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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-37801

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 3 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports of fires at recycling centres across the Mid Scotland and Fife region, what action it is taking to (a) identify and (b) reduce any risk of fires at recycling centres, particularly in relation to the correct storage of recycled batteries.

Following the fire at the WEEE Solutions site in Linwood in June 2024, I asked my officials to consider the safety of these sites and battery energy storage (BESS) sites. In particular, this was to examine whether existing safety provisions and regulations are sufficiently robust, whilst also considering compliance and enforcement aspects.

This concluded that the current legislative and regulatory framework is sufficiently robust, recognising however that it is complex and requires inter-agency cooperation to be effective. Moreover, responsibility also lies with the operators of waste, recycling and BESS sites to ensure that they have effective and robust arrangements in place to minimise the fire risk involved with the disposal and storage of batteries.

Also, on 4 April Siobhian Brown MSP, Minister for Victims and Community Safety, wrote to all MSPs and MPs to highlight the recent work that the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) has undertaken recently concerning public safety awareness on the use of lithium-ion batteries.

Moving forward, Scottish Government officials are working with sector partners to host a workshop in the near future in order to further explore these issues and to identify if any potential changes can be made to reduce the risk of fire at recycling centres.

Question reference: S6W-37802

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 3 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to the question S6W-37468 by Jenni Minto on 19 May 2025, whether any work has taken place internally on potentially extending restrictions to smoke-free places, and, if so, what restrictions are currently being considered.

As noted in my answer to S6W-37468 the Scottish Government are taking forward work as part of our Tobacco and Vapes Framework to review the impact and potential implementation of further place based restrictions alongside a review of the implementation of restrictions on hospital grounds.

ASH Scotland are carrying out that review, with engagement having been undertaken with a broad range of stakeholders across Scotland including academics, trading standards, environmental health and NHS facilities managers.

The report will be published later this year and I look forward to receiving it. I will consider the recommendations on next steps, alongside other evidence as part of identifying options for consultation.

Question reference: S6W-37771

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 3 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to (a) identify any points of confusion and conflict in waste legislation and (b) develop a coordinated strategy to ensure the optimal sequencing of upcoming waste policy actions.

Scottish Government officials engage regularly with waste industry stakeholders to ensure clarity and avoid misunderstanding of Scottish waste legislation and to assist with any changes in regulatory approach.

In terms of strategy, the Scottish Government published Scotland’s Circular Economy and Waste Route Map to 2030 in December 2024, following extensive collaboration and consultation with a wide range of stakeholders. The Route Map sets out how we will deliver priority actions to accelerate more sustainable use of our resources across the waste hierarchy. It takes a whole system approach to deliver coordinated, properly sequenced actions, designed to deliver cumulative impact and wider benefits to Scotland.

The Route Map can be viewed at the following link - Scotland's circular economy and waste route map to 2030 - gov.scot

Question reference: S6W-37244

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 3 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the comments made by the ScotRail managing director, Joanne Maguire, at the meeting of the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee on 29 April 2025, that, in relation to the ban on alcohol on ScotRail trains, ScotRail staff “cannot enforce it" and that "it is not a matter of law”, what legislation underpins the alcohol ban on ScotRail services; what statutory powers are available to enforce the ban, broken down by (a) ScotRail staff and (b) the British Transport Police; what guidance it has issued to ScotRail (i) staff and (ii) passengers on the enforcement status of the ban, and what the reasons are for its position on maintaining the ban, in light of reported concerns regarding enforcement.

On Monday 2 June the alcohol ban on ScotRail trains was lifted and replaced with new rules, allowing alcohol consumption at certain times.

The ban was upheld by Railway Byelaw 4 (2) which states that a passenger with intoxicating liquor can be prevented from entering, or be asked to leave the railway. This Byelaw will also support the new timed restrictions and intelligence-led alcohol bans.

Enforcement of the alcohol ban has always been the responsibility of the British Transport Police (BTP).Having timed alcohol restrictions and intelligence-led bans will allow BTP to target its resource to specific services and permit a more focussed enforcement.

Question reference: S6W-37032

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 3 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the First Minister's reported endorsement of calls to nationalise the Grangemouth oil refinery and his reported view that the Scottish Government did not have adequate resources to nationalise the refinery itself, what its position is on what impact such comments may have on public and business confidence in its policies on this matter.

Given the nature of operating a refinery, significant regular operational expenditure would be required, alongside frequent capital expenditure, to enable the asset to continue operating - and we continue to urge the UK Government to leave no stone unturned when it comes to securing the future and the workforce of the site.

The public and business community should be confident that the Scottish Government is committed to attracting and securing investment in Grangemouth’s future, underpinned by our £25 million Grangemouth Just Transition Fund which will be utilised to support near term low carbon opportunities identified by the Grangemouth Investment Taskforce and Project Willow.

Question reference: S6W-37030

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 3 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what due diligence or feasibility assessments it has conducted on the (a) costs, (b) risks and (c) implications of nationalising the Grangemouth oil refinery.

Question reference: S6T-02556

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 02 June 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason Scottish Enterprise has reportedly refused funding to Rolls-Royce Submarines, resulting in the potential loss of jobs.

Question reference: S6F-04155

Asked by: Roz McCall, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 02 June 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 June 2025

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to reports that Police Scotland’s national child abuse investigation unit now carries out 700 child sexual abuse investigations a year, representing an increase of 30% since 2015.

Question reference: S6F-04141

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 02 June 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 June 2025

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6F-04143

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 02 June 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 June 2025

Question to be taken in Chamber.