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-43237

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 January 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 4 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what impact the ending of the Small Business Bonus Scheme relief for sporting rights will have on (a) Forestry Land Scotland, (b) National Trust Scotland, (c) Historic Environment Scotland, (d) NatureScot, (e) Crown Estate Scotland, (f) local authorities and (g) other public agencies that possess sporting rights.

Question reference: S6W-43240

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 January 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 4 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has carried out regarding what the estimated cost to local valuation boards will be of collecting revenue following the phasing out of the Small Business Bonus Scheme relief for sporting rights.

Question reference: S6W-42965

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 January 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 21 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the decision to move responsibility for energy consent decisions from the Cabinet Secretary of Climate Action and Energy to the Minister for Public Finance, and the minister's subsequent comment reported in the Scottish Daily Express on 10 January 2026 that he is “the Minister with responsibility for planning and Gillian Martin sensibly proposed that if I was also to take on responsibility for these decisions that this would enable her to more readily engage with communities in a manner that she would otherwise be precluded from doing”, whether it will confirm when the conversation where this proposal was made took place; who was present and whether (a) a formal or (b) an informal minute was taken and, if so, by what date this minute will be published.

Question reference: S6W-43061

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 January 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 21 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-42815 by Gillian Martin on 13 January 2026, whether it will instruct SEPA to carry out formal weekly water scarcity reports outside of the May to September period, as well as seasonal reports.

While SEPA typically produces weekly water scarcity reports from May to September, it extends the weekly reporting period as conditions require. In 2025 weekly reporting started in April and continued into October due to conditions.

Weekly reports are designed for the period of highest hydrological risk, when frequent updates offer the greatest value to both abstractors and public bodies. Extending weekly reporting across the full year, rather than responding to when conditions require it, does not represent the best use of resources at this time.

Question reference: S6W-42927

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 09 January 2026
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 21 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what harbour (a) dues and (b) charges were paid by CalMac to (i) CMAL, (ii) other harbour authorities and (iii) local authorities in 2024-25 broken down by harbour.

The cost of harbour dues CalMac Ferries paid in 2024-25 paid to CMAL was £16,589,235, other harbour authorities was £11,702,717, and Local Authorities was £12,822,773

Details relating to each harbour is detailed in the following table:

Harbour	£	Harbour	£
Armadale	529,669	Campbeltown	868
Brodick	2,064,945	Craignure	1,886,150
Castlebay	343,320	Dunoon	740,498
Claonaig	160,033	Fionnphort	315,140
Colintraive	681,109	Gigha	198,939
Coll	480,858	Iona	323,910
Colonsay	214,672	Kilcreggan	57,904
Cumbrae Slip	1,299,130	Lismore	74,205
Fishnish	339,205	Port Askaig	845,193
Gallanach	17,709	Rothesay	2,787,920
Gourock	347,651	Tayinloan	199,034
Kennacraig	1,193,888	Aird Mhor (Barra)	117,659
Kerrera	47,153	Berneray	194,694
Kilchoan	61,278	Eriskay	108,539
Largs	1,273,275	Leverburgh	148,710
Lochaline Slip	354,795	Lochmaddy	968,604
Lochboisdale	208,314	Eigg	102,662
Lochranza	160,707	Muck	112,611
Oban	2,419,536	Raasay	348,180
Port Ellen	600,955	Rum	123,770
Portavadie	129,233	Sconser	348,180
Rhubodach	663,733	Uig	2,819,401
Tarbert	1,909	Troon	3,428,891
Tarbert Harris	392,750	Mallaig	896,986
Tiree	257,756	Canna	298,649
Tobermory	106,908	Stornoway	3,261,314
Wemyss Bay	2,238,745	Tarbert (Loch Fyne)	153,920
Ardrossan	1,051,428	Ullapool	2,611,529

Question reference: S6W-42889

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 January 2026
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 21 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-42664 by Angela Constance on 5 January 2026, whether Upside provides it with details of the number of individuals released from prison who have received funding from its partner organisations, and, if so, whether it will provide details of this.

Upside does not provide funding directly to individuals released from custody.

As covered in the answer to question S6W-42664, funding is issued on a quarterly basis to Sacro as the nominated lead parter of Upside. Sacro distributes the funding to the remaining third-sector partners within the Upside partnership. This funding is used to support the operational delivery of the programme, including staff salaries, recruitment and training, IT and other associated running costs.

Question reference: S6W-42816

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 January 2026
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 21 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what advice it has received from economists regarding the potential implications of the recently proposed 2026 non-domestic rates revaluation for the income generated by non-domestic rates, in light of reported concerns expressed by the Federation of Small Businesses, the Scottish Tourism Alliance, Scottish Agritourism, the Association of Scotland's Self Caterers, and Scottish Land and Estates, that the revaluation "poses a serious threat to the viability of thousands of businesses across the country".

The draft Budget ensures the estimated revenues raised from non-domestic rates in 2026-27 will be 6% lower in real terms measured by CPI than pre-COVID, despite the number of properties on the valuation roll increasing in that time, and introduces the lowest Basic Property Rate for 2026-27 since 2018-19.

The independent Scottish Fiscal Commission is responsible for forecasting tax revenues in its Scotland's Economic and Fiscal Forecasts and for 2026-27 the forecast Non-Domestic Rates revenue is £3,387 million.

Valuations are carried out by independent Assessors and we recognise that while some ratepayers will see their rateable values fall, a number will see significant increases.

That is why the draft budget will continue to support businesses and communities with a strong non-domestic rates package for 2026-27 that decreases the Basic, Intermediate and Higher Property Rates in 2026-27, delivering the lowest Basic Property Rate since 2018-19.

Businesses and communities will be supported with a generous non-domestic rates relief package worth an estimated £864 million in 2026-27, including the Small Business Bonus Scheme which remains the most generous scheme of its kind in the UK and is confirmed for the next three years, as well as transitional relief schemes for eligible ratepayers.

Question reference: S6W-43062

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 January 2026
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 20 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether the National Records of Scotland plans to update the user interface of the Scottish Register of Tartans website.

Question reference: S6W-42926

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 09 January 2026
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 20 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what the proposed yearly lease payments payable to CMAL by CalMac is for each vessel currently under construction in (a) Scotland, (b) Turkey and (c) Poland.

Final yearly vessel lease payments payable by CalMac to CMAL for vessels currently under construction have not yet been determined. Lease costs will be calculated once construction is complete and the vessels are delivered. This will be based on the value of the voted loans issued by the Scottish Government to CMAL to fund the construction of each vessel under fixed-price contracts. The annual lease payments will reflect the repayment of these loans, together with associated financing costs, over the agreed lease period.

Question reference: S6W-42890

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 January 2026
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 20 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what impact the proposed revaluation of non-domestic rates will have on (a) harbours and (b) ports that are owned by CMAL, and whether any rate rises will be covered by increased (i) subsidies to CMAL or (ii) harbour charges.

Draft rateable values for the 2026 revaluation were published on 30 November 2025 but may be subject to change. The final valuation roll will come into effect on 1 April 2026. The Scottish Government has published a report on changes in rateable values based on draft 2026 values on 13 January and will publish a further report once final valuations are available.

The draft budget will continue to support businesses and communities with a strong non-domestic rates package for 2026-27 that decreases the Basic, Intermediate and Higher Property Rates in 2026-27.

Businesses and communities will be supported with a generous non-domestic rates relief package worth an estimated £864 million in 2026-27, including a Revaluation Transitional Relief that will protect those seeing the most significant increases in rateable values.

Transport Scotland’s Ferry Services Allocation will be £297.8 million (resource) and £215.5 million (capital) in 2026-27.

The Scottish Government will also continue to invest in upgrading ports and harbours across the network and have committed funding of up to £82 million in 2026-27. Funding for ongoing works such as improvements at Cumbrae and Mallaig is included as well as allowances for new and emerging projects such as Port Ellen, Gasay and potential improvements at Ardrossan.