Questions and answers

Question reference: S6O-05112

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 October 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of school swimming provision, including the number of children who leave primary school unable to swim.

Question reference: S6O-05107

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 October 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the progress of the Ayrshire Growth Deal.

Question reference: S6O-05110

Asked by: George Adam, MSP for Paisley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 October 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure the sustainability of town centres.

Question reference: S6O-05109

Asked by: Sandesh Gulhane, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 October 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made regarding the number of households whose council tax bills could rise as a result of the proposals in its consultation on the future of council tax.

Question reference: S6O-05108

Asked by: Keith Brown, MSP for Clackmannanshire and Dunblane, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 October 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action it is taking to safeguard the future of the Alloa Campus of Forth Valley College.

Question reference: S6W-41571

Asked by: Michelle Thomson, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 October 2025
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Gillian Martin on 29 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what further measures it is putting in place to ensure that workers are at the heart of Grangemouth’s Just Transition.

I am pleased to announce today the launch of the Grangemouth Jobs Prioritisation Scheme, which prioritises those workers who have been made redundant as a direct consequence of the cessation of refining at Grangemouth for the new jobs which will be created through the Grangemouth Just Transition Fund. The First Minister will make a further announcement on this scheme in his keynote speech at the Just Transition Summit this morning. The FM will also announce Scottish Government’s intention to renew the Just Transition Commission for the next Parliamentary term.

This pilot scheme will ensure that eligible workers will be guaranteed an interview for the new jobs, provided they meet the minimum job criteria, which are being created as a direct consequence of the support provided via Scottish Government’s Grangemouth Just Transition Fund.

Question reference: S6W-41150

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Independent
Date lodged: Friday, 10 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Claire Baker (on behalf of the SPCB) on 29 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body, in light of 12 October 2025 marking the first anniversary of the death of the former First Minister, Alex Salmond, whether it will consider commissioning a memorial to be located within the Scottish Parliament.

Question reference: S6W-41565

Asked by: Dr Alasdair Allan, MSP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 October 2025
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Gillian Martin on 29 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the ban on biodegradable municipal waste going to landfill after 31 December 2025.

The ban on landfilling biodegradable municipal waste (BMW) is a crucial part of delivering Scotland’s net zero ambitions and in line with Committee for Climate Change advice. It will come into force on 31 December this year.

Significant efforts and investment have been made by local authorities and commercial waste operators to prepare for the ban. The overwhelming majority of local authorities have ban compliant solutions in place and there has been a significant expansion of energy from waste facilities in Scotland in recent years.

However, due to a temporary shortfall of energy from waste capacity in Scotland, some parts of the waste sector have identified challenges in fully complying with the upcoming ban.

Taking account of these challenges, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency has today published a Regulatory Position Statement outlining its approach to enforcing the ban.

Question reference: S6W-41466

Asked by: Sandesh Gulhane, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Friday, 24 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 29 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what the estimated annual operating cost will be for the 15 proposed walk-in GP clinics.

As set out in answer S6W-41307 on 13 October 2025, improving access to primary care is a key priority for this Government. We recognise the vital role that GPs, community nurses, pharmacists, dentists and other members of the primary care team play as the foundation of healthcare in our communities.

We are committed to strengthening the whole primary care system, building on our ongoing commitment through the Service Renewal Framework to shift more care into community settings and make services more accessible for patients.

As part of this, we will develop options for new and innovative ways to improve access to primary care, including local walk-in models which will provide more flexibility for patients. It is our intention to develop proposals for a model would see these services open Monday-Sunday. We will develop these proposals first as a pilot model which will complement current core general practice and provide a range of same-day assessment and small-scale diagnostics. To do this we will work in collaboration with NHS Boards and primary care delivery partners to ensure they strengthen, rather than duplicate, existing primary care services.

The Scottish Government will set out further details as these plans develop.

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: S6W-41463

Asked by: Sandesh Gulhane, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Friday, 24 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 29 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government by what date it expects the proposed network of walk-in GP clinics to deliver the recently announced one million additional GP and nurse appointments.

As set out in answer S6W-41307 on 13 October 2025, improving access to primary care is a key priority for this Government. We recognise the vital role that GPs, community nurses, pharmacists, dentists and other members of the primary care team play as the foundation of healthcare in our communities.

We are committed to strengthening the whole primary care system, building on our ongoing commitment through the Service Renewal Framework to shift more care into community settings and make services more accessible for patients.

As part of this, we will develop options for new and innovative ways to improve access to primary care, including local walk-in models which will provide more flexibility for patients. It is our intention to develop proposals for a model would see these services open Monday-Sunday. We will develop these proposals first as a pilot model which will complement current core general practice and provide a range of same-day assessment and small-scale diagnostics. To do this we will work in collaboration with NHS Boards and primary care delivery partners to ensure they strengthen, rather than duplicate, existing primary care services.

The Scottish Government will set out further details as these plans develop.

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.

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