Martin Whitfield

29 May 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what recorded data it holds on the number of youth centres operating in Scotland, and whether this includes annual figures over the past five years, broken down by local authority area.

Answer · Graeme Dey: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-38244 on 17 June 2025. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/…

29 May 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the financial sustainability of early years providers, including their current debt levels, any cash flow challenges, and their ability to meet rising staffing and operational costs.

Answer · Natalie Don-Innes: The Scottish Government monitors trends across the whole childcare sector, drawing on data published by the Care Inspectorate. In recent years the Scottish Government has published financial sustainability health checks and the Sustainable Rates Review, which…

26 May 2025 · Topical Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether its current investment in youth work is sufficient, in light of reports of an increase in youth violence and the loss of local youth services in recent years.

22 May 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding its £60 million national play park fund, how many play parks have been reported as “renewed” where the only upgrade was cosmetic or maintenance-based, and whether it differentiates between minor and full renewal works in its reporting.

Answer · Natalie Don-Innes: The £60 million play park renewal funding is allocated to local authorities to use across their whole play estate. It is the responsibility of the individual Local Authorities to manage their own budgets and to allocate the total financial resources ava…

22 May 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether any (a) national and (b) regional targets were set as part of the £60 million play park renewal programme, and how performance against any such targets is being (i) measured and (ii) recorded.

Answer · Natalie Don-Innes: The Scottish Government has not set any targets for number of play parks to be renewed by each local authority with their allocated funding but have agreed a set principles with COSLA in 2021 which should be used by the Local Authorities in line with local ne…

22 May 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it is monitoring the delivery of its 2021 commitment to renew every play park in Scotland, and whether this includes a national dataset or dashboard.

Answer · Natalie Don-Innes: I refer the member to the answer provided in S6W-38036 on 13 June 2025. The reporting information provided by Local Authorities is collated and held centrally and provided on request.All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliame…

22 May 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether any formal evaluation of the £60 million play park renewal programme has been commissioned, and whether this will include full access to delivery data by local authorities.

Answer · Natalie Don-Innes: The Scottish Government has not commissioned a formal evaluation of the play park renewal programme. The Scottish Government will provide a report on the play park renewal programme once all renewals have been completed by Local Authority partners.

22 May 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what reporting obligations were placed on local authorities in return for play park renewal funding, and whether any of these include the submission of completion data.

Answer · Natalie Don-Innes: I refer the member to the answer provided in S6W-38036 on 13 June 2025. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-commi…

22 May 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what data it has on the condition of play parks, as reported by local authorities, (a) before and (b) after the £60 million renewal programme.

Answer · Natalie Don-Innes: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-38037 on xxxxxxx which provides detail on the COSLA scoping study undertaken in 2022. Local authorities have a general responsibility to maintain play parks that serve their communities and this investment prov…

22 May 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many play parks in each local authority area have been renewed using its £60 million national play park fund, and what metrics it is using to track the progress of play parks being renewed using the fund.

Answer · Natalie Don-Innes: A scoping exercise undertaken by COSLA in 2022, identified that there were 969 parks in need of immediate refurbishment and that 2,542 were in need of refurbishment within 1-5 years. The £60 million capital investment would support the renewal of all pl…

22 May 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many play parks have been permanently removed or closed since 2021, and whether these are included in delivery statistics for the national play park renewal programme.

Answer · Natalie Don-Innes: The Scottish Government does not hold information centrally on the number of play parks that have been removed or closed since 2021. Responsibility for the management and maintenance of play parks rests with individual Local Authorities.

22 May 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has assessed the (a) geographic and (b) socio-economic spread of play park renewals funded through its £60 million fund, and, if so, whether it will publish any such assessment.

Answer · Natalie Don-Innes: The £60 million play park renewal funding is allocated to local authorities to use across their whole play estate. It is the responsibility of individual local authorities to manage their own budgets and to allocate the total financial resources availab…

22 May 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has received any data on the inclusion of accessible or inclusive equipment in play parks renewed using its renewal funding, and whether this data will be published.

Answer · Natalie Don-Innes: The Scottish Government does not receive data from Local Authorities on the inclusion of accessible or inclusive equipment in play parks renewed using the renewal funding. As noted in the answer to S6W-38036 on 13 June 2025, Local Authorities report annually …

22 May 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what data it has on how the £60 million for play park renewal has been (a) allocated and (b) spent across all 32 local authorities.

Answer · Natalie Don-Innes: Capital funding for the play park renewal programme is distributed to all 32 Local Authorities based on population of 0-14 year olds and rurality. In the first year, the formula was:1.95% on population 0-142.5% on ruralityFrom 2022-23, the formula was:1.93% o…

22 May 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether any local authorities have reported any challenges or delays in delivering play park renewals, and whether it has collated and currently holds data on any such delays.

Answer · Natalie Don-Innes: The Scottish Government works closely with Local Authorities on the delivery of the renewal programme and use of the funding through the annual reporting process and the quarterly network meetings referenced in S6W-38037. As agreed with COSLA at the start of …

22 May 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it is using any data gathered from local authorities to inform future planning for outdoor play and infrastructure beyond the current renewal programme.

Answer · Natalie Don-Innes: The Scottish Government published Scotland’s Play Vision Statement and Action Plan 2025-2030 in March 2025, which emphasises our commitment to play and our vision for the future of play in Scotland. It reinforces our commitment to children’s right…

22 May 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what baseline data was used to determine the scale of need for play park renewal prior to distributing the £60 million of funding.

Answer · Natalie Don-Innes: I refer the member to S6W-38037.The £60m Scottish Government funding for play park renewals was distributed among the 32 local authorities based on population of 0-14 year olds and rurality. In the first year, the formula was:1.95% on population 0-142.5…

22 May 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what specific data it has received from local authorities on the (a) number and (b) condition of play parks renewed using the £60 million national play park fund since 2021.

Answer · Natalie Don-Innes: As noted in S6W-38035 on 11 June 2025, Local Authorities report annually every April on their play park renewals carried out as a result of the Scottish Government’s £60m play park renewal funding. The reports from Local Authorities detail the num…

22 May 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, as part of its work to further the case for Scottish independence, what assessment it has made of any potential disruption to Scottish public procurement contracts held by suppliers based in England under any border regime in an independent Scotland.

Answer · Angus Robertson: Scottish public procurement contracts are already delivered by Scottish and international businesses.

22 May 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, as part of its work to further the case for Scottish independence, what economic modelling it has undertaken of the potential impact on Scotland’s GDP growth of introducing a hard border with the rest of the UK.

Answer · Angus Robertson: With Independence, Scotland, like all independent countries, would control its borders. Details of how this would impact on movement of people and trade were published in Building a New Scotland: A stronger economy with independence (October 2022).There is a …

22 May 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its policy is for mitigating any potential delays on (a) the M74, (b) the A1 and (c) other key transport corridors in an independent Scotland in the event that customs infrastructure is introduced.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The Scottish Government set out proposals in the paper A Stronger Economy with Independence for the two main trunk routes between Scotland and England in a scenario in which an independent Scotland was in the EU and the rest of the UK was not. It should be no…

22 May 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, as part of its work to further the case for Scottish independence, whether it has undertaken any internal economic modelling of the potential impact on trade of introducing customs checks at Gretna and Berwick in an independent Scotland, and, if so, whether it will publish this.

Answer · Angus Robertson: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-38000 on 25 June 2025. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/…

22 May 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, as part of its work to further the case for Scottish independence, what engagement it has had with foreign investors regarding access to the UK market in an independent Scotland, and whether it has received representations from any foreign investors expressing concerns on this matter.

Answer · Angus Robertson: Scottish Government Officials and Ministers engage with a wide range of stakeholders to inform policy. This engagement has informed the production of the Building a new Scotland series (BANS). We are not aware of any representations from foreign investors exp…

22 May 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, as part of its work to further the case for Scottish independence, what assessment it has made of the potential impact of any border delays on the viability of transporting perishable goods such as seafood and fresh produce from an independent Scotland to the rest of the UK.

Answer · Angus Robertson: I refer the member to the answer to S6W-38005 on 25 June 2025. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-q…

22 May 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its policy is on what the arrangements would be for residents who commute daily between Dumfries and Cumbria or the Borders and Northumberland in the event of a hard border between an independent Scotland and England.

Answer · Angus Robertson: There is a long-standing Common Travel Area (CTA) in these islands. This allows for free movement between the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man for citizens of those territories. The Scottish Government is committed to the protection of the…

22 May 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, as part of its work to further the case for Scottish independence, what estimate it has made of the number of staff that would be required to operate any customs or border posts along the Anglo-Scottish border in an independent Scotland.

Answer · Angus Robertson: Requirements for border staff will be subject to the trade arrangements agreed between the EU and the UK at the time, and negotiations following independence.As detailed in Building a New Scotland: A stronger economy with independence (October 2022) an indepe…

22 May 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, as part of its work to further the case for Scottish independence, what assessment it has made of the potential additional average time per freight journey resulting from any customs procedures when crossing the border from an independent Scotland into England.

Answer · Angus Robertson: Building a New Scotland: A stronger economy with independence (October 2022) provides details on trade with the rest of the UK following Independence.It should also be noted that the nature of the border between an independent Scotland as an EU member state a…

22 May 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, as part of its work to further the case for Scottish independence, what assessment it has made of what the total cost would be of (a) building and (b) operating any new customs infrastructure at the border with England in the first year of an independent Scotland.

Answer · Angus Robertson: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-38009 on 25 June 2025. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/…

22 May 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, as part of its work to further the case for Scottish independence, whether it has consulted with small business representative organisations regarding the potential impact on their members of a trade border between an independent Scotland and the rest of the UK.

Answer · Angus Robertson: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-38001 on 25 June 2025. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/…

22 May 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, as part of its work to further the case for Scottish independence, whether it will commit to publishing a full impact assessment of the potential (a) economic and (b) social implications of any hard border between an independent Scotland and the rest of the UK, in advance of any future …

Answer · Angus Robertson: The Scottish Government is committed to providing people with what independence would mean for them. As a result, we have now published thirteen papers in Building a new Scotland series, with a final overview paper to follow in due course.For additional infor…