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-02900

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 15 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of data obtained by Scottish Environment LINK through Freedom of Information requests, which indicate that 41% of planning authorities have no in-house ecological expertise and 38% have 0.8 to 1 full-time equivalent (FTE) posts providing such expertise, what plans it has to support local planning authorities to halt biodiversity loss by 2030.

The Local Government funding formula provides a complex but objective assessment of need and uses the most up to date information for the full range of indicators, including biodiversity and greenspace.

However, the Scottish Government’s policy is to allow local authorities the financial freedom to operate independently. As such, the vast majority of funding is provided by means of a block grant. It is the responsibility of individual local authorities to manage their own budgets and to allocate the total financial resources available to them on the basis of local needs and priorities, having first fulfilled their statutory obligations and the jointly agreed set of national and local priorities.

NatureScot supports planning authorities with ecological expertise in a number of ways, for example in the preparation of Local Development Plans, with expertise in identifying appropriate data, advising on impacts and opportunities and collaborating on Plan content with planning authorities and other stakeholders. NatureScot also supports planning authorities by providing advice on the effects of development proposals on biodiversity, where the effects raise issues of national interest. There is also a wide range of guidance and advice to help planning authorities consider the effects of development proposals on biodiversity, including on how biodiversity net gain can be achieved.

Question reference: S7W-02117

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Gethins on 18 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding (a) plans to replace the ECO4 Flex scheme following its closure, (b) when it expects any replacement scheme to become operational, and whether applicants in Scotland who had already been assessed as eligible or had submitted applications before the scheme ended will have their eligibility honoured under any new scheme.

The UK Government has not advised Scottish Ministers that it has any plans to replace the ECO4 Flex scheme when the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) scheme closes in December.

The Scottish Government continues to supports local councils to provide ECO Flex declarations and work with retrofit installers as part of our Area Based Schemes (ABS). In most cases, households that have been provided with a declaration of eligibility through ECO Flex will continue to be eligible for improvements delivered through local ABS schemes; national Warmer Homes Scotland or Home Energy Scotland (HES) Grant and Loan schemes.

The Scottish Government would encourage households in this instance to get in touch with Home Energy Scotland to determine which scheme they are eligible for.

Question reference: S7W-01690

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 July 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 12 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to its Emergency Heating Oil Scheme, how many applications in each local authority area have been (a) received, (b) approved, broken down by the total amount paid out, and (c) rejected.

Question reference: S7W-00970

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 23 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what the average daily traffic flow volume has been on the A96 trunk road between Aberdeen and Inverness, in each year since 2020.

Question reference: S7W-00729

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 16 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Account Commission's report, Integration Joint Boards: Finance bulletin 2024/25, which was published in February 2026, what its response is to the Commission's warning that, without radical change, the services delivered by Integration Joint Boards cannot be sustained.

We are taking bold and ambitious action to reform and renew our health and care systems in line with our vision where people live longer, healthier and more fulfilling lives while recognising the financial pressures facing the health and social care sector now. The 2026-27 Budget provides almost £22.5 billion investment in health and social care services, exceeding consequentials and providing a real terms uplift to enable more sustainable and resilient services.

Delivering the transformation the people of Scotland need depends on improving prevention and ensuring that health and care services are accessible, high quality, and person led. The Service Renewal Framework provides a structured approach to drive the transformation necessary to realise our vision - responding to today’s pressures but also building the foundations for long-term sustainability and improvement. Renewing Scotland’s essential public services must be rooted in a long-term vision - one that prioritises prevention and early intervention.

The integration of health and social care planning is essential in ensuring services are well-coordinated and responsive to the population's evolving needs, and the report recognises the need for local collaboration in setting budgets. This means that local authorities are responsible for how they choose to invest in those services, not Ministers.

Question reference: S7W-00864

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Friday, 05 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Gethins on 12 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to encourage private investment in geothermal energy.

Question reference: S7W-00865

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Friday, 05 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Gethins on 12 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the contribution geothermal energy could make to Scotland's energy security.

Question reference: S7W-00730

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 June 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 16 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide any direction or guidance to Local Government Pension Scheme funds regarding potential investment in affordable housing, and if so, on what statutory basis.

Question reference: S7W-00731

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 June 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 16 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the total costs incurred by local authorities as a result of the legislative error in the Non-Domestic Rates (Scotland) Act 2020 that provided no legal basis on which to levy rates on unoccupied properties from 1 April 2023.

Question reference: S7W-00732

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 June 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 16 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how many claims for refunds of non-domestic rates paid on unoccupied properties since April 2023 have been received by local authorities, and what the total value of those claims is.