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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-44046

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 17 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it provided local authorities with any guidance on single-sex spaces in leisure centres before April 2025, and, if so, what the content of that guidance was.

Question reference: S6W-44045

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 17 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has ever produced any guidance on single-sex spaces in leisure centres, and, if so, what the content of that guidance is.

Public bodies, including any which operate leisure centres, are expected to comply with all relevant legislation and regulations including the Equality Act 2010. It is for service providers to interpret and ensure that they meet their legal duties and they should obtain legal advice as appropriate.

As the regulator of the Equality Act 2010, it is the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) who ensure compliance and enforcement of the Act, including providing technical guidance and a Code of Practice. This guidance provides organisations with information to understand their role in ensuring that people with the protected characteristics, as set out in the Act, are not discriminated against when using services provided.

Where new non-domestic buildings, including leisure centres, are being constructed, The Building (Scotland) Regulations 2004 (as amended) apply. The Scottish Government publishes guidance to support compliance with these regulations, including (since 2005) the Non-domestic Technical Handbook. The Handbook guidance does not address ‘single-sex spaces’ but does set requirements for the provision of sanitary facilities, which may include provision for male, female and unisex toilets. While the building regulations set out a requirement for initial provision of sanitary accommodation in a manner that suits the expected use of a building, the regulations do not control the onward operation and management of facilities.

Question reference: S6W-44047

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 17 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has provided local authorities with any guidance on single-sex spaces in leisure centres since April 2025, and, if so, what the content of that guidance is.

Question reference: S6W-44400

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 17 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its discussions with the UK Government regarding the abolition or reform of the Energy Profits Levy.

UK Government decisions in reserved areas of offshore energy policy are driving an accelerated decline in North Sea oil and gas and opening up a gap with the renewables industry – a gap into which jobs and livelihoods are being lost. That is why we are calling for an immediate end to the Energy Profits Levy and a sensible future fiscal regime in the North Sea. This is essential to ensure a just transition from oil and gas to renewables that protects jobs and skills and delivers a pipeline of future investment.

These matters continue to be raised by Scottish Ministers with UK Government counterparts at every opportunity. The First Minister raised them with the Prime Minister on 5 December and again on 16 February. The Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy and myself both wrote in advance of the Spring Forecast. The Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy has also written again following the Forecast and in light of volatility in global oil and gas prices.

Question reference: S6T-02955

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 16 March 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking in response to reports that one in five adults in Scotland are unable to access dental care.

Question reference: S6T-02959

Asked by: Dr Alasdair Allan, MSP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 16 March 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update regarding the steps being taken to support families with the cost of living, in light of the conflict in the Middle East and its impact on heating oil prices.

Question reference: S6T-02951

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 16 March 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact on Police Scotland of the Budget 2026-27 allocation being £50 million less than the amount requested by the Chief Constable.

Question reference: S6F-04772

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 16 March 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 March 2026

To ask the First Minister, following the Union Street fire in Glasgow, what discussions the Scottish Government has had with Network Rail regarding the organisation having a greater say over what types of businesses can be located in close vicinity to key transport hubs such as Glasgow Central.

Question reference: S6F-04757

Asked by: Gillian Mackay, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 16 March 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 March 2026

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6F-04758

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 16 March 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 March 2026

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to reports that the Scottish Information Commissioner is taking legal advice on further legal action against the Scottish Government and his comments that he “can no longer trust the Government to handle this information unsupervised".