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-31776

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 November 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 5 December 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether (a) common grazings are included in the biodiversity audit process for crofting and (b) crofting biodiversity audits assess the economic earnings potential of biodiversity restoration on common grazings; what plans the Scottish Government has to undertake a (i) cost-benefit analysis and (ii) feasibility study into common grazing biodiversity restoration, as part of the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy to 2045, and when the findings of any such analysis will be published.

The foundations of the Whole Farm Plan will become a requirement in 2025 for the Basic Payment Scheme. At this stage, businesses with a share in a common grazing do not need to include the common grazing in their biodiversity audit. The Scottish Government is continuing to co-develop a proportionate approach to account for these valuable areas in the future as part of the wider Agriculture Reform Programme.

The Scottish Biodiversity Strategy highlights the need to mainstream positive outcomes for biodiversity across a much wider range of Scottish Government policies, although we have no current plans to take forward the activities suggested.

Question reference: S6W-31777

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 November 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 5 December 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-25557 by Mairi Gougeon on 25 March 2024, whether the Scottish Ministers (a) plan to conduct a Habitats Regulations Appraisal for the wrasse fishery that would assess the consequences of wrasse removal from special areas of conservation and the wider effects of the wrasse fishery, as well as the physical impact of pots and (b) will commit to conducting a full Habitats Regulations Appraisal ahead of any decision on whether to reopen the wrasse fisheries in 2025 within special areas of conservation.

Question reference: S6O-04106

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 December 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 12 December 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what assurances it can provide to the community on Mull regarding whether Learning Estate Investment Programme funding can be used flexibly to support both the construction of a new high school in Craignure and the refurbishment of the existing site in Tobermory for nursery and primary provision.

Question reference: S6W-31459

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 November 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 3 December 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the latest report, Collateral Damage, by the UK campaign group, Wild Justice, which states that the Rodenticide Stewardship Scheme in England "is a failed scheme", and other reports that have indicated increased exposure to anticoagulant rodenticides in common buzzards in Scotland, whether it has assessed the effectiveness of the rodenticide scheme in Scotland.

The Scottish Government continues to contribute to UK-wide monitoring of rodenticide use and exposure in wildlife. There is evidence that many users of rodenticides are complying with the Campaign for Responsible Rodenticide Use’s (CRRU) Rodenticide Stewardship Scheme (RSS), and that in Scotland rodenticide use in agriculture has substantially declined since the introduction of the scheme. But, despite this, recent environmental data for Scotland indicate that it has not yet achieved the aim of significantly reducing wildlife exposure.

Both the UK Government Oversight Group, which includes Scottish Government representation, and CRRU have acknowledged that rodenticide residues in UK wildlife have not declined as hoped. The RSS is being updated firstly to ban the use of second generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARs) bromadiolone and difenacoum for open area use from the end of this year. This means no SGARs will be available for open area use; this is also intended to reduce accidental or deliberate misuse of other products in open areas. Secondly, training requirements for the farming sector are also being brought in line with other sectors from end 2025 to ensure a consistent level of professional training across all sectors and reduce the risk of poor practice.

Question reference: S6W-31686

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 22 November 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 28 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made on developing a register of ancient woodlands.

Question reference: S6W-31494

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 November 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 28 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many hectares of (a) land were given approval by Scottish Forestry for planting and (b) commercial forests and woodlands have been (i) blown down and (ii) harvested, in each of the last five years.

The following tables provide the data as currently held.

Table 1 – Area of approvals for planting by Scottish Forestry

Year (Nov to Oct)	Area of New Planting Approved (ha)
2023-24	9550
2022-23	12714
2021-22	9378
2020-21	9067
2019-20	12508
2018-29	12927

Table 2 – Estimated area of clearfell in coniferous woodland in Scotland, detected from combined Synthetic Aperture Radar and optical satellite imagery, source Forest Research.

Detection year	Estimated felled area (ha)	% Standard Error
Summer 2024	15,293	4.1
Summer 2023	16,107	4.2
Summer 2022	26,190	3.5
Summer 2021	16,197	4.1
Summer 2020	16,867	4.1

Scottish Forestry does not record annual areas of windblow, but is discussing a project with Forest Research to see if a reasonable estimate would be possible using remote sensing.

Question reference: S6O-04061

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 November 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 4 December 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recent reaffirmation of its commitment to increase culture funding by at least an additional £100 million a year by 2028-29, how much of this extra investment will be directed towards community arts and placemaking.

Question reference: S6W-31095

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 08 November 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 22 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address the reported shortage of environmental health officers and the impact that this is having on local authorities (a) nationally and (b) that serve island areas, such as Orkney.

Environmental Health Officers are a core part of the public health workforce in Scotland and the Environmental Health function is key to protecting and improving the health of the Scottish population.

The Scottish Government set up the Environmental Health Policy Co-ordination Group in 2022. The group works collaboratively with the Society of Chief Officers in Environmental Health, COSLA and other relevant stakeholders, including the Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland (REHIS) to seek solutions in issues affecting the sector, such as the difficulties in filling vacancies and improving the route into the profession.

Since 2023, REHIS have offered an alternative route into the Diploma in Environmental Health for people who have a science related degree. This has helped attract more people into the profession from different backgrounds.

The wider impact that the shortages in Environmental Health Officers is having nationally and in island communities varies across the country and should be advised by the relevant local authority.

Question reference: S6W-31249

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 November 2024
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 21 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Planning Hub, announced by the Minister for Public Finance in a statement on 12 November 2024, will provide funding for the deployment of empty homes officers wherever needed, and how much funding it will allocate for (a) these officers and (b) the Planning Hub in total.

We are establishing a Housing Planning Hub as a priority to help unblock stalled sites. We are now working with public and private sector partners to consider the reasons why specific sites are not progressing to development, and to confirm details around the role, scope and operation of the Hub.

We recognise that there are complex reasons why homes remain empty and dedicated empty homes officers are essential in building relationships with owners to help resolve these. Our recently updated guidance to councils makes clear that they can utilise the ring-fenced revenue they derive from council tax on second and empty homes to fund more officers. This is not, however, the purpose of the Housing Planning Hub which I announced on 12 November. Nevertheless, the work I announced on the potential for further permitted development rights could support efforts to bring some empty properties into residential use.

Question reference: S6W-31122

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 08 November 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 20 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what action has been taken to meet the commitment for Transport Scotland to explore freight issues in more detail by revisiting the Freight Fares Review, as set out in the Islands Connectivity Plan - Strategic Approach, published in January 2024.

The draft Islands Connectivity Plan (ICP) Strategic Approach was published for public consultation from 1 February 2024 to 6 May 2024. The draft proposed that we would revisit the Freight Fares Review in the medium to longer term.

The purpose of the consultation was to gather feedback on our proposals and test our understanding of the priority issues facing island transport connectivity and ferry services in particular.

The outputs from the consultation and engagement will support the finalisation of the ICP which will set out our plans for taking forward ferry fares policy.