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.

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Question reference: S6W-35384

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 12 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what work it has undertaken to explore any reforms of the energy performance certificate (EPC) regime in (a) general and (b) relation to the EPC appraisal of (i) cavity walls and associated insulation measures and (ii) energy efficiency improvement recommendations, and what advice it has sought regarding any EPC reforms.

The Scottish Government has undertaken an extensive range of work in pursuit of reforming the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) regime in Scotland.

This has included three recent consultations to scope and refine the approach to EPC reform.

Domestic Energy Performance Certificates (EPC) reform: consultation - gov.scot

(23 July 2021)

Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) reform: consultation - gov.scot (25 July 2023)

Scottish Energy Performance Certificate Register Lodgement Fees and Penalty Charges - Questions - Energy Performance Certificate reform – lodgement fees and penalty charges: technical consultation - gov.scot (12 February 2025)

These consultation documents have been complemented by public events and workshops.

More generally, the Scottish Government has, and continues to, engage intensively with all major stakeholders in EPCs, seeking their views in taking forward our reforms. The Scottish Government regularly convenes a Strategic Advisory sub-Group and an External Reference Group focused on EPC reform. Stakeholders include representatives of Approved Organisations, local authorities (in their enforcement role), consumer groups; EPC assessors; surveyors; the UK Government; the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland; private letting agencies; and many others. We have also engaged with other European countries including Denmark and the Republic of Ireland.

In taking forward our reform of EPCs, we have been receiving advice from the Climate Change Committee, the UK’s statutory adviser on tackling climate change, and other advisory bodies including Historic Environment Scotland.

In relation to the EPC’s appraisal of cavity walls and associated insulation measures, and other energy efficiency improvement recommendations, we acknowledge concerns raised over the ability of the EPC to identify when such measures are technically suitable. In response, we are creating a short term industry group to advise on how the reformed EPC will select measures for potential improvement. We are also carrying out further user testing on how best to present this information on the certificate, in particular ensuring that it signposts the need to have detailed technical advice before installing any measures. In parallel, we are currently scoping the development of a methodology to assess the technical suitability of measures as a step beyond the EPC.

Question reference: S6W-35392

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 11 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government by what date it will (a) publish and (b) respond to the findings from the call for evidence on the Inshore Fisheries Management Improvement programme, which concluded on 18 February 2025.

We intend to publish the results to the call for evidence in line with Scottish Government consultation good practice guidance for Scottish Government consultations, typically within 12 weeks of the closing date.

Following analysis of the responses, policy proposals for a new framework for managing our inshore fisheries will be drafted, with input from key stakeholders. There will then be a full public consultation.

Question reference: S6W-35393

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 11 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of inshore fisheries and conservation authorities in England as a potential model for inshore fisheries management in Scotland.

Recent work has been undertaken to review different models of inshore fisheries management, including the model in England using Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities. This work, along with wider evidence submitted during our Inshore Fisheries Management Improvement programme call for evidence, will help inform development of policy proposals for a new framework for managing Scotland’s inshore fisheries.

Question reference: S6W-35242

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 11 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the analysis of the consultation conducted on the A96 Corridor Review, which closed on 21 February 2025.

During the Roundtable meeting I held in Parliament on 4 February, I advised members of my intention to provide an update on the public’s response to the consultation as soon as possible. However, this will depend on the time required to review the considerable number of responses received.

The 12-week consultation period ended last month with over 1,400 responses received.

This feedback, which is now under active consideration by Transport Scotland, will help inform the Scottish Government’s final decision on how best to take forward improvements to the A96 whilst also balancing the demands of the challenging economic climate and the climate emergency.

Question reference: S6W-35343

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 28 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 10 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what impact the announcement by the UK Government on 27 February 2025 that it will work to increase the use of domestic timber in construction will have on Scotland, and what dialogue concerning domestic timber it had with the UK Government prior to this.

We welcome the UK government’s Timber in Construction road map since this should increase the market for Scottish timber in England. There is considerable scope to increase the use of timber frame house building methods in England unlike in Scotland where 92% of new build homes are already timber frame. Officials at Scottish Forestry have been aware of the road map as it was being developed through discussions with Defra, Confor and the Forestry Commission during that period.

Question reference: S6W-34594

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 07 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 4 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how much has been committed in its 2025-26 Budget to bringing empty homes back into use; how local authorities can access this funding, and how much resource has been specifically allocated to support (a) local authority empty homes officers and (b) the Empty Homes Partnership.

We will invest £2 million next year financial year to help local authorities unlock barriers, develop a targeted approach and embed empty homes work across their services to bring more privately owned empty homes back into use through the Scottish Empty Homes Partnership project. This builds on our track record of bringing more than 11,000 privately owned homes back into use as warm, safe and secure housing since 2010.

Question reference: S6W-34573

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 25 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to improve maternity services in Caithness, to reduce any need for individuals to travel to Raigmore Hospital in Inverness for childbirth and other maternity-related care.

The Scottish Government expects all NHS Boards to provide maternity services that are delivered as close to home as practicable and to offer a full range of birth place options within their region. Service planning and delivery is the responsibility of NHS Boards and it is important that these services are safe, sustainable and meet the needs of local populations.

Women in Caithness can choose to give birth with the support of a midwife, whether at home or in the midwife-led unit at Caithness General Hospital. If the mother or baby are assessed to be at higher risk, then they are advised to give birth at the consultant unit at Raigmore Hospital. To minimise the need for women to travel, NHS Highland provides weekly obstetric-run antenatal clinics and scanning services in Caithness, and helps with travel and accommodation costs for women who need to travel for care. This is the same model of care which operates across all rural areas in the NHS Highland region. We particularly recognise the importance of patient transport and work is commencing to develop guidance on Pre-hospital Maternity and Neonatal Care and Remote & Rural Intrapartum Transfers.

Question reference: S6O-04365

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 February 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is, regarding any potential impact on the environment, to reports that Mowi Scotland, a multi-national fish farming company, has purchased Sanda Island in Argyll and Bute.

Question reference: S6W-34497

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 19 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31025 by Alasdair Allan on 12 November 2024, by what date it will publish the Nature Conservation Order to protect the Parallel Roads of Lochaber Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) at Achnabobane.

Question reference: S6W-34436

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 18 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the UK Government's decision to bring forward secondary legislation that would allow the Genetic Technologies (Precision Breeding) Act 2023 to take effect, what it anticipates the potential impact on Scotland will be in relation to (a) devolved competencies (b) (i) regional and (ii) international trade, (c) consumer choice and (d) the integrity of GMO-free supply chains, such as organic.

We are aware of the UK Government’s planned secondary legislation following its Genetic Technologies (Precision Breeding) Act 2023 and are looking carefully at the implications of their proposals. As our closest trading partner, any changes in England may have implications for Scottish businesses.

Regulation of genetic modification is an area of devolved responsibility, and the Scottish Government expects full cooperation from the UK Government in matters where any related legislation will impact upon the interests of Scottish businesses and consumers.

The views of stakeholders in Scotland – scientists, farmers, food producers, but especially, consumers and the public as a whole – will inform any future changes in relation to the regulation of genetic technologies in Scotland. On 27 March we will hold a roundtable event to better understand the views and concerns of stakeholders.