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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-37278

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 15 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the reasons for the reported 26% decline in new-build rental construction over the past year, and what actions are being taken to address this.

The Scottish Government is aware of the recent publication of industry figures on the operation of the Build to Rent sector. We are committed to improving conditions for housing investment at scale and will continue efforts to create a favourable environment, working with the sector, including the Housing Investment Taskforce, to achieve this.

Through our recently announced consultation, we are seeking views on proposed exemptions for certain types of property including mid-market rent and build to rent to be exempted from rent control and to specify circumstances where it might be appropriate for landlords to increase rent above the level of the rent cap, could be used.

Question reference: S6W-37178

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 02 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 15 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that any changes to practice that may be required by NHS boards are undertaken in order that women who wish to be treated by other women, based on biological sex, can be treated in that way.

The Scottish Government has set up a short life working group to consider existing policies, guidance and legislation which may be impacted by the recent Supreme Court judgment. This work will position us towards a state of readiness to take all necessary steps when the EHRC’s revised Statutory Code of Practice on services, public functions and associations and updated guidance are published.

All public bodies must comply with the law.

Question reference: S6W-37686

Asked by: George Adam, MSP for Paisley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 May 2025
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 15 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered the future location of the Registrar of Independent Schools following the decision to refocus Education Scotland.

Education Scotland is being refocussed to lead curriculum review and improvement. To support this, the Scottish Government has taken the decision to relocate the Registrar of Independent Schools from Education Scotland to the Scottish Government.

We have considered a range of options in coming to this decision, which also aligns with Professor Muir’s recommendation in his review of the national landscape. As well as supporting the refocusing of Education Scotland, it will ensure continued close working between the Scottish Government and the General Teaching Council for Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-37436

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 15 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding has been allocated to (a) modernise and (b) expand the general practice estate in each year since 2016.

Question reference: S6W-37230

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 02 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 15 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many property factors have applied to join the Scottish Property Factor Register in each year since 2011.

Due to a change in the system used to record applications to the Scottish Property Factor Register, information on the number of property factors who have applied to join the Register in each year since 2011 is not available.

However, the number of registered property factors at 31 December each year is provided in the following table.

Whilst the number of applications submitted in each year is likely to be higher than the number of registered property factors, due to applications being withdrawn before they are fully assessed, these figures should provide an approximation of the number of applications submitted to the Scottish Property Factor Register.

Year	Number of Registered Property Factors
2011	0 (the register opened in 2012)
2012	248
2013	330
2014	366
2015	382
2016	385
2017	404
2018	406
2019	389
2020	394
2021	397
2022	358
2023	367
2024	371
2025 (at 6th May 2025)	368

Question reference: S6W-37231

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 02 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 15 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many property factors in total are currently on the Scottish Property Factor Register.

Question reference: S6W-37148

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 02 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 15 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it supports a UK-wide framework to safeguard universities against intellectual property and technology transfers to foreign military regimes.

Scottish Government officials are engaging closely with UK Government, via the Department for Education, Department for Science Innovation and Technology, and the Home Office, on the development of the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme due to come into force on 1 July.

Officials also continue to engage with the UK Government on UK-wide frameworks and guidance regarding the management of international partnerships.

Whilst national security is reserved to the UK Government, the Scottish Government expect universities, as autonomous bodies, to conduct due diligence on managing risks associated with international partnerships and comply with relevant legal requirements, including the National Security Act 2023, and National Security and Investment Act 2021.

The Scottish Government also expects that universities will carefully consider guidance published by Universities UK, and the UK Government’s Research Collaboration Advice Team, to support them in managing risks of international partnerships.

Question reference: S6W-37435

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 15 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it conducts any assessments of the condition of general practice (a) buildings and (b) facilities, and, if so, whether it can provide details of those assessments.

Question reference: S6W-37310

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 15 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-10461 by Humza Yousaf on 20 September 2022, whether it will provide an update on the support it is giving to the development of the VLA15 vaccine for Lyme disease.

As noted in the response to S6W-10461, Scottish Enterprise has provided support to the Valneva facility in Livingston although the Lyme disease vaccine candidate VLA15 is not directly supported by Scottish funding.

The introduction of any new national vaccine programme in Scotland is based on the independent expert advice of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). If VLA15, were to be authorised for use in the UK by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and recommended for use by the JCVI, then the Scottish Government would consider the introduction of any such programme.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

Question reference: S6O-04691

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 May 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding its work to support faith and belief communities, what plans it has to join the Buddhist community in Scotland in celebrating the 90th birthday of His Holiness the Dalai Lama on 6 July.