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 1147 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S6O-04917

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 September 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 11 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what support it can offer to help local authorities protect council-run and arm’s-length external organisation-run community facilities.

Question reference: S6W-39810

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 3 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-13680 by Michael Matheson on 18 January 2023, what information it holds on how much water production has been lost as a result of leakages in the Scottish Water supply area covering Argyll Islands, Argyll Mainland, Caithness, Fort William, Orkney, Ness, Shetland, Skye, and West Coast and Western Isles, in each month since January 2021.

As this is an operational matter for Scottish Water, I have asked them to respond. Scottish Water have provided estimates for the average total daily leakage levels in each month since January 2021 from water mains in the area requested (covering Argyll Islands, Argyll Mainland, Caithness, Fort William, Orkney, Ness, Shetland, Skye, West Coast, and Western Islands) in the following table. Figures are given in megalitres per day.

Year/ Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
2021	53.0	58.7	49.0	44.1	43.1	44.3	46.2	45.3	44.8	43.9	45.2	45.9
2022	46.2	46.4	45.6	39.3	39.7	39.3	41.5	41.9	40.3	41.8	42.0	47.4
2023	48.0	46.3	44.8	40.6	38.9	43.9	42.1	43.2	41.8	43.0	43.5	48.1
2024	49.6	45.8	42.4	40.3	39.0	40.6	41.1	39.6	39.7	39.8	40.1	41.4
2025	46.2	42.9	40.4	39.1	39.4	38.6	40.7	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A

Question reference: S6W-40075

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 25 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 3 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what specialist equipment the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service has to extinguish fires that originate in the nacelles of wind turbines, and whether it can provide details of how widely available any such equipment is.

Fires within wind turbine nacelles are rare, but they present significant challenges due to height, access limitations, and associated electrical and mechanical hazards.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) does not hold specific specialist equipment to extinguish nacelle fires. SFRS adopts a defensive strategy that prioritises public and firefighter safety, containment of the incident, and protection of the environment. Firefighting operations are not undertaken within the nacelle or tower itself. This approach is consistent with UK-wide national operational guidance.

Question reference: S6W-39877

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 3 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many energy consent applications have been lodged with the Energy Consents Unit in each year since 2021 in the (a) Highlands and Islands Region and (b) the rest of Scotland.

Details of applications made to the Energy Consents Unit under Sections 36 and 37 of the Electricity Act (1989) in the last five years are as follows:

Highlands and Islands planning authorities	2021	2022	2023	2024	2025
Section 36 applications (electricity generating station)	10	15	16	20	25
Section 37 applications (overhead lines)	21	51	41	33	17

Rest of Scotland planning authorities	2021	2022	2023	2024	2025
Section 36 applications (electricity generating station)	20	31	39	51	32
Section 37 applications (overhead lines)	34	30	34	29	18

Question reference: S6W-39881

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 3 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has engaged with the UK Government on any proposals to reform the grid connection queue in order to remove so-called zombie scheme energy applications, and, if so, whether it will provide details of such engagement.

Question reference: S6W-39895

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 3 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31917 by Neil Gray on 13 December 2024, whether it will provide an update on how many Scottish Graduate Entry Medicine (ScotGEM) graduates from summer 2023 did not take up a GPST 1 post in Scotland following completion of their foundation year 2, and what their destination was.

A total of 46 students graduated from the ScotGEM course in 2023. At the time of response, six have already taken up a GPST 1 post in Scotland.

The remaining students destinations can be broken down as follows:

Six graduates are yet to complete their Foundation Year 2 (FY2), for varying reasons.
Five graduates have elected to take a post other than a GPST 1.
Six graduates chose not to complete their FY2 training in Scotland.
23 graduates who have not yet taken up a post, at the time of response.

NHS Education for Scotland (NES) are currently working to understand the destinations of the 23 graduates who have not taken up a GPST 1 post and where they are currently working, if in the NHS. This information will support the initial evaluation of the ScotGEM programme being undertaken by the Scottish Government.

Question reference: S6W-39878

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 3 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of how many so-called zombie scheme energy applications have secured grid connection offers since 2021 in the (a) Highlands and Islands region and (b) rest of Scotland.

The Scottish Government does not hold the information that has been requested. Legislation and regulations relating to electricity networks are reserved to the UK Government, with the National Energy System Operator (NESO) responsible for the strategic approach to the development of the electricity system across Great Britain, including connections.

The Scottish Government works closely with NESO and the UK Government on their proposals for connections reform and has regular engagement with both. Through these channels we have been clear on the need for a transparent and cohesive connections reform process which supports the delivery of a clean, strategically aligned and efficient electricity system. We have also been clear that connections reform must take account of the Scottish Government’s priorities.

Further information on the Connections Reform process is available from NESO - https://www.neso.energy/industry-information/connections-reform/about-connections-reform

Question reference: S6W-39879

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 3 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of how many so-called shovel-ready energy applications have secured grid connection offers since 2021 in the (a) Highlands and Islands region and (b) rest of Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-39880

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 3 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to discourage energy companies from lodging speculative so-called zombie scheme energy applications.

Question reference: S6W-40094

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 25 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 2 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assistance is available to allow people in the Highlands and Islands region who reside outside Inverness to utilise the Nevis House rehabilitation service.

The Scottish Government provided £2.4m to support the development of Nevis House, as part of our aim to increase residential rehab capacity – particularly for areas outside the Central Belt.

Nevis House will provide six beds, equating to up to 22 placements a year. It aims to support referrals from more remote parts of the Highlands alongside the Western Isles, Orkney and Shetland.

Nevis House expands on existing work carried out at Beechwood House, offering residential rehabilitation, community outreach and social care to people affected by substance use in rural areas.