Chamber and committees

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

Filter your results Hide all filters

Displaying 35 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S7W-03055

Asked by: Duncan Dunlop, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 21 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the consistency with which digital literacy and online safety expectations are being delivered across Scotland’s schools and local authorities, and what measures it uses to assess whether children and young people are acquiring the skills intended through that provision.

The associated headteacher questionnaire as part of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) Results 2025 indicate that pupils in Scotland attended schools where headteachers agreed or strongly agreed that teachers had the necessary skills to integrate digital devices into teaching (64.9%) and that professional learning resources were available to support teachers in using digital devices (68.7%). Around three quarters of pupils (77.8%) attended schools where an effective online learning platform was available, while two thirds (66.9%) attended schools where headteachers agreed that the curriculum supported the effective use of digital devices.

The ongoing Curriculum Improvement Cycle, led by Education Scotland, is considering the skills, knowledge and understanding that children and young people will be required to develop, including in relation to Digital Skills and how this should be managed as a crucial element of the updated curriculum. This work has been co-created with a group of practitioners and stakeholders and will help improve learning and teaching in digital literacy.

Our schools can have a key role in ensuring children and young people are safe, resilient and equipped to respond to the challenges and opportunities that the internet brings. At the core of this learning is the values of healthy, safe and respectful relationships, including those that take place online. Education Scotland have provided guidance on digilearn.scot for teachers on what digital skills they should have and what digital skills learners should be developing in the Teacher and learner digital toolkits. They have developed a Teacher and Educator Digital Skills toolkits to help develop a baseline of digital skills. The toolkits support the GTCS professional standards which require all teachers to know how to embed digital technologies safely and effectively to enhance learning and teaching.

Question reference: S7W-03056

Asked by: Duncan Dunlop, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 21 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to identify and address variations between schools and local authorities in the delivery of digital literacy and online safety education.

The responsibility for the delivery of education rests with individual local authorities. The Education (Scotland) Act 1980 (the Act) enables local authorities and schools to make such arrangements for the day-to-day delivery of education as they see fit.

The ongoing Curriculum Improvement Cycle, led by Education Scotland, is considering the skills, knowledge and understanding that children and young people will be required to develop, including in relation to Digital Skills and how this should be managed as a crucial element of the updated curriculum. This work has been co-created with a group of practitioners and non-education stakeholders and will help improve learning and teaching in digital literacy.

The Curriculum Improvement Cycle will update and strengthen Scotland’s 3-18 curriculum supporting more consistent teaching and learning experiences, and improved attainment and achievement of our children and young people. This is being undertaken in tandem with the dialogue with local government on public sector reform and our ambition, set out in the Programme for Government to empower school leaders, raise standards and reduce variation.

Question reference: S7W-02465

Asked by: Duncan Dunlop, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 3 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the role of healthy peatlands in helping it to meet its climate change targets.

Protecting, managing and restoring degraded peatlands is a vital part of mitigating and adapting to the linked climate and nature emergencies.

Improving the condition of degraded peatlands contributes to mitigation by reducing atmospheric greenhouse gases, and to adaptation by increasing ecosystem resilience and reducing flood risk and the severity of wildfires.

Our Climate Change Plan and carbon budgets incorporate the modelled emissions reductions associated with the measures we set out in the Plan to protect, manage and restore Scotland’s peatlands.

Question reference: S7W-02464

Asked by: Duncan Dunlop, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 3 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has plans to introduce a ban on the sale of peat for use in horticulture in Scotland.

The Scottish Government remains committed to our longstanding intention to ban the sale of peat for horticulture, as set out in our 2026 Climate Change Plan.

Following discussion during passage of the Natural Environment Act 2026, and to overcome the challenges posed by the UK Internal Market Act, Scottish Ministers called on UK Ministers to support a collaborative cross-UK approach. We are now engaged in preparatory work with the other UK nations towards joint legislation to establish an effective ban.

Question reference: S7W-02381

Asked by: Duncan Dunlop, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 10 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 27 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether its pre-election commitment to expand funded childcare to children from 9 months old to the end of primary school, available 52 weeks a year, remains government policy.

As set out in the debate on Expanding Childcare on 27 May 2026, the Scottish Government has committed to expanding funded childcare to children from 9 months to the end of primary school, in this parliamentary term. As we shape our approach to expansion, we are committed to working in partnership with the childcare sector, parents, carers and children to ensure any future developments create a system that responds to the needs of families across Scotland and helps build a strong, sustainable and resilient childcare sector.

Question reference: S7W-02412

Asked by: Duncan Dunlop, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 August 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 8 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of whether the current concessionary travel reimbursement rate model adequately reflects the higher average fare, and therefore higher revenue-forgone cost, of rural bus journeys compared with urban journeys.

Question reference: S7W-01628

Asked by: Duncan Dunlop, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 5 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to deliver its proposed three-year job guarantee scheme for newly qualified teachers in circumstances where there are insufficient suitable vacancies within a teacher's preferred subject area, local authority area or sector.

Question reference: S7W-01621

Asked by: Duncan Dunlop, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 5 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide funding directly for its proposed three-year job guarantee scheme for newly qualified teachers or whether funding will be distributed through local authorities, existing school budgets or through another mechanism.

Question reference: S7W-01623

Asked by: Duncan Dunlop, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 5 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide any additional funding to local authorities and schools to help them support the delivery of its proposed three-year job guarantee scheme for newly qualified teachers.

Question reference: S7W-01624

Asked by: Duncan Dunlop, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 5 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any potential impact of its proposed three-year job guarantee scheme for newly qualified teachers on the wider teaching labour market.