Daniel Johnson

13 Jul 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what financial return it has realised for each of the NHS capital programmes financed by the non-profit distributing public private partnership model.

6 Jul 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when the LIFT Open Market Share Equity (OMSE) scheme will reopen for applications.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: The Scottish Government intends to reopen the Open Market Shared Equity (OMSE)scheme at the earliest opportunity, with the necessary operational arrangements currently being finalised to ensure the scheme can reopen. Further information will be published on t…

2 Jul 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that the 52-week determination target for applications under section 36 and section 37 of the Electricity Act 1989 is met in full, and what mechanisms are in place to monitor performance against this target.

2 Jul 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many applications under section (a) 36 and (b) 37 of the Electricity Act 1989 are currently awaiting determination by the Energy Consents Unit, and what proportion of applications in each category have exceeded the 52-week determination target.

2 Jul 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the current resourcing levels are within the Energy Consents Unit, and whether it considers those levels to be sufficient to manage the projected increase in application volumes.

2 Jul 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any cumulative impact of delays in the consenting process on Scotland's pipeline of renewable energy investment across all technologies, including any effect on investor confidence, project delivery timescales and the growth of associated supply c…

2 Jul 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the resourcing within its Planning and Environmental Appeals Division in relation to renewable energy appeals, and what action it is taking to address any identified gaps.

Answer · Stephen Gethins: The Scottish Government regularly reviews Planning and Environmental Appeals Division (DPEA) resourcing to ensure it can effectively discharge its statutory functions.This review is consistent with the wider principles of the public service reform strategy th…

2 Jul 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what representations it has made to Scottish Enterprise regarding the publication of its Human Rights Due Diligence procedure.

2 Jul 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of Scottish Enterprise's Human Rights Due Diligence procedure, including whether it considers it to be of public interest.

19 Jun 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the High Growth Unit will be part of Scottish Enterprise.

Answer · Tom Arthur: Supporting more businesses to scale and anchor in Scotland is a key economic priority for this Government and this is reflected in our commitment to establish a High Growth Unit focussed on helping our best companies to achieve their full potential.The Scotti…

19 Jun 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what role the Cabinet Secretary for the economy will have in (a) the delivery of apprenticeships, (b) skills development and (c) in increasing Scotland’s businesses’ innovation activity.

Answer · Tom Arthur: A skilled workforce is essential for achieving economic growth, through supporting increased productivity and innovation, and positioning Scotland to benefit from inward investment opportunities, our energy transition and future technological advances. Equipp…

19 Jun 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how the Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Tourism and Transport and Minister for Europe, External Affairs and Energy will work together to deliver consistent green industrial and energy strategies.

Answer · Stephen Flynn: The First Minister has appointed a leaner Cabinet and ministerial team to enable greater co-ordination and effectiveness with a clear focus on long-term outcomes, underpinned by collaboration across Government.That approach will facilitate joint working betwe…

19 Jun 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government who has ministerial responsibility for industrial decarbonising; what role the Cabinet Secretary for the Economy has in relation to this, and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.

Answer · Stephen Gethins: I was appointed in May 2026 and my responsibilities include industrial decarbonisation.Many strategic issues affecting energy-intensive industrial sectors fall within the portfolio of Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Tourism and Transport. This includes respons…

19 Jun 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, for the purposes of ministerial responsibility and delivery, what is included in the areas of Energy Policy and Strategy, Industrial Decarbonisation and offshore renewable energy systems.

Answer · Stephen Gethins: My responsibilities include energy policy and strategy, industrial decarbonisation and offshore renewable energy.Energy policy and strategy is focused on delivering a just transition to a net zero energy system and reducing our dependence on fossil fuel gener…

19 Jun 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, for the purposes of ministerial responsibility and delivery, what is included in its green industrial strategy.

Answer · Tom Arthur: While ministerial responsibility for delivery is shared across portfolios to ensure alignment with Scottish Government’s wider economic strategy and climate commitments, overarching responsibility lies with the Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Tourism and…

17 Jun 2026 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the provision of post-school skills pathways.

11 Jun 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many households have access to a full fibre connection, broken down by local authority.

Answer · Tom Arthur: The telecommunications regulator, Ofcom, regularly publishes information in relation to full fibre and gigabit-capable broadband coverage in Scotland as part of their Connected Nations updates. The most recent update was published on 13 May 2026 showing cover…

11 Jun 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to require full fibre operators to publish future rollout plans to enable households and businesses to plan their future activities.

Answer · Tom Arthur: While the Scottish Government continues to monitor commercial delivery plans to inform eligibility for publicly subsidised intervention, it does not have the power to mandate publication of these commercial plans. We will however continue to publish build pla…

11 Jun 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the 3 June 2026 Court of Session ruling, which found that Scottish Ministers' failure to comply with the compliance timescale set out in a December 2025 Freedom of Information Decision amounted to a contempt of court, what procedures have been put in place to (a) mitigate the…

Answer · Jamie Hepburn: The Scottish Government respects the Court’s judgement of 3 June and will consider its implications in detail.It should be noted that the material required to be released under the Commissioner’s Decision Notice was published on 24 February. The r…

10 Jun 2026 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its current estimates are of the cost and timescale required to complete the remaining sections of the A9 dualling programme that are still to be upgraded.

9 Jun 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with local authorities and COSLA regarding replicating its Future Planners Programme.

Answer · Hannah Mary Goodlad: We have had no discussions with local authorities and COSLA about replicating the Future Planners Programme.Heads of Planning Scotland has been supportive with the current Programme, providing work shadowing opportunities and other learning and development se…

9 Jun 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to increase the number of places on its Future Planners Programme.

Answer · Hannah Mary Goodlad: There are no plans to increase the number of places on the current Future Planners Programme. We will consider options for the future of the Programme to address the shortage of professional planners working in Scotland in advance of the completion of the cur…

8 Jun 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to NHS Lothian maternity services to enable the resumption of homebirth services.

Answer · Maree Todd: Homebirth services in NHS Lothian have never been paused. There may be occasions where a homebirth cannot be attended due to high activity or staffing issues, however this happens very rarely due to the model of on-call midwifery in NHS Lothian.NHS Lothian cu…

3 Jun 2026 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the commissioning of a new pre-hospital critical care service for Edinburgh and the east of Scotland.

2 Jun 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what specific financial mechanism it has modelled as a replacement to the UK-wide Contracts for Difference scheme, and what estimate it has made of the cost to the public purse of underwriting such a mechanism to secure capital investment for future ScotWind projects.

Answer · Stephen Gethins: The Contracts for Difference scheme is currently reserved to the UK Government. Any future changes to market arrangements will require careful design to support the continued delivery of Scotland’s offshore wind project pipeline and deliver savings for …

2 Jun 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in the event of the establishment of an independent or fully devolved energy market, what assessment it has made of any legal and financial liabilities regarding existing 15- and 20-year Contracts for Difference agreements entered into by Scottish generators with the UK-owned Low Carbon…

Answer · Stephen Gethins: Contracts for Difference are long-term private law contracts that would continue to operate according to their agreed terms, unless and until amended in accordance with those terms.

1 Jun 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many additional passenger journeys there have been on bus services in the Highland and Islands since the introduction of the £2 fare cap, and what the overall cost of this has been.

Answer · Stephen Flynn: Since the launch of the £2 bus fare cap pilot in the Highlands and Islands in January 2026, the Scottish Government has received claims relating to 280,907 passenger journeys, with total reimbursement claims of £2,045,740.90 made by participating …

1 Jun 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what evaluation of the £2 bus fare cap for the Highlands and Islands it made before announcing the decision to extend the scheme nationally.

Answer · Stephen Flynn: I refer the member to the question S7W-00383 on 8 June 2026. 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-que…

1 Jun 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when a construction contract willl be awarded to dual the first of the planned sections of the A96 between Inverness and Nairn.

Answer · Stephen Flynn: I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-00006 on 2 June 2026. 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/w…

1 Jun 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the long-term commercial viability of the passenger ferry service between Rosyth and Dunkirk; whether a ferry operator has agreed to delivering the service, and what efforts are underway to promote regular freight contracts for business and to encourag…

Answer · Stephen Flynn: The Scottish Government has not made an assessment of the long-term commercial viability of a ferry service between Rosyth and Dunkirk. The decision to introduce an international ferry service is a commercial consideration for the ferry operator and relevant …