Parliamentary questions
Sarah Boyack
2,373 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
8 Oct 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason independent counselling grants have been withdrawn for beneficiaries of the Scottish Infected Blood Support Scheme, in light of similar grants continuing in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Answer · Jenni Minto: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-41110 on 27 October 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-committe…
8 Oct 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it will monitor and evaluate the wellbeing outcomes of beneficiaries of the Scottish Infected Blood Support Scheme and their families following the withdrawal of independent counselling grants.
Answer · Jenni Minto: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-41110 on 27 October 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-committe…
8 Oct 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any mental health impact of removing the independent counselling grant from beneficiaries of the Scottish Infected Blood Support Scheme and their families.
Answer · Jenni Minto: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-41110 on 27 October 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-committe…
8 Oct 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the Minister for Public Health and Women’s Health will meet with beneficiaries of the Scottish Infected Blood Support Scheme and their families to discuss the impact of the decision to remove independent counselling grants.
Answer · Jenni Minto: The Scottish Minsters meet regularly with Haemophilia Scotland and the Scottish Infected Blood Forum to ensure that the views of infected and affected people are heard. The Scottish Ministers remain open to meeting individual Scottish Infected Blood Support S…
8 Oct 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of section 2 of the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024, which enables the transfer of functions to the Infected Blood Compensation Authority, for what reason the transfer of counselling support functions has not been negotiated or implemented prior to the removal of Scottish indepe…
Answer · Jenni Minto: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-41110 on 27 October 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-committe…
8 Oct 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will reinstate independent counselling grants for beneficiaries of the Scottish Infected Blood Support Scheme and their families until the full transfer of functions to the Infected Blood Compensation Authority is completed.
Answer · Jenni Minto: The Scottish Government appreciates the distress that has been caused to infected and affected persons by the long wait for compensation. For this reason, the Scottish Government remains committed to the continued funding of both the Scottish Infected Blood P…
8 Oct 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it is ensuring parity of support for beneficiaries of the Scottish Infected Blood Support Scheme and their families, compared with those in other UK nations.
Answer · Jenni Minto: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-41110 on 27 October 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-committe…
8 Oct 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what risk assessments were conducted before deciding towithdraw independent counselling grants under the Scottish Infected BloodSupport Scheme.
Answer · Jenni Minto: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-41110 on 27 October 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-committe…
8 Oct 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what consultation it carried out with beneficiaries of theScottish Infected Blood Support Scheme prior to removing the independentcounselling grant.
Answer · Jenni Minto: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-41110 on 27 October 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-committe…
25 Sep 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, as part of delivering a circular economy, whether it plans to set a national reuse target, in line with the approach taken by countries such as Spain, Portugal, France and Belgium, and if so, what guidance and financial support it will provide to local authorities to help achieve this.
Answer · Gillian Martin: As set out in the Circular Economy and Waste Route Map to 2030, available on the Scottish Government’s website at https://www.gov.scot/publications/scotlands-circular-economy-waste-route-map-2030/, new circular economy targets will be set by 2027 and wi…
15 Sep 2025 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its progress on the development and expansion of heat networks across Scotland, including any plans it has to accelerate deployment to meet heat network decarbonisation targets.
4 Aug 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many deaths have been reported where the cause of death was sepsis, either on its own or alongside other factors, in each month of the past 10 years.
Answer · Jenni Minto: I have asked Alison Byrne, Chief Executive of National Records of Scotland to respond. Her response is:Table 1 shows the number of deaths where sepsis was mentioned in the cause of death, either as the underlying cause or a contributory cause, which occurred …
14 Jul 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the reported findings of the independent evaluation of the Just Transition Fund, what its position is on how spending £43 million of public money to create 110 jobs can be justified, in light of reports of workers and communities in north east Scotland continuing to expe…
Answer · Gillian Martin: The independent evaluation highlighted the enabling role of the Just Transition Fund (JTF) in supporting a just transition in the region and found that 230 jobs had been created and safeguarded in the first two years. Additionally, the JTF supported the provi…
14 Jul 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of the funding to support a just transition for Scotland is structured as (a) grants and (b) loans or investments, and what its position is on how these proportions impact the sustainability of job creation.
Answer · Gillian Martin: From 2022 to date, £50 million of the Just Transition Fund has been allocated as capital grants. In addition, £25 million was allocated in financial transactions to the Scottish National Investment Bank to be invested on a commercial basis in line…
14 Jul 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the reported finding of the independent evaluation of the Just Transition Fund that it has, to date, delivered limited, temporary and precarious employment outcomes, and what immediate steps it will take to ensure that the fund delivers secure, sustainable jobs fo…
Answer · Gillian Martin: The independent evaluation of the Just Transition Fund (JTF) found that, in its first two years of operation, the Fund created and safeguarded 230 jobs, alongside the provision of more than 750 training places, and leveraged over £34 million in addition…
14 Jul 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what changes it will make to the design and delivery of the Just Transition Fund, in light of reported concerns regarding the findings of the independent evaluation that it commissioned in relation to transparency, administrative complexity and a lack of multi-year funding to support sus…
Answer · Gillian Martin: The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that the Just Transition Fund (JTF) is responsive to the needs of the North East and Moray. This includes full consideration of the recommendations of the independent evaluation to support ongoing improvements …
11 Jun 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it will release its promised financial support for the Musselburgh Flood Prevention Scheme.
Answer · Gillian Martin: To date the Scottish Government has distributed £11.5 million to East Lothian Council against the council’s forecast expenditure for the Musselburgh Flood Protection Scheme. This is sufficient to fund East Lothian Council’s forecast expendit…
11 Jun 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what progress is being made in developing the Musselburgh Flood Prevention Scheme.
Answer · Gillian Martin: The development and delivery of flood protection schemes is a local authority responsibility, and the Scottish Government provides funding to support them to do so.Musselburgh Flood Protection Scheme (MFPS) was notified on 21 March 2024 as required under the …
2 Jun 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when the consultation process being carried out byTransport Scotland on lessons to be learned from experience in England andWales regarding the effectiveness of moving traffic enforcement, including theexperience in school streets, will begin.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Transport Scotland has confirmed that enforcing moving traffic offences would require new primary legislation. Officials are exploring the use of ANPR for school street enforcement as part of broader policy development on moving traffic violations. This inclu…
27 May 2025 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government what support it is giving to local authorities to enable them to implement their Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategies.
16 Apr 2025 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what steps it is taking to protect Edinburgh’s higher education sector, in light of reports of potential job losses.
20 Mar 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what support it can provide to homeowners of traditionallybuilt homes to maintain energy efficiency in the transition to renewableenergy, and what impact Edinburgh College withdrawing its stonemasonryapprenticeship might have on this.
Answer · Alasdair Allan: The Scottish Government recognises the value and special characteristics of Scotland’s traditional and protected buildings. Traditionally built properties make up around 18% of all homes in Scotland and may have different requirements to other homes bec…
20 Mar 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that Scotland will remain at net zero emissions, should it achieve its legal target by 2045, in light of reports of inefficient heating measures in traditionally built homes.
Answer · Alasdair Allan: My recent statement to Parliament confirmed that we intend to introduce a Heat in Buildings Bill in Year 5 of this Parliamentary session. This will create a target for decarbonising heating systems by 2045, and send a strong signal to homeowners, landlords an…
20 Mar 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action is being taken to preserve traditionally built homes and to make them wind and weathertight in an energy-efficient manner, in light of the need to reduce carbon emissions across all housing stock.
Answer · Alasdair Allan: The Scottish Government recognises the value and special characteristics of Scotland’s traditional and protected buildings, and we are taking a range of action to ensure they are preserved in a way that supports the reduction of carbon emissions. Tradit…
6 Mar 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what arrangements the national forest estate has in place with community-owned organisations for wind, hydro and solar electricity generation on land in its ownership or management; what the current capacity in megawatts is of any generation installed; what the most recently recorded ann…
Answer · Gillian Martin: Scotland’s national forests and land, managed by Forestry and Land Scotland has 10 land agreements in place with 100% community owned or part community owned organisations covering renewable energy schemes which are currently operational. These are all …
6 Mar 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what guidance or direction it has offered to its agencies and departments in relation to prioritising community-owned enterprises in arrangements for the generation of electricity on land in their ownership or management.
Answer · Gillian Martin: Land ownership, management and use should deliver a wide range of social, environmental, economic and cultural benefits to the people of Scotland. Community energy has a key role to play in supporting this and we have recently announced £3.5 million in …
6 Mar 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what arrangements it has in place with private sector providers for wind, hydro and solar electricity generation on land in its direct ownership or management; what the current capacity in megawatts is of any generation installed; what the most recently recorded annual income was for it …
Answer · Gillian Martin: Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) manages the majority of land owned by Scottish Ministers, in the form of Scotland's national forests and land. Currently FLS has 76 land agreements in place with private companies covering renewable energy schemes which are cu…
6 Mar 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what installed electricity generating capacity Scottish Water directly owns in relation to wind, hydro and solar electricity generation, and what the current estimated annual revenue value is of any such capacity in (a) cash terms and (b) savings from the use of the grid.
Answer · Gillian Martin: As this is an operational matter for Scottish Water, and the Scottish Government does not hold the information, I have asked them to respond. Their reply is as follows:Scottish Water Group's (including Scottish Water Horizons) generating capacity by technolog…
6 Mar 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what arrangements Scottish Water has in place with private sector providers for wind, hydro and solar electricity generation on land in its ownership or management; what the current capacity in megawatts is of any generation installed; what the most recently recorded annual income was fo…
Answer · Gillian Martin: As this is an operational matter for Scottish Water, and the Scottish Government does not hold the information, I have asked them to respond. Their reply is as follows:Currently, Scottish Water hosts 0.17MW of hydro (estimated @ 1.3GWh/annum) and 279MW of win…
6 Mar 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what arrangements Crown Estate Scotland has in place with private sector providers for wind, hydro and solar electricity generation on land in its ownership or management; what the current capacity in megawatts is of any generation installed; what the most recently recorded annual income…
Answer · Gillian Martin: Crown Estate Scotland has the following arrangements in place with private sector providers for wind and solar electricity generation on land in its ownership or management:One commercial lease agreement with a tenant farmer, which involved the installation o…