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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: S6F-04385

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 27 October 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 October 2025

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6W-40866

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 27 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the potential psychological trauma that they might cause, whether it will treat online sexual offences with the same seriousness as similar activity offline.

Scottish legislation relating to sexual offences is used to prosecute both online and offline harm, including grooming, sexual communication, making or sharing indecent imagery or sexual exploitation. It is an operational police matter to investigate alleged offences and for independent prosecutors to decide what action to take upon receiving reports of crimes being committed. In cases that are prosecuted, it is for the independent court to sentence upon conviction within the legal framework.

Question reference: S6W-41118

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 27 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the final report of the Infected Blood Inquiry, which suggested that uncertainty and delays in compensation are exacerbating victims’ mental distress, what its position is on the removal of independent counselling grants for beneficiaries of the Scottish Infected Blood Support Scheme and their families.

Question reference: S6W-41116

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 27 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the equality implications of removing independent counselling grants from beneficiaries of the Scottish Infected Blood Support Scheme and their families, particularly in relation to women carers affected by bereavement and trauma.

Question reference: S6W-41175

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 27 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Energy Consents Unit formally recognises any external organisation providing paid or unpaid support to facilitate the submission of public objections to energy developments, and, if so, what form this recognition takes.

Question reference: S6W-41113

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 27 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with the (a) UK Government and (b) Infected Blood Compensation Authority regarding the continuation of counselling support for beneficiaries of the Scottish Infected Blood Support Scheme and their families.

Question reference: S6W-41115

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 27 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it will monitor and evaluate the wellbeing outcomes of beneficiaries of the Scottish Infected Blood Support Scheme and their families following the withdrawal of independent counselling grants.

Question reference: S6W-41171

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 27 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what the policy of the Energy Consents Unit is in regard to the treatment of objections submitted by members of the public.

All material considerations raised in representations and submitted by members of the public are carefully considered before reaching a decision on the application.

This is the case whether or not a representation has been created using template-based text, submitted individually or collectively, generated with the use of Artificial Intelligence, or is close to identical to other representations.

The submission of representations is the most effective means for communities to provide their views on an application, and helps to promote transparency and accountability in the decision-making process.

Question reference: S6W-41161

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 27 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has a presumption against new oil and gas licences, and, if so, whether it will end this presumption, in light of the UK Government reportedly considering a policy change on its opposition to granting licences for new oil and gas fields adjacent to existing ones.

Offshore oil and gas licensing, as well as consenting and the associated fiscal regime, are all matters that are currently reserved to the UK Government.

The Scottish Government continues to call on the UK Government to approach decisions for North Sea oil and gas projects on a rigorously evidence-led, case by case, basis – with robust climate compatibility and energy security being key considerations.

Question reference: S6W-41153

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 27 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what research it has conducted to understand the health impacts of plastic pollution in Scotland.

We recognise there could be public concerns relating to the potential health impacts of plastic pollution. We continue to closely monitor the developments and advice from the World Health Organisation (WHO) on emerging evidence in relation to plastic pollution. However, we have currently not commissioned any research on this topic.

We are committed to reducing plastic pollution in general and have introduced the Environmental Protection (Single-use Plastic Products) (Scotland) Regulations 2021, which bans certain problematic single-use plastic items.