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-38844

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 3 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Ofgem following the regulator’s announcement on 26 May 2025 that the Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS) switch-off will take a phased approach, starting from 30 June 2025, and what it anticipates the impact of this switch-off will be for consumers in Scotland who have not yet switched to a smart meter.

Responsibility for managing and resolving the RTS switch-off is fully reserved to the UK Parliament and is regulated by Ofgem. However, given the disproportionate impact on the people of Scotland, the Scottish Government is in daily contact with the UK Government and Ofgem to press them to take the necessary steps to protect consumers.

Households and businesses who have not yet upgraded should not face any unexpected disruption to their heating or hot water from 30 June. The Scottish Government understands that energy suppliers will contact all affected customers in advance of any phase out activity in an area, allowing sufficient time to book and receive a meter upgrade. We expect suppliers to deliver on their commitment to increase the number of upgrades significantly and quickly in Scotland. We will continue to do everything possible to raise awareness and hold those responsible to account through formal and informal channels, including the RTS Taskforce.

While we welcome the decision to take a phased approach to the switch-off, the announcement has come too late and with insufficient detail to reassure consumers who have not yet managed to secure a meter upgrade. We remain concerned about the potential impact on vulnerable consumers, communities, local authorities, and emergency responders, and the First Minister has now escalated these concerns to the Prime Minister. The Scottish Government, local authorities, and other devolved services must be provided with full details of the phase-out timetable detailing which local authority areas will be impacted and when.

Any consumers experiencing difficulties with their supplier can contact Advice Direct Scotland (ADS). Funded by the Scottish Government, ADS runs the free national energy advice service and can be contacted on 0808 196 8660 or at Energy Advice | Energy Advice | energyadvice.scot.

Question reference: S6W-38752

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 3 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what the total number was of (a) passengers, (b) cars, (c) coaches and (d) commercial vehicles, carried by (i) the MV Alfred and (ii) other vessels on the Arran ferry route between 18 April 2024 and 12 June 2025.

Question reference: S6W-38746

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 3 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether restocking rivers with eyed ova and unfed fry would have a greater impact on increasing salmon stocks than releasing hatchery reared fry and parr into Scottish salmon rivers; what the reasons are for its position on this matter, and whether this position is based on any peer reviewed scientific evidence.

Decisions on stocking in salmon fishery districts are a matter for District Salmon Fishery Boards (where such Boards exist) under the provisions of the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries (Consolidation) (Scotland) Act 2003.

Decisions on the life stages used in stocking should be aligned with the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organisation’s guidelines, available at CNL2461_Stocking-Guidelines.pdf and the peer reviewed scientific literature as recently summarised in a Scottish Government report (available at Science of salmon stocking: report - gov.scot). This report found that if stocking is to take place, it should involve the youngest possible life stage to minimise hatchery exposure and artificial selection.

Question reference: S6W-38749

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 3 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what studies it has commissioned to ascertain what long-term impact water abstraction through (a) dams and (b) borehole abstraction has on the (i) dynamics and (ii) water flow of streams and rivers.

The Scottish Government supports a wide range of research projects investigating the impacts of water abstraction, including on river dynamics and water flow.

The Scottish Government’s Strategic Research Programme (2022-2027) is modelling future drought risks and ecosystem service impacts using water abstraction data. Between 2023-2025, the Scottish Government funded Centre of Expertise for Waters completed three research projects providing evidence considering the effect of impoundments on river dynamics and water flow.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) conducts its own assessments which evaluate the effects of licenced abstractions. These include borehole monitoring to assess groundwater levels and impacts on river flow.

Question reference: S6W-38755

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 3 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many scheduled sailings were (a) provided and (b) cancelled, broken down by incident, on (i) the MV Alfred and (ii) other vessels on the Arran ferry route between 18 April 2024 and 12 June 2025.

The Scottish Government does not hold this information. Contractual reporting is by route. However, CalMac have provided the following data as requested:

Vessel Name	Scheduled Sailings	Operated Sailings	Cancelled Sailings	Additional Sailings	Weather Cancellations	Technical Cancellations	Other Cancellations
MV Alfred	1423	1863	84	524	44	26	14
Other vessels	3376	3023	418	65	322	96	0

*This shows CalMac’s audited figures up to 31 May, 2025.

Question reference: S6W-38753

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 3 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what the total cost was of repairs to the MV Caledonian Isles between 4 January 2024 and 12 June 2025.

Question reference: S6W-38754

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 3 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what the total cost was to charter the MV Alfred between 18 April 2024 and 12 June 2025.

Question reference: S6W-38747

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 3 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any evidence that shows whether restocking Scottish rivers with brown trout reared in hatcheries is more successful than releasing hatchery reared salmon fry and parr.

Question reference: S6W-39065

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 27 June 2025
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answer expected on 25 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will explore committing to extending the Fruit and Vegetables Aid Scheme beyond 2026, as a result of the UK Spending Review 2025.

Question reference: S6W-39070

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 27 June 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 25 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to (a) the role of coal as a strategic reserve or transitional energy source and (b) whether a blanket policy of no support potentially risks undermining Scotland’s energy security during periods of volatility or supply disruption, in light of the publication of its Coal extraction: policy position on 19 June 2025.

Vessel Name	Passengers	Cars	Coaches	Commercial Vehicles
MV Alfred	273,489	91,407	64	3,916
Other Vessels	523,084	125,936	448	6,291