Chamber and committees

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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

Filter your results Hide all filters

Displaying 531 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S6W-43510

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 02 February 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 10 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government on what date it currently expects to commence section 10 of the Good Food Nation (Scotland) Act 2022.

We intend to commence section 10 in a way that provides relevant authorities 12 months’ advance notice of the 12-month clock. In practical terms, this will provide relevant authorities 24 months to prepare and develop their local Plans. Options in relation to the commencement timeline of section 10 are currently being considered, taking both the 2026 Scottish Parliament election and 2027 local authority elections into account.

Question reference: S6W-43509

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 02 February 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 10 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what expectations it has of relevant authorities in relation to the development of Good Food Nation plans prior to the commencement of section 10 of the Good Food Nation (Scotland) Act 2022.

We are aware that many relevant authorities are already undertaking some preparatory work prior to the commencement of section 10, such as identifying who will lead on this work; which departments or policy areas will need to be involved; and what food policy is already in existence. However, we are also aware that some relevant authorities are waiting for further information before starting work on their Plans. We intend to provide ongoing support to both health boards and local authorities, such as facilitating collaboration, providing information and advice, and providing resources such as guidance documents.

Question reference: S6W-43431

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 January 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 10 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-41364 by Ivan McKee on 28 October 2025, what estimate it has made of the total future electricity demand resulting from expected AI and data centre developments in Scotland, in light of its joint commissioning of a Strategic Spatial Energy Plan (SSEP) for Great Britain, and how this estimate is being communicated to any local authorities that will be responsible for consenting large-scale, energy-intensive infrastructure.

The Scottish Government has not made its own assessment of the total future electricity demand resulting from expected AI and data centre developments in Scotland.

The National Energy System Operator (NESO) recognised in its 2025 Future Energy Scenarios, that up to a fifth of Great Britain’s future data centre demand could be based in Scotland.

While the Strategic Spatial Energy Plan (SSEP) for Great Britain is still under development, NESO recognises that engaging with local stakeholders, including Scottish Local Authorities, is critical to the success of the plan. The Scottish Government is aware of NESO’s engagement with COSLA, and you may wish to contact NESO directly at [email protected] for any further detail.

Following publication of the SSEP, it is anticipated that NESO’s Regional Energy Strategic Plan (RESP) for Scotland will provide further insight into the forecast future electricity demand from data centres.

Question reference: S6W-43441

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 January 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 10 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support access to specialist assessment and management for people with suspected or diagnosed postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (PoTS) in the Highlands and Islands.

The Scottish Government expects NHS Boards to provide high-quality, safe and effective person-centred care and support for all people, including those with postural tachycardia syndrome (PoTS). Support is often provided in primary care, with specialist referral where clinically appropriate.

Boards are responsible for ensuring timely and equitable access to assessment and care, including through remote consultations and cross-Board referral pathways where these provide the most effective route to specialist input.

Question reference: S6W-43432

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 January 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 10 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-41364 by Ivan McKee on 28 October 2025, whether it received the full regional dataset underpinning the National Energy System Operator’s modelling of data centre demand in its 2025 Future Energy Scenarios, including the location-specific scenarios that were not published in the public report, and whether it will make the Scotland-level figures available to the Parliament.

Question reference: S6W-43607

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 February 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 19 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made towards implementing a ban on the sale of glue traps, in light of the UK Parliament's completion of the process for applying the UK Internal Market Act's market access principles for the sale of such traps.

Question reference: S6W-43608

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 February 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 19 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the provisions in the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Act 2024 to ban glue traps, what measures it will put in place to ensure that online retailers do not circumvent the ban by continuing to ship traps to customers in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-43606

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 February 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 19 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what data it holds on the number of birds and other non-target species that have been trapped or died in glue traps since the introduction of the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Act 2024.

Question reference: S6W-43236

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 January 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 2 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, what assessment it has undertaken regarding any impact on rural communities, where a higher proportion of patients typically travel by car to appointments, prior to introducing changes to the General Ophthalmic Services fee structure, effective from 1 August 2025, linking higher fees for eye examinations, for adults aged 60 and over, to pupil dilation, and whether it will publish any such assessment.

The Scottish Government negotiated the new General Ophthalmic Services (GOS) fees with Optometry Scotland with the data available at the time. A joint review of the impact of these changes will be undertaken with Optometry Scotland in due course. These discussions are confidential in nature and for Optometry Scotland to consider how it, as the representative body, informs its membership.

Dilating the pupils of patients aged 60 and older has been a requirement of a GOS primary eye examination since 1 April 2010. It is clinically important because it enables the optometrist to inspect the retina, optic nerve and macula for early signs of age-related sight-threatening diseases that are often symptomless.

Question reference: S6W-43169

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 January 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 2 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what independent audit processes exist to ensure that losses recorded as culls or stock adjustments are not excluded from external reporting at salmon farms.

The Scottish Government does not collect and publish complete information on the number of fish culled fish on salmon farms.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-43168 on 2 February 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-questions-and-answers

The Scottish Government’s Scottish Finfish Production Survey is a long running Scottish Government statistical publication produced to appropriate professional standards. Data may be checked against case information held by the Fish Health Inspectorate, including any movement records, to ensure information is consistent.