Parliamentary questions
Liam McArthur
3,644 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
27 Nov 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to its news release, Harnessing data and technology to revolutionise public services, on 20 November 2025, what “further functionality” it has planned for its digital public services app.
Answer · Ivan McKee: Further functionality will be determined by user need coming from both the citizens and the services that use it.
27 Nov 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to its news release, Harnessing data and technology to revolutionise public services, on 20 November 2025, whether installation and use of its planned digital public services app will be mandatory, or optional, following its introduction.
Answer · Ivan McKee: Following its introduction, use of the app by citizens will be optional.
27 Nov 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to its news release, Harnessing data and technology to revolutionise public services, on 20 November 2025, whether it has undertaken any impact assessment of how its planned digital public services app could affect (a)(i) older and (ii) disabled people and (b) people living in r…
Answer · Ivan McKee: Impact assessments for the digital public services app are currently in progress.
27 Nov 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to its news release, Harnessing data and technology to revolutionise public services, on 20 November 2025, whether people not installing or using its planned digital public services app will result in them not being able to access certain public services.
Answer · Ivan McKee: No, people who do not install or use the planned digital public services app will still be able to access all relevant public services through alternative channels.
27 Nov 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to its news release, Harnessing data and technology to revolutionise public services, on 20 November 2025, when its planned digital public services app will introduce a digital proof of age.
Answer · Ivan McKee: Being able to use the native app to prove your age is on the roadmap for delivery after we are able to offer transactional and location based alerts and notification services.There is no defined data for this yet as the focus is being about to offer transacti…
25 Nov 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the findings of the 2022 Scottish Government Independent Review of the Role of Incineration in the Waste Hierarchy in Scotland that "given the risks that incineration poses to human health and the environment, and the risk of lock-in, Scotland should not construct more capac…
Answer · Gillian Martin: The ban on landfilling biodegradable municipal waste (BMW) is a crucial part of delivering Scotland’s net zero ambitions and in line with Committee for Climate Change advice. It will come into force on 31 December this year.While significant efforts and…
24 Nov 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6T-02727 by Jim Fairlie on 4 November 2025, when it will publish further details of the awards made under the Future Farming Investment Scheme.
Answer · Jim Fairlie: I refer the member to the answers to questions S6W-42039 and S6W-42047 on 1 December 2025.Regarding the allocation of funding to island based businesses, priority status alone did not guarantee funding; investments also had to demonstrate strong alignmen…
13 Nov 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of removing peak ferry fares on routes that it supports through public service contracts, including the Northern Isles Ferry Services.
Answer · Jim Fairlie: We are analysing the output from the consultation on the next NIFS contract and will publish this in due course, including the responses in relation to fares, which will help inform future fares policy.
13 Nov 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6O-05134 by Angela Constance on 12 November 2025, what work has been done to establish a cross-sector coalition aimed at protecting children from online violence and abuse.
Answer · Natalie Don-Innes: The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that children and young people in Scotland are safe and supported in their online lives. We recognise the significant risks posed by harmful online content and the importance of robust regulation to protect chi…
11 Nov 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how the number of prisoners developing drug problems has compared between private and publicly-run prisons in each of the last five years.
Answer · Angela Constance: I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:The healthcare provisions within Scottish Prisons have been the responsibility of NHS since 2011, this includes but is not limited to, t…
11 Nov 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many instances of drug misuse or possession have been recorded within Scottish prisons in each of the last five years.
Answer · Angela Constance: I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:The Scottish Prison Service does not record instances of drug misuse. Included in the following table are incidents of Drug Possession:Y…
11 Nov 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide information on the number of prisoners who have (a) entered custody with a drug problem and (b) developed a drug problem while in custody, in each of the last five years.
Answer · Angela Constance: I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:The healthcare provisions within Scottish Prisons have been the responsibility of NHS since 2011, this includes but is not limited to, t…
11 Nov 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of prisoners currently receive treatment or support for drug misuse, and how this compares with five years ago.
Answer · Angela Constance: I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-41817 on 25 November 2025. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available…
11 Nov 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what programmes are currently in place to prevent prisoners from developing new drug dependencies while in custody.
Answer · Angela Constance: I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:SPS work collaboratively with key partners such as Scottish Drugs Forum, Crew 2000 and Scottish Recovery Consortium to enhance and devel…
11 Nov 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the effectiveness of drug treatment and recovery programmes in reducing reoffending among former prisoners.
Answer · Maree Todd: The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that appropriate and relevant support is available to people when they are released from custody. Individual needs are identified by throughcare support, which allows those with a history of substance use to re…
11 Nov 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) schools and (b) (i) hospital and (ii) other buildings were damaged during Storm Eowyn in January 2025, also broken down by what assessment it has made of how much it will cost to repair these, and what additional resources it has provided to assist with this.
Answer · Mairi McAllan: The Scottish Government do not hold the information being requested. Building owners or those responsible for its management have the responsibility for maintenance and repair, including as a consequence of storm damage.
11 Nov 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it has been reported that not all sewage discharge points in Argyll and Bute are monitored.
Answer · Gillian Martin: I refer the member to the answer to S6W-36643 on 2 May 2025 for further information on Scottish Water’s investment strategy.All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be fo…
11 Nov 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) legal and (b) illegal sewage discharges there have been in Argyll coastal waters in each of the last five years, and what estimate it has made of the expected number of such discharges by 2030.
Answer · Gillian Martin: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-36263 on 22 April 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…
6 Nov 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many prisoners have been mistakenly released from Scottish prisons in each of the last five years, including 2025-26 to date.
Answer · Angela Constance: I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:A range of checks are carried out before the release of a prisoner is authorised including but not limited to, an identity check of the …
29 Oct 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken to ensure that SEPA's temporary regulatory position on the landfilling of biodegradable municipal waste is not extended beyond 31 December 2027.
Answer · Gillian Martin: Local authorities and commercial waste operators have made significant progress to prepare for the ban on landfilling of biodegradable municipal waste and the overwhelming majority already have compliant solutions in place. There has been a significant expans…
29 Oct 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what specific criteria SEPA will use when reviewing information provided by operators in the BMW Ban – Notification Form, to determine that producers, waste managers and landfill operators will not be breaching any conditions in permits or duty of care requirements when accepting l…
Answer · Gillian Martin: SEPA, as Scotland’s independent environmental regulator, has set out its enforcement approach via a Regulatory Position Statement published on 29 October 2025. It is for SEPA to determine and apply regulatory decisions within its statutory remit, and it…
24 Oct 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether contracts for existing or planned incineration sites include minimum waste throughput guarantees, and what assessment it has made of any impact of such provisions on recycling and waste reduction targets.
Answer · Gillian Martin: The 2022 independent review on the role of incineration in Scotland’s waste hierarchy states that in the short-term, incineration will have a role to play in managing our waste as we transition to a circular economy.As we continue to increase our reuse …
24 Oct 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress made to introduce a statutory cap on incineration capacity.
Answer · Gillian Martin: The Scottish Government recognises the value of a long term, evidenced-based indicative residual waste treatment cap to help inform planning and investment decisions as Scotland transitions towards a circular economy, as part of an overall strategic approach …
24 Oct 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has carried out long-term emissions projections for incineration sites, and if so, whether it will publish these.
Answer · Gillian Martin: The Scottish Government has carried out long-term emissions projections for electricity generation, which include energy-from-waste emissions, which will be published as part of the Climate Change Plan Analytical Annex in due course. There are currently no lo…
24 Oct 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any potential public health impacts of emissions from waste incinerators, particularly in communities located near such facilities.
Answer · Gillian Martin: There have been several independent evidence reviews on potential health impacts from municipal waste incineration:Health Protection Scotland (2009) review on incineration and reported human health effects concluding that “providing that any existing or…
24 Oct 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the reported increase in carbon dioxide emissions from waste incineration since 2019, and how this aligns with Scotland’s statutory emissions reduction targets.
Answer · Gillian Martin: Energy from waste emissions were expected to rise in the short-term as a result of preparations for the ban on landfilling biodegradable municipal waste in Scotland which comes into force on 31 December 2025. As part of these preparations, a portion of curren…
24 Oct 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide information on which incineration facilities have reported increases in emissions of toxic pollutants such as arsenic, chromium, mercury, chlorine or dioxins since 2019, and what action has been taken in response.
Answer · Gillian Martin: The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) is the regulator for municipal waste incineration. SEPA already publishes summary data on pollutant releases via the Scottish Pollutant Release Inventory (SPRI), site-specific monitoring data on its public reg…
24 Oct 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce the burning of recyclable materials at incineration sites.
Answer · Gillian Martin: Incineration permit conditions required by the Pollution Prevention and Control (Scotland) Regulations 2012 prevent the incineration of separately collected recyclable waste.The Scottish Government is supporting diversion of recyclable material from residual …
24 Oct 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what recent correspondence or meetings it has had with representatives of incineration facilities in Scotland.
Answer · Gillian Martin: The Scottish Government regularly engages with waste sector representative bodies, including those representing commercial operators/Energy from Waste (EfW) facilities such as the Scottish Environmental Services Association (SESA), through channels such as th…
21 Oct 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on introducing a point of entry levy for ferry passengers, including allowing local authorities to implement these.
Answer · Shona Robison: We held a public consultation to formally hear views on the introduction of a potential cruise ship levy and point of entry levy, and to consider further the impacts on business, local government, and others. The analysis of the responses will be published sh…