The Scottish Parliament

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-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.

Question reference: S6W-43168

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 whether it collects complete data on the number of fish culled on salmon farms and, if so, (a) where and (b) how such figures are published in relation to mortality data.

The Scottish Government does not collect complete data on the number of fish culled at salmon farms as this information is primarily a result of commercial decisions and is not required for the Fish Health Inspectorate’s surveillance programme for aquatic animal disease. Some information relating to culled fish is provided through the voluntary mortality reporting mechanism and it may be collected during Fish Health Inspectorate visits. Culling stock may be required under the Aquatic Animal Health (Scotland) Regulations 2009, such as in response to the confirmation of a listed disease

The Scottish Government’s Scottish Finfish Production Survey collects and publishes information on farmed salmon production losses as part of official statistics. It reports data on survival to harvest, representing the proportion of fish harvested for human consumption from the original input population. The proportion not harvested for human consumption are recorded as aggregate losses, which includes fish culled.

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-43170

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 whether it will introduce mandatory publication of site-level cull numbers, alongside mortality figures, within a fixed reporting timeframe at salmon farms.

The Scottish Government has no plans to introduce further mandatory reporting and publication of losses of farmed salmon as the data already available are sufficient for regulatory purposes.

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

Question reference: S6O-05470

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 January 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether voluntary reporting of mortality data in the salmon farming industry provides sufficient transparency and animal welfare protection.

Question reference: S6W-43231

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 January 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 28 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider the case for providing financial support for horse-logging as a low-carbon, low-impact timber harvesting method, and what assessment it has made of any potential environmental benefits, including the protection of rivers, burns and biodiversity, arising from expanding its use on sensitive forestry sites.

The UK Forest Standard (UKFS) defines the requirements and guidelines on how to practice Sustainable Forest Management in the UK, and ensures the protection of water, soil and biodiversity. It also promotes the benefit of low-impact harvesting to protect sensitive sites. Approval for a felling permission from Scottish Forestry is subject to planned operations being UKFS compliant on the specific site.

Those applying for a felling permission can decide which UKFS compliant harvesting option they use. They may choose to use horse logging, where it supports their management objectives, and contributes to the delivery of the approved grant scheme option. There is no financial support offered for different harvesting methods in the grant scheme. Scottish Government have not specifically assessed the benefits of an expansion in use of horse logging.

Question reference: S6W-43180

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 January 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 28 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-40703 by Mairi Gougeon on 1 October 2025, what proportion of the Forestry Grant Scheme funding allocated to native woodlands has been spent on (a) native woodland planting and (b) restoration of existing native woodlands, in each year since 2021-22.

The Forestry Grant Scheme has committed £69.8 million of support, in the period 2021-22 to 2024-25, for native woodland creation and native woodland management. £64.6 million of this funding has been provided to create new native woodland, with £5.2 million provided for the management of native woodland. The annual breakdown of this funding is show in the following table.

	FGS Commitment for Native Woodland Creation and Management (£ millions)	FGS Commitments for Native Woodland Creation (£ millions) (%)	FGS Commitment for Native Woodland Management (£ millions) (%)
2021-22	£14.9	£13.4 (90%)	£1.5 (10%)
2022-23	£12.5	£11.3 (90%)	£1.2 (10%)
2023-24	£23.4	£21.9 (94%)	£1.5 (6%)
2024-25	£19.0	£18.0 (95%)	£1.0 (5%)
Total	£69.8	£64.6 (93%)	£5.2 (7%)

Question reference: S6W-43179

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 January 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 28 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-40703 by Mairi Gougeon on 1 October 2025, how much money from the Forestry Grant Scheme has been spent on (a) natural regeneration of native woodlands and (b) invasive species control, in each year since 2021-22.

The Forestry Grant Scheme has committed the following sums, in each complete financial year since 2021-22, for the natural regeneration of native woodlands and invasive species control.

	FGS Commitments for Natural Regeneration of Native Woodland (£ millions)	FGS Commitments for Invasive Species Control (£ millions)
2021-22	£0.125	£0.892
2022-23	£0.084	£0.891
2023-24	£0.131	£1.038
2024-25	£0.251	£0.471
Total	£0.591	£3.292

Question reference: S6W-43173

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 January 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 28 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the transfer of funds from the General Fund into the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Fund, when it anticipates that Part 6, Section 78 of the Housing Act (Scotland) 2025 will come into effect, and under what circumstances local authorities will be permitted to transfer funds.

The Scottish Statutory Instrument for the commencement for the removal of the requirement for local authorities to gain Ministerial consent before transferring funds to HRA came into force 12 January 2026.

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ssi/2025/408/made

It will be for individual councils to set their policy on the transfer and use of contributions from the General Fund to the Housing Revenue Account.

The Chief Finance Officer, as the proper (section 95) officer with responsibility for managing the financial affairs of the authority, must be satisfied that the transfer and use of contributions from the General Fund to the Housing Revenue Account is prudent, affordable and sustainable.

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