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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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

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Question reference: S6W-39803

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 25 August 2025

To ask the Scottish Government on what date a reporter was appointed to proceed work on the recalled appeal in relation to the proposed Loch Lomond development by Flamingo Land (PPA-002-2021).

Question reference: S6W-39802

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 25 August 2025

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the document appointing a reporter to proceed work on the recalled appeal in relation to the proposed Loch Lomond development by Flamingo Land (PPA-002-2021), which was published by its Planning and Environmental Appeals Division (DPEA) on 4 July 2025, appears to be signed and dated 24 June 2025 when the file uploaded was created on 4 July 2025.

A Minute of Appointment, following recall of this appeal, setting out the process by which Scottish Ministers considered the case should proceed, was received by DPEA on 24 June 2025 and dated as such. The Minute was published to the DPEA website on 4 July 2025.

DPEA deals with a number of appeals and other case types and receives a high volume of correspondence on a daily basis. It is not always possible for DPEA to process and upload all documentation received in its casework to the public website as soon as received.

Question reference: S6W-39663

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 01 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 20 August 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to its news release of 3 March 2022, Stop trading with Russia, whether it remains its position that "Businesses in Scotland [should] withdraw from trading with Russia, following its invasion of Ukraine".

On 3 March 2022, when Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Economy, I wrote an open letter to business in Scotland asking them to review their links to Russia, however indirect, and to sever them, with due regard for the safety of any employees or individuals they may work with.

It remains the position of the Scottish Government that it, and its economic agencies, will not support trade and investment activity with Russia. This policy is additional to the UK government’s regime of sanctions against Russia.

We cannot however, force businesses to sever links if what they plan is otherwise lawful, including not breaching the UK sanctions regime. There may also be legitimate reasons why links cannot be severed, for example: if staff safety might be jeopardised; contractual reasons; and/or being prohibited from selling assets due to Russian law.

Question reference: S6W-39348

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 July 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 14 August 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether (a) the Active Travel Infrastructure Fund for local authorities and (b) Sustrans funding for the National Cycle Network and embedded officers has been awarded for 2025-26, and, if not, when it anticipates it will be.

The Active Travel Infrastructure Fund (ATIF) to support the design, development, and delivery of active travel infrastructure measures across all 32 Local Authorities has been approved for 2025-26 with the settlement letter issued for £37.5 million. In addition, I announced in May over £26 million for ATIF construction projects with grant offer letters having been issued to the successful Local Authorities accordingly. Sustrans funding for the National Cycle Network and embedded officers has also been approved and will be awarded shortly. ATIF for design is yet to be awarded.

Question reference: S6W-39230

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 July 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 25 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-30627 by Ivan McKee on 24 October 2024, what the total value is of Green Freeports non-domestic rates relief that has been granted to date.

Question reference: S6W-39105

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 July 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 23 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when SEPA will issue a decision on Pollution Prevention and Control (PPC) permit application PPC/A/1197167 for the Oldhall energy recovery facility in Irvine.

Question reference: S6W-39086

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 30 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 15 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when it will confirm the process and timescale for its consideration of the recalled appeal PPA-002-2021 at West Riverside and Woodbank House, Balloch.

The recalled appeal is currently with Planning and Environmental Appeals Division (DPEA) with further procedures being carried out, with a revised target date of 11 September 2025 to provide a report to Ministers.

Once Ministers receive a reporter’s report from DPEA, we normally aim to issue decisions within 3 months, although the timescale can sometimes increase where there are more complex issues involved.

Question reference: S6W-38526

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 June 2025
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 11 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress to identify local authorities that will take part in the test of change phase of the free school meals programme.

I am pleased to confirm that 17 local authorities applied to partner with the Scottish Government on the Test of Change phase of the Free School Meal programme.

While considering these applications we have been able to maximise the spread of this phase across Scotland. The 8 proposed partner local authorities identified are: Aberdeen, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, Fife, Glasgow, Moray, North Ayrshire, Shetland, and South Lanarkshire. We will be engaging with the local authorities on their plans in the coming weeks.

These local authorities will deliver meals to those in receipt of Scottish Child Payment in S1 to 3 for a full school year from August 2025 to July 2026. This work will be independently evaluated and we are currently undertaking an exercise to appoint the researchers.

Question reference: S6W-37567

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 21 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether regulations have been made under section (a) 46 and (b) 47 of the Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (Scotland) Act 2013.

Question reference: S6T-02531

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 May 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Scottish Ministers will call in appeal PPA-002-2021 on the Flamingo Land Lomond Banks resort development.