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 474 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S6W-41084

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 October 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 4 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, with regard to concentration of land ownership, what action it is taking to (a) increase adherence to the terms of the Land Rights and Responsibilities Statement, (b) protect relevant human rights and (c) support animal welfare.

Question reference: S6W-40548

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 30 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact of concentrated woodland ownership on (a) community wealth building, (b) sustainable development, (c) local democracy, (d) environmental quality and (e) biological diversity.

Question reference: S6W-40547

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 30 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact of concentrated land ownership on (a) community wealth building, (b) sustainable development, (c) local democracy, (d) environmental quality and (e) biological diversity.

The Policy Memorandum for the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill highlights concentrated land ownership and the associated lack of supply of land can lead to many important social, economic or environmental objectives being more difficult to achieve. The Memorandum highlights Scottish Land Commission research into concentrated landownership in Scotland which has helped inform a number of the ambitious proposals the Bill.

The Government is committed to driving forward land reform and increasing diversity of land ownership in a way that is fair, proportionate and within the terms of the current devolution settlement.

Question reference: S6W-40551

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 24 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the acquisition of the Griffin Forestry Estate by Gresham House FF VI LLP, which was concluded in July 2025, what assessment it has made of the potential impact of this on (a) community wealth building, (b) sustainable development, (c) local democracy, (d) environmental quality, and (e) biological diversity.

Question reference: S6W-40550

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 24 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the acquisition of the Woodland Invest portfolio by Gresham House Forest Fund VI LP, which was concluded in August 2025.

Question reference: S6W-40546

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 24 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the acquisition of the Woodland Invest portfolio by Gresham House Forest Fund VI LP, which was concluded in August 2025, what assessment it has made of the potential impact of this on (a) community wealth building, (b) sustainable development, (c) local democracy, (d) environmental quality and (e) biological diversity.

The purchase of forest estates by Gresham House FF VI LLP was conducted via normal market mechanisms. The Scottish Government does not monitor land or forest sales in Scotland and does not carry out assessments around the impacts of individual land transactions. All forest land should, however, be managed according to the principles of sustainable forest management as laid out in the UK Forestry Standard regardless of the ownership. The UK Forestry Standard contains requirements and guidelines on environmental quality, managing and improving biodiversity and community engagement.

Question reference: S6W-40549

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 24 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the acquisition of the Griffin Forestry Estate by Gresham House FF VI LLP, which was concluded in July 2025.

Question reference: S6W-40136

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 16 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-39520 by Mairi Gougeon on 30 July 2025, whether it will provide a breakdown of the total amount that it has awarded from the Marine Fund Scotland to (a) aquaculture and fish farming, (b) trawling and (c) dredging, in each year since the fund started.

As set out in the answer to S6W-39520, a full breakdown of the awards made through the Marine Fund Scotland (MFS) since it was first launched in 2021-22 to the most recent awards made in 2024-25 is available at: www.gov.scot/publications/marine-fund-scotland-grants-awarded/

The MFS funds a range of projects to help deliver Scotland’s Blue Economy Vision, transform the way the marine environment is used and how Scotland’s ‘blue’ resources are managed. Funding of £14 million has also been made available in 2025-26 and the MFS team are currently assessing applications that can contribute to an innovative and sustainable marine economy, support coastal communities, and help Scotland reach net zero emissions.

In addition, the MFS has provided various support to the fishing sector across Scotland, through £1.8m funding the Independent Fisheries Science Support Scheme which provides data to support stock assessments; £650k Support to Seafish to provide safety training and £50k to Fishing into the Future supporting the Clyde Fisheries Resource Education Programme, aiming to improve fisheries management & sustainability.

In 2024-25, Blueshell Mussels were awarded £640k towards the £1.28m cost of installing innovative rope that improves mussel growth & yield, this will increase production by around £800k & create 4 new jobs. In 2024-25, Tiny Fish a new company was awarded £118k towards the £237k cost of processing equipment for small salmon, taking what was viewed as a waste product from aquaculture & turning it into an added value product.

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: S6W-40147

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 10 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-39428 by Gillian Martin on 28 July 2025, what consideration it has given to introducing additional criteria for companies applying to Crown Estate Scotland for seabed leasing for (a) offshore wind development and (b) other marine renewable energy developments.

Question reference: S6W-40146

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 10 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-39428 by Gillian Martin on 28 July 2025, what consideration it has given to introducing additional criteria for Crown Estate Scotland to void any application or terminate agreement with companies in relation to (a) offshore wind development and (b) other marine renewable energy developments.