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.

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Question reference: S7W-02319

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Gethins on 24 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, as part of the process to update the Good Practice Principles for Community Benefits from Onshore Renewable Energy Developments, what (a) regional discussion events and (b) targeted engagement have taken place with (i) community groups and (ii) developers.

The Scottish Government is updating its Good Practice Principles for Community Benefits from Onshore Renewable Energy Developments to reflect how Scotland’s energy landscape has evolved since the last publication in 2019.

To inform this work, and alongside a full public consultation in 2025, officials undertook a programme of engagement during spring 2026 to seek feedback on proposals in Onshore renewable energy - refreshing the good practice principles for community benefits: working paper - gov.scot.

Regional discussion events with community groups consisted of five online events covering the Highlands, Islands, Central Scotland, North East Scotland, and South Scotland. These sessions were attended by representatives of community benefit groups, community councils, development trusts, third sector organisations and local authorities.

Targeted engagement with developers and community groups included two online roundtable discussions chaired by the former Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy. One roundtable was attended by renewable energy developers, trade associations and enterprise agencies. The second brought together representatives from community councils, community development trusts, community benefit funds, regional partnerships and national intermediary organisations from across Scotland.

A youth workshop was also delivered in partnership with the Scottish Youth Parliament as part of the wider programme of engagement supporting the update of the Good Practice Principles.

Question reference: S7W-02586

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S7W-02587

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S7W-02588

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 August 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 17 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government when it expects any changes to the recommended level of community benefit for solar developments, as proposed in its working paper, Refreshing the Good Practice Principles for Community Benefits from Onshore Renewable Energy, to take effect.

Question reference: S7W-01941

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 19 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to introduce an equivalent to the UK Government's Places of Worship Renewal Fund for England.

The Scottish Government welcomes the Scotland's Places of Worship Fund announcement by Historic Environment Scotland (HES) on 18 August 2026. This new pilot scheme for 2026-27 will provide up to £1 million to help eligible listed places of worship across Scotland recover VAT costs associated with repair and conservation works.

The Fund has been developed in direct response to the closure of the UK-wide Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme and is expected to open for applications in autumn 2026.

The Scottish Government and HES have worked closely to explore options to ensure that Scotland's listed places of worship are not disproportionately affected by the withdrawal of the UK-wide scheme. This pilot scheme will help assess demand and gather evidence to inform consideration of future arrangements.

Listed places of worship may also continue to access support through HES's wider grant programmes, details of which can be found on the HES website.

Question reference: S7W-01943

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 19 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-43897 by Angus Robertson on 4 March 2026, how it is progressing work to ensure that listed places of worship in Scotland are not disproportionately affected by the end of the UK-wide Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme.

Question reference: S7W-01942

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 18 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S7W-01102 by Ben Macpherson on 13 July 2026, what oversight it has of colleges' compliance with relevant health and safety legislation and guidance issued by the Health and Safety Executive.

Responsibility for regulation and enforcement of health and safety requirements rests with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) while the Scottish Funding Council retain oversight of the college sector on key issues of accountability and compliance. The Scottish Government engages regularly with the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) on their oversight. The SFC expects colleges to comply with their legal obligations and seeks assurance on this through its ongoing monitoring, and engagement with institutions.

As a result of the measures established by the SFC, the Scottish Government remains assured that appropriate governance and compliance arrangements are in place across the sector.

Question reference: S7W-01508

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 23 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to include proposals to review the regulation of the keeping and sale of exotic animals as pets in its forthcoming Programme for Government.

Question reference: S7W-01414

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 23 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how it assesses the contribution that Scottish measures are expected to make towards the agreed Scottish share of UK-wide seafloor integrity targets.

The UK wide Marine Strategy Regulations 2010 set out various requirements related to the UK wide endeavour of the achievement or maintenance of Good Environmental Status of marine waters within the marine strategy area, including with respect to seafloor integrity.

Environmental Standards Scotland's (ESS) report, Protecting Scotland's seafloor: an assessment of Scottish Ministers' implementation of the Marine Strategy Regulations 2010, includes findings and recommendations relating to the assessment of the contribution that Scottish measures make towards UK wide seafloor integrity objectives and targets.

The Scottish Government is carefully considering the report. I have written to the Chief Executive of ESS confirming that the Scottish Government will work constructively with ESS to agree an appropriate action plan within the suggested timescale. The Scottish Government's position on the matters raised in the report will be set out through that engagement and in its formal response.

Question reference: S7W-01411

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 23 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of Environmental Standards Scotland's recent report, Protecting Scotland’s seafloor: an assessment of Scottish Ministers’ implementation of the Marine Strategy Regulations 2010, what steps it is taking to address the data gaps which currently prevent assessment of Good Environmental Status (GES) for seafloor integrity.