Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-39915

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 15 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Kaukab Stewart on 3 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to support initiatives that encourage workplace policies and practices that contain the values of Equally Safe.

Under Equally Safe, Scotland’s strategy for preventing and eradicating violence against women and girls, we are progressing a range of activity to eradicate and prevent VAWG through the priorities identified in the Equally Safe Delivery Plan that we published last year. Included within the Delivery Plan is the commitment to develop a streamlined approach to trauma-informed workplace practices that will promote and enhance VAWG knowledge, skills and expertise.

The Delivery Plan contains the actions we are taking to achieve this, including that we will support and promote initiatives that exemplify and promote workplace policies and practices that take a gendered analysis of VAWG and embed the principles of Equally Safe, particularly in the public and third sectors.

Under this action we are continuing to support Close the Gap on the Equally Safe at Work employer accreditation programme, which helps employers in local government, the NHS and third sector to develop gender and VAWG sensitive workplace practices.

The Delivery Plan also contains the action to develop and implement a national framework that will inform an approach to trauma-informed VAWG training and workforce development across the public and the third sectors, which we fund Scottish Women’s Aid to lead on. We are working with them and key stakeholders to ready the framework for implementation across the public and third sectors in spring 2026.

There is no place for harassment or abuse in the workplace, and everyone deserves to be respected and to feel safe in their working environment no matter their job or industry. All employers have a duty of care to protect the health, safety and welfare of their workers.

While employment law is reserved to the UK Parliament we continue to use our Fair Work policy to drive up labour market standards for workers across Scotland. Fair Work First criteria in procurement and grants is the tool we use to raise employment standards in Scotland and to promote more diverse workforces. Our Fair Work First guidance encourages all employers to have in place robust workplace policies for handling issues such as bullying or harassment and it provides advice and signposting to our Equally Safe strategy and the Equally Safe at Work framework.

On 25 April 2025 we launched our Fair Work Resource Hub for employers where they can find all relevant guidance, advice, case studies, signposting and networking opportunities on removing barriers to Fair Work for many workers, including signposting to guidance on preventing sexual harassment at work.

Question reference: S6W-39878

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 3 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of how many so-called zombie scheme energy applications have secured grid connection offers since 2021 in the (a) Highlands and Islands region and (b) rest of Scotland.

The Scottish Government does not hold the information that has been requested. Legislation and regulations relating to electricity networks are reserved to the UK Government, with the National Energy System Operator (NESO) responsible for the strategic approach to the development of the electricity system across Great Britain, including connections.

The Scottish Government works closely with NESO and the UK Government on their proposals for connections reform and has regular engagement with both. Through these channels we have been clear on the need for a transparent and cohesive connections reform process which supports the delivery of a clean, strategically aligned and efficient electricity system. We have also been clear that connections reform must take account of the Scottish Government’s priorities.

Further information on the Connections Reform process is available from NESO - https://www.neso.energy/industry-information/connections-reform/about-connections-reform

Question reference: S6W-39879

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 3 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of how many so-called shovel-ready energy applications have secured grid connection offers since 2021 in the (a) Highlands and Islands region and (b) rest of Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-39880

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 3 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to discourage energy companies from lodging speculative so-called zombie scheme energy applications.

Question reference: S6W-40126

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 3 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether any formal requirement is placed on NHS boards to record the age of all GP premises in their geographical regions as part of preparing property strategies for investment prioritisation and for this information to be directly communicated to ministers.

Question reference: S6W-40125

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 3 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will amend The Primary Medical Services - (Premises Development Grants, Improvement Grants and Premises Costs) Directions 2004 to introduce guidance for NHS boards to consider marking projects as a priority for funding based on (a) the age of an existing premises, for example, if a building is more than 100 years old and (b) population growth related to any increase in house building that is placing a strain on local practices and necessitating the delivery of expanded or new-build medical facilities.

Paragraph 8 in part 2 of the Primary Medical Services (Premises Development Grants, Improvement Grants and Premises Costs) Directions 2004 sets out that:

Health Boards must have in place a plan for the development of premises to support the provision of Primary Medical Services. This plan must be approved in consultation with the local Area Medical Committee. This plan should be updated annually and be consistent with the Health Board’s wider Property Strategy.

The Scottish Government does not believe that including guidance in the directions that NHS boards should make projects a priority for funding based on the age of existing buildings and population growth would be a material improvement on the general requirement for NHS boards’ wider property strategies to cover the needs of primary medical services.

Question reference: S6W-40124

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 3 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding paragraph 8 in part 2 of The Primary Medical Services - (Premises Development Grants, Improvement Grants and Premises Costs) Directions 2004, whether it plans to strengthen the requirement to “consider” an application to one where there would be a presumption for NHS boards to support a proposal for new or improved premises if a suitable proposal and adequate funding package can be formulated.

Paragraph 8 in part 2 of the Primary Medical Services (Premises Development Grants, Improvement Grants and Premises Costs) Directions 2004 sets out that:

Health Boards must have in place a plan for the development of premises to support the provision of Primary Medical Services. This plan must be approved in consultation with the local Area Medical Committee. This plan should be updated annually and be consistent with the Health Board’s wider Property Strategy.

The Scottish Government does not believe that including a presumption in the directions that NHS boards should support proposals for new or improved premises if a suitable proposal and adequate funding package can be formulated would be a material improvement on the general requirement for NHS boards’ wider property strategies to cover the needs of primary medical services.

Question reference: S6W-39694

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 3 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered the implications of the High Court decision relating to Northumbria Police participating in Pride marches for the impartiality of school teachers in Scotland.

It is a legal requirement for all teachers in Scottish schools to be registered with the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS), the independent regulator for teachers in Scotland.

Registered teachers must adhere to the GTCS Professional Standards and Code of Professionalism and Conduct, which require them to uphold values of integrity, trust, and respect, and to act impartially in their professional practice.

Question reference: S6W-40267

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S6W-40044

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 22 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 2 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on virtual private network (VPN) services in each year since 2021.

In keeping with our network security policy, we can neither confirm nor deny the use of VPNs by revealing any cost or lack thereof. This is consistent with our response to a recent FOI (202500480214) asking a similar question and aligns to the approach taken by government bodies across the UK. Providing details on the type of networking tools used could provide hostile actors with information on the setup, and potential weak points, of sensitive government systems.

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