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: S7W-03588

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Flynn on 6 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how much has been spent on vessel charter costs to cover (a) breakdowns and (b) drydock periods across the Clyde and Hebridean ferry network in each year since 2021.

The cost of chartering vessels to cover annual overhaul or disruption is listed in the following table. These are by Contract Year.

	Period	Cost
CHFS2 CY 5	Oct 2020 – Sep 2021	£ 562,993
CHFS2 CY 6	Oct 2021 – Sep 2022	£ 380,884
CHFS2 CY 7	Oct 2022 – Sep 2023	£ 842,257
CHFS2 CY 8	Oct 2023 – Sep 2024	£ 411,046
CHFS2 CY 9	Oct 2024 – Sep 2025	£ 533,466

Costs for CHFS3, from October 2025, are not yet available as these are yet to be audited.

Question reference: S7W-03596

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Flynn on 6 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what the total spend on consultancy services by Transport Scotland has been in each year since 2021.

Question reference: S7W-03551

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 6 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with Smiths News PLC regarding its ten-year distribution agreements with News UK and DMG Media, and the company's ability to maintain a high standard of regional newspaper distribution in rural and island communities.

Question reference: S7W-03963

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 05 October 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 2 November 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S7W-01690 by Stephen Gethins on 12 August 2026, in relation to its Emergency Heating Oil Scheme, whether it will provide an update on the number of applications in each local authority area that have been (a) received, (b) approved, broken down by the total amount paid out, and (c) rejected.

Question reference: S7W-03961

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 05 October 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 2 November 2026

To ask the Scottish Government when SEPA last conducted an assessment of Deer Park near Dunoon, and its surrounding area, for the purposes of determining whether it might be considered a Potentially Vulnerable Area, and whether it plans to review the area in future.

Question reference: S7W-03962

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 05 October 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 2 November 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how much of the £10 million allocated to its Emergency Heating Oil Scheme had been spent up to 30 September 2026.

Question reference: S7W-03665

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 25 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Flynn on 5 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with ScotRail regarding any review of train fares, in light of the potential reduced demand as a result of the proposed rollout of the £2 bus fare cap.

Transport Scotland officials, Scottish Rail Holdings and ScotRail meet regularly to discuss a range of matters, including rail fares and passenger demand.

The Scottish Government has already taken significant action to support affordable rail travel, including the permanent removal of ScotRail peak fares last year and fares freeze this year. These measures make rail travel simpler, more accessible and better value for passengers across Scotland.

We will continue to work closely with ScotRail to monitor travel demand as plans for a national £2 bus fare cap develops to ensure rail remains an accessible, sustainable and value-for-money transport option for people across Scotland.

Question reference: S7W-03667

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 25 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 5 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how many applications to the Islands Business Resilience Fund were declined in (a) 2025-26 and (b) 2026-27, broken down by local authority area.

Question reference: S7W-03664

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 25 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Flynn on 5 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with NATS Prestwick regarding its reported technical issue on 8 September 2026 that resulted in the cancellation, delay or diversion of more than 2,000 flights.

The management of airspace within the UK is a matter reserved to the UK Government. However, following the disruption to Scottish airports on Tuesday 8 September and Monday 21 September, I wrote to both the CEO of NATS and the Secretary of State for Transport to raise my concerns around the impact of the disruption on passengers, Highlands and Islands connectivity, and the Scottish economy. I also sought assurances that both intend to work to ensure the UK’s air traffic control system remains fit for purpose.

Question reference: S7W-03666

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 25 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 5 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it has decided to reduce the total funding allocated to the Island Resilience Fund from £4.4 million in 2025-26 to £3 million in 2026-27.

Our £10 million commitment for an Islands Resilience Fund remains unchanged. We have now announced the first £3 million phase, building on the £4.4 million provided through the former Islands Business Resilience Fund last year. Further phases of the new £10m Islands Resilience Fund will be developed and delivered over the lifetime of this Parliament, reflecting our long-term commitment to island communities.

Financial Year	Consultancy Spend (per Annual Report and Accounts)
2021-2022	£2,468,000.00
2022-2023	£1,457,000.00
2023-2024	£924,000.00
2024-2025	£1,048,000.00