Sharon Dowey

Answer · Ben Macpherson · 24 Mar 2026

The Scottish Government is investing around £198 million this year to support 25,000 new Modern Apprenticeships (MAs), alongside 5,000 new Foundation Apprenticeships and over 1,200 Graduate Apprenticeships. Our investment enables continued support for over 39,000 apprentices already in training.SDS provide a range of useful information and resources on their website for employers on how to take on apprentices and work with training providers. There is also some business support available through Find business support in Scotland | Find Business Support and local employability services Local Employability Services | Employability in Scotland. A continued key priority as we reform the skills system will be to encourage greater participation from small and micro businesses.We remain committed to working with employers and industry leaders to make sure that employers across Scotland, particularly in areas of skills shortage, can continue to access the talent they need to succeed.

Answer · Angela Constance · 23 Mar 2026

To maintain a safe and secure prison estate, we are investing just over £1 billion in our prisons to support frontline staff and progress improvements. We have already optimised the existing estate by creating 400 additional spaces and the Scottish Budget 2026-27 will provide £458.5 million in capital funding to allow SPS to finalise the HMP Highland project and continue to progress HMP Glasgow. HMP Glasgow will add 357 places while HMP Highland will provide an additional 107 places and will allow more adult men from the Highlands and Islands to be accommodated in their local area, improving access for families and services.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth · 24 Mar 2026

I have consistently said that this Government was prepared to give every consideration to an Inquiry in Scotland if we felt it necessary. We now feel it is and this conclusion was reached after careful consideration.I have had significant engagement over the past few months with MSPs, Police Scotland, Alexis Jay, and survivors on this important issue.A statutory inquiry will offer further independent scrutiny that is both substantive and visibly distinct. I believe that this visibility is now critical to maintaining public confidence and encouraging openness and participation from victims and survivors.In addition, engaging survivors in the development of child sexual abuse and exploitation policy and practice is a key priority. We have already announced work to be taken forward with survivors, and the creation of a Truth Project will build on that through a meaningful process.

Answer · Angela Constance · 23 Mar 2026

We have always been clear that prison is necessary for those that pose the greatest risk to our society. The Scottish Government is investing over £1 billion in Scottish prisons to maintain safety and security, progress improvements and maximise capacity.Decisions regarding remand and sentencing are always a matter for the independent courts.

Answer · Ivan McKee · 18 Mar 2026

Scotland’s planning system has already undergone significant system changes including through the Planning (Scotland) Act 2019 and the adoption of National Planning Framework 4, Scotland’s long-term spatial strategy, which sets out where development and infrastructure is needed. Our package of reforms is focused on incentivising development and delivering clear and quicker decisions which provide greater confidence and predictability to those who are planning to develop.We have also significantly extended permitted development rights (PDR), including for renewable energy equipment and thermal efficiency measures, and developments in town and city centres and in ports. PDR allow certain types of development to be carried out without a planning application. In doing so, they help provide certainty and save the time and expense associated with applying for planning permission.Alongside system reform, we have been progressing a range of measures to increase capacity and skills and improve practice in planning authorities which are helping to accelerate development delivery. This includes providing direct support via the National Planning Hub for additional surge capacity and expertise within planning authorities and funding the National Planning Improvement Champion to help share knowledge and best practice across the planning system.We have taken significant steps to simplify navigating the planning system through withdrawing 27 historical Planning Advice Notes (PANs) and 19 other pieces of obsolete guidance. This equates to 71% of the planning advice and guidance (over 1000 pages).

Answer · Neil Gray · 20 Mar 2026

As outlined on page 17 of the Infrastructure Investment Plan 2021-22 to 2025-26: Major capital projects progress update (August 2025) the NHS Ayrshire and Arran National Treatment Centre has been paused.We are currently working with all health boards to develop an NHS whole system infrastructure plan for Scotland. This will support continued safe and effective use of existing facilities as well as informing future investment priorities based on assessment of need across the whole of Scotland.

Answer · Gillian Martin · 25 Mar 2026

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) publishes ‘Renewable electricity – number of sites by region’ on an annual basis as part of the Accredited Official Statistics publication Energy Trends. The latest statistics were published on 30 September 2025 and show that as at the end of 2024, there were a total of 3,721 onshore and offshore wind sites based in Scotland.Site specific information is not published and would be needed to provide the requested breakdowns. This is held by DESNZ.