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Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S6W-36011

Asked by: Michelle Thomson, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 March 2025
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Gillian Martin on 19 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the Project Willow Grangemouth study.

The Project Willow study has concluded and the publication of a “Public Information Document” is now available on Scottish Development International’s website. Ernst & Young Parthenon (EY) supplied the study to the Grangemouth Refinery owner Petroineos and the work was co-funded by the Scottish Government and the UK Government.

The Project Willow Public Information Document illustrates that a transformative future for the existing Grangemouth Refinery site is possible if the public and private sectors work together. It outlines nine low carbon projects that could be progressed at Grangemouth subject to public and private sector investment, and policy and regulatory changes.

Scottish Enterprise and the UK Office for Investment will now work together to identify and attract investors to support the deployment of the technologies highlighted in Project Willow.

The Public Information Document can be accessed here: https://www.sdi.co.uk/invest-in-scotland/invest-in-projects/project-willow-grangemouth.

Subject to the agreement of Parliament, I will make a statement to Parliament in due course on the conclusion of Project Willow and the next steps being taken by this government to secure a long term and sustainable future for Grangemouth.

Question reference: S6F-03926

Asked by: Michelle Thomson, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 17 March 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 March 2025

To ask the First Minister what assessment the Scottish Government has made of the recent UK Living Standards Review 2025, from the National Institute of Economic and Social Research, and any implications for its work to grow Scotland’s economy.

Question reference: S6O-04432

Asked by: Michelle Thomson, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 March 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 13 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what further engagement it has had with Ineos, in light of recent reports of additional redundancies related to the closure of the Grangemouth refinery.

Question reference: S6O-04374

Asked by: Michelle Thomson, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 February 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what role the Skills Transition Centre at Forth Valley College will play in protecting and redeploying the skills base, and providing further training opportunities for a just transition of workers in the Grangemouth chemical cluster.

Question reference: S6O-04333

Asked by: Michelle Thomson, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 February 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to local authorities to sustain and expand Gaelic-medium education.

Question reference: S6O-04301

Asked by: Michelle Thomson, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 January 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to invest in the hospice care sector, in light of the £4 million referred to in the draft Budget 2025-26.

Question reference: S6O-04273

Asked by: Michelle Thomson, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 January 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that Falkirk Council is to consider a motion calling for immediate action by the Scottish Government to support the Grangemouth chemical cluster and the future of its industry.

Question reference: S6O-04234

Asked by: Michelle Thomson, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 January 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how the additional £34 million allocated to Culture and Heritage in its draft Budget will assist in the preservation of any small, yet key, Scottish heritage sites under threat of closure, such as Kinneil Museum in the Falkirk East constituency.

Question reference: S6O-04184

Asked by: Michelle Thomson, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 9 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding any potential impact on households experiencing fuel poverty in Scotland, particularly in rural and off-gas grid areas, what communication it has had with relevant third parties regarding the ending of the Radio Teleswitch Service.

The Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS) is reserved, however the Scottish Government engages regularly with consumer organisations and fuel poverty charities on issues expected to arise from the upcoming switch-off.

I recently visited the Western Isles Citizens Advice Bureau to discuss the potentially devastating consequences on fuel poverty and access to energy if RTS meters are not upgraded on time, there and in many other communities. Consumers must not receive extortionately high or inaccurate bills or experience any interruption of supply.

To that end, I have written to the UK Government, and will seek further urgent engagement to ensure that Scottish communities are protected.

Question reference: S6W-32049

Asked by: Michelle Thomson, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 09 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 17 December 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what the savings will be in 2025-26 as a result of the decision to freeze the basic property rate, broken down by industry sector.

Table 1 shows the estimated net savings to ratepayers from freezing the Basic Property Rate at 49.8p, compared to an inflationary increase to 50.6p. The net estimates include adjustments for reliefs, as well as in-year adjustments such as reductions due to proposals or appeals and write-offs.

The Scottish Government does not hold property-level data on industry sectors. Property class is a classification used by Scottish Assessors to describe the type of property and does not necessarily accurately reflect the use of a property.

Figures are rounded to the nearest 100,000 and may not sum due to rounding.

Table 1: Estimated net savings from freeze to the Basic Property Rate (£)

Source: Scottish Assessors’ Valuation Roll as at 1 October 2024, local authorities’ billing information as at 1 June 2024

Property class	Estimated net savings to ratepayers
Shops	2,300,000
Public houses and restaurants	200,000
Offices	1,700,000
Hotels	100,000
Industrial subjects	2,200,000
Leisure, entertainment, caravans, etc.	300,000
Garages and petrol stations	200,000
Cultural	<50,000
Sporting subjects	100,000
Education and training	200,000
Public service subjects	300,000
Communications	<50,000
Quarries, mines, etc.	<50,000
Petrochemical	<50,000
Religious	<50,000
Health and medical	200,000
Other	300,000
Care facilities	100,000
Advertising	100,000
Statutory undertaking	100,000
All	8,400,000