 August 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has provided towards the construction of cycle lanes in each of the last five years.

We have recently published an Active Travel Infrastructure Investment Report for 2023-24, which reports on Transport Scotland’s active travel capital investment in infrastructure.

The active travel budget does not allocate funding to specific infrastructure types, rather is available for the delivery of all active travel infrastructure projects. The individual project expenditure information we hold from delivery partners does not always disaggregate or identify distinct infrastructure types such as cycle lanes. However, the active travel infrastructure investment in each of the last five years is presented in the following table:

Year	Investment
2020-21	£85,821,798
2021-22	£92,928,802
2022-23	£122,343,823
2023-24	£150,548,994
2024-25	£119,549,631

In 2025-26 we will invest over £188 million to support high quality active travel and bus infrastructure, sustainable travel integration, and behaviour change activity to promote walking, wheeling and cycling for everyday shorter journeys. This investment has and will continue to transform communities, enabling more people to walk and cycle, helping to improve their health and wellbeing.

Question reference: S6W-39565

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Monday, 28 July 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 22 August 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many train stations operated by ScotRail in Scotland are not step-free, and what action it is taking to ensure better accessibility to all train stations.

Question reference: S6W-39557

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Friday, 01 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 20 August 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, as part of its work to further the case for Scottish independence, what its policy is on whether an independent Scotland would seek to join NATO.

Question reference: S6W-39556

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Friday, 01 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 20 August 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, as part of its work to further the case for Scottish independence, what its policy is on whether an independent Scotland would (a) take a share of UK debt in exchange for assets or (b) adopt a position of no shared assets, no shared debt.

Question reference: S6W-39559

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Friday, 01 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 20 August 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, as part of its work to further the case for Scottish independence, what its policy is on who would represent an independent Scotland in any participation at a G20 summit.

Question reference: S6W-39558

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Friday, 01 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 20 August 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, as part of its work to further the case for Scottish independence, what its policy is on whether an independent Scotland would seek to join the Nuclear Energy Agency.