Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-42175

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 9 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made towards delivering its commitment made in the 2023 Scottish Onshore Wind Sector Deal to determine Section 36 applications for onshore wind projects in 12 months where there is no Public Local Inquiry and 24 months where there is one.

The Onshore Wind Sector Deal includes the commitment that from 2025, we will aim to determine Section 36 applications for new sites, and for the re-powering of existing operational sites, within 12 months where there is no public inquiry, or 24 months if there is a public inquiry.

This year, in most circumstances, it has not been possible to determine applications made prior to 2025 within these timeframes. This is due to legacy issues within the applications themselves, which must be resolved to ensure that we can achieve positive outcomes in the public interest, for all relevant stakeholders.

Accordingly, it is too early to assess whether the sector deal actions have achieved the intended impact on determination timescales. We remain committed to meeting these timeframes for applications submitted from 2025 onwards.

The Energy Consents Unit has committed to publishing an Annual Report in 2026, which will set out the progress made against this commitment in more detail.

Question reference: S6W-40298

Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 9 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-35424 by Jenni Minto on 17 March 2025, regarding referrals to secondary services from the Thistle drug consumption facility, whether it will provide a breakdown of any such referrals by service type, including (a) housing, (b) addiction recovery and (c) mental health services from 17 March until the current date, and how many of the referrals were made to addiction recovery services during this period.

The Scottish Government does not hold a breakdown of referrals from the Thistle drug consumption facility by service type, nor does it hold data on the number of referrals made to addiction recovery services from 17 March 2025 to current date. Such information may be available from Glasgow Health and Social Care Partnership who are responsible for operation of the Thistle facility.

The primary function of the safer drug consumption facility is to reduce drug-related harm by providing a safe, supervised environment for individuals who use drugs. Where additional support or treatment is required, staff may signpost individuals to the most appropriate services.

Question reference: S6W-40297

Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 9 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-35424 by Jenni Minto on 17 March 2025, regarding referrals to secondary services from the Thistle drug consumption facility, whether it will provide a breakdown of these referrals by service type, including (a) housing, (b) addiction recovery and (c) mental health services, and how many of the referrals were made to addiction recovery services up to 17 March 2025.

The Scottish Government does not hold a breakdown of referrals from the Thistle drug consumption facility by service type, nor does it hold data on the number of referrals made to addiction recovery services from 17 March 2025 to current date. Such information may be available from Glasgow Health and Social Care Partnership who are responsible for operation of the Thistle facility.

The primary function of the safer drug consumption facility is to reduce drug-related harm by providing a safe, supervised environment for individuals who use drugs. Where additional support or treatment is required, staff may signpost individuals to the most appropriate services.

Question reference: S6W-42169

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 9 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will engage with Stadler regarding the potential to develop a rolling stock and locomotive manufacturing base in Scotland for the UK market.

Question reference: S6W-42105

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 21 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 9 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assurances it has received regarding potential further increases in construction costs for the Dunard Centre project in Edinburgh, and what assessment it has made of whether there is ongoing public support, in light of the operational costs.

Question reference: S6W-42104

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 21 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 9 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government (a) how and (b) when it was made aware of the increase in project capital costs for the Dunard Centre in Edinburgh from £45 million to £162 million.

The Scottish Government was informally updated that the project capital costs for the Dunard Centre were expected to rise during the course of regular engagement with IMPACT Scotland, the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal Programme Management Office and the United Kingdom Government. The Scottish Government was then notified of the scale of the increase in project capital costs for the Dunard Centre on 26 June 2025 as part of a discussion with IMPACT Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-42103

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 21 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 9 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how the additional £20 million capital costs it has committed to the construction of the Dunard Centre in Edinburgh will be accounted for, and what impact this will have on its wider funding for culture.

Question reference: S6W-42452

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 08 December 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 5 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, following the cyber attack on Comhairle nan Eilean Siar in 2023, what lessons learnt, if any, have been taken forward and implemented across the public sector.

Question reference: S6W-42455

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 08 December 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 5 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether Police Scotland's record-keeping practices, including the absence of a list of governance groups attended, comply with the requirements of the Public Records (Scotland) Act 2011.

Question reference: S6W-42456

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 08 December 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 5 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of recent freedom of information correspondence in which Police Scotland states that it does not hold a list of the meetings staff attend, whether it will publish a list of all governance groups, boards and oversight forums that Police Scotland participates in.

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