The Scottish Parliament

Question reference: S7W-03778

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Kirsten Oswald on 22 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S7W-01896 by Kirsten Oswald on 10 August 2026, which stakeholders it plans to engage with and what timescales it is working to in its preparations for meeting its duties under section 61 of the Crofting and Scottish Land Court Act 2026.

As set out in section 61 of the Crofting and Scottish Land Court Act 2026, Scottish Ministers must update guidance in relation to section 27 of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 before the transfer to the merged court of the competence and jurisdiction for the matters referred to in paragraph 16 of schedule 1 (access rights) takes effect.

The Scottish Government intends to commence provisions of the Act at one agreed date, rather than on a piecemeal basis. However, as several provisions in the Act relate to reserved matters, such as jurisdictional amendments and renumeration, there are currently ongoing discussions with UK Government colleagues in the Scotland Office to outline timetables for the required Scotland Act Orders needed to complete this work. As previously stated, once a timetable has been agreed for this work, I will be in a better position to outline the required timescales for implementing provisions within the 2026 Act.

Question reference: S7W-03265

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 14 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 22 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding its engagement with local authorities to encourage the introduction of byelaws governing accommodation for seasonal agricultural workers, (a) which local authorities it has met with, and (b) whether it will provide copies of any minutes or records of these meetings.

A letter was sent to COSLA by former Cabinet Secretary for Housing, Ms McAllan, on 6 May 2026, which gave clear direction to local authorities, to use powers given them in Section 315 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 1987 to create byelaws that maintain accommodation standards for seasonal workers.

Following this direction, my officials met with COSLA officers in relation to the introduction of byelaws by local authorities, and the support from the Scottish Government that may be required by local authorities to progress this important matter.

My officials also met with an Angus Council officer to discuss the process of creating byelaws on seasonal worker accommodation.

I wrote to COSLA on 22nd October, which reiterates my view that the most effective course of action is for local authorities to use their powers to create byelaws. My letter also requested an update on engagement between COSLA and local authorities and the anticipated timescales for progressing this matter.

Question reference: S7W-03777

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 21 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S7W-01435 by Gillian Martin on 16 July 2026, which stakeholders it is working with, what specific workstreams have been commissioned, and what timescale it is working to in terms of delivering (a) legislation and (b) non-legislative remedies.

During the course of the Community Right to Buy review, the Scottish Government worked with stakeholders including Community Land Scotland, Development Trusts Association (Scotland), National Farmers Union, Scottish Land and Estates and a number of community groups who had interacted with the legislation over the years. In addition, the Scottish Land Commission chaired a review group that were involved in the review at various stages, including the drafting of the final recommendations.

It is envisaged that those same stakeholders will again be involved going forward.

We are committed to strengthening community right to buy policy following the recent review and have already started taking forward recommendations that do not require legislation. Our manifesto also signalled that we would take forward changes requiring primary legislation. We are considering the best way to do this, with future legislative programmes to be agreed and announced through future Programmes for Government.

Question reference: S7W-04379

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 October 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 17 November 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessments, draft action plans, work programmes or other substantive documents it has provided to Environmental Standards Scotland since 23 June 2026 regarding its response to the report Protecting Scotland's Seafloor, and on what dates each document was provided.

Question reference: S7W-04382

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 October 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 17 November 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the development of its response to the recommendations in Environmental Standards Scotland's June 2026 report, Protecting Scotland's Seafloor, what arrangements it has established to identify and evaluate independent evidence on the comparative environmental, economic and social benefits of alternative fisheries management measures, including evidence relating to the potential reallocation of Nephrops fishing opportunities from bottom-towed to static fishing gears.

Question reference: S7W-04380

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 October 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 17 November 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S7W-03607 by Jim Fairlie on 6 October 2026, whether it plans to undertake an assessment to quantify the contribution of the proposed fisheries management measures for inshore Marine Protected Areas and Priority Marine Features to achieving Good Environmental Status for seafloor integrity, including any remaining shortfall following implementation, and, if so, when that assessment will commence and be completed.

Question reference: S7W-04378

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 October 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 17 November 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to answers by Jim Fairlie to recent questions regarding Environmental Standards Scotland's June 2026 report, Protecting Scotland's Seafloor, what specific analytical work has commenced to assess the contribution of the 2025 Programme of Measures to achieving Good Environmental Status for seafloor integrity, including (a) when each workstream commenced, (b) which organisation is responsible for each workstream and (c) when each is expected to be completed.

Question reference: S7W-04381

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 October 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 17 November 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what methodology it is developing or using to identify and comparatively assess new or additional fisheries management measures where existing measures are insufficient to achieve Good Environmental Status for seafloor integrity, including how their relative environmental effectiveness and wider economic and social consequences will be evaluated.

Question reference: S7W-03872

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 October 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 20 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S7W-01901 by Jim Fairlie on 5 August 2026, what consideration it has given to making data on subsidy payments made to beneficiaries in Scotland under all CAP legacy schemes more accessible to the public.

Scottish Ministers remain fully committed to making data on subsidy payments made to beneficiaries in Scotland under all CAP legacy schemes more accessible to the public.

The first publication was made on the Scottish Government website on the 30th June 2026 for the data relating to all CAP legacy schemes subsidy payments made to beneficiaries in Scotland during the EU financial year from 16 October 2024 to 15 October 2025 and this data will remain available for two years, until June 2028.

This publication included the names of all beneficiaries apart from those who received less than the equivalent of 1,250 in total subsidy during the year that are not shown in the spreadsheet. In these cases, payment amounts are included, but beneficiary names have been removed. For the purposes of this publication , 1,250 has been converted to a sterling equivalent of £1,114.

Similar publications will be made on the Scottish Government website on the 30th June in subsequent years throughout the current parliamentary session.

In terms of the regulations that provided for the above approved by Parliament, these are just temporary bridging measures for our period of transition until such time as the new data scheme publication arrangements are made in terms of the secondary legislation to be introduced later on under the Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Act 2024.

At that time, Scottish Ministers shall seek to address any opportunities to improve accessibility for the public to this type of data.

Question reference: S7W-03699

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 28 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 20 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to extending the publication of farmed-animal welfare inspection reports beyond fish to include other farmed animals, including chickens, pigs, sheep and cattle.

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