- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 July 2026
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Current Status:
Answer expected on 25 August 2026
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S7W-01538 by Stephen Gethins on 23 July 2026, which states that officials have been monitoring the scheme on an on-going basis and that consideration has been given to any adaptations that can be made since the scheme launched on 1 April 2026, what adaptations (a) have actually been made, (b) were proposed as being prudent, necessary or advisable but were not made, and who made such a decision.
Answer
Answer expected on 25 August 2026
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 June 2026
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Current Status:
Answered by Stephen Gethins on 28 July 2026
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the development of the Scottish Marine Recovery Fund, including what steps remain to be completed before it becomes operational.
Answer
The Scottish Government continues to prioritise delivery of the Scottish Marine Recovery Fund (MRF) and is undertaking thorough due diligence to ensure the fund is lawfully constituted, financially sustainable, and operationally deliverable.
This includes working in partnership with the UK Government on the delegation of functions required for Scottish Ministers to operate and manage the Scottish MRF and developing the appropriate financial and operating models for the fund, building on high-level principles set out in the 2025 MRF consultation.
Development of an initial suite of strategic compensation measures for inclusion in the MRF is underway, drawing on reforms under the Habitat Regulations for offshore wind which came into force on 25 May 2026.
The fund will become operational once the necessary legislative, governance and delivery arrangements are in place and seed funding can be secured to develop and bank appropriate compensatory measures, which is required before compensatory measures can be made available to developments through the fund.
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 June 2026
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Current Status:
Answered by Stephen Gethins on 28 July 2026
To ask the Scottish Government what the current timeline is for finalising the Sectoral Marine Plan for Offshore Wind Energy, and what remaining steps must be completed before adoption.
Answer
The Updated Sectoral Marine Plan for Offshore Wind Energy is expected to be adopted in Summer 2026.
Significant progress has already been made since our consultation on the draft Plan last year, including completion of the Appropriate Assessment, consultation with Statutory Nature Conservation Bodies, and ongoing work to identify compensatory measures for seabird impacts.
The remaining work relates primarily to finalisation of the Plan and its associated impact assessments including Habitats Regulations Appraisal processes. These documents are currently being finalised and will be submitted for Ministerial consideration in the coming weeks. This includes consideration by UK Ministers.
Subject to Ministerial approval, the Plan will be adopted and all supporting documents will be published.
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 June 2026
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Current Status:
Answered by Stephen Gethins on 28 July 2026
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what progress has been made towards the delivery of its £500 million commitment to supporting Scotland's offshore wind supply chain, including a full breakdown of where funding has been allocated to date.
Answer
The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that the offshore wind opportunity for Scotland is realised, maximising economic growth and creating well-paid jobs in communities across Scotland.
Including the Scottish National Investment Bank's investment in the Port of Ardersier, more than £150 million has been invested in projects to strengthen port infrastructure and supply chain capability. This is leveraging up to £675 million in private investment and £70 million from UK public finance institutions into projects that have the potential to support up to 5,000 jobs.
A list of announced investments can be found on the Scottish Government website.
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 06 July 2026
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Current Status:
Answered by Stephen Gethins on 23 July 2026
To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the £10 million Scottish Heating Oil Support Scheme fund, how it will evaluate the effectiveness of the scheme, including what assessment it will make of whether eligible households had sufficient access to information on the (a) eligibility criteria and (b) application processes, and whether it will publish any lessons learned from the scheme.
Answer
The Scottish Emergency Heating Oil Scheme was announced and arrangements put into place in the lead up to the pre-election period of the Scottish Parliament Election of 7 May 2026.
The Scheme launched on 1 April and has been managed by Advice Direct Scotland (ADS). Details of the eligibility criteria and the application process have been made available on the ADS website since the launch of the Scheme. Additionally, ADS have utilised the heating oil and liquid petroleum gas supplier network and have contacted over 1,600 third sector organisations to raise awareness of the Scottish Emergency Heating Oil Scheme.
ADS are also assisting individuals with any queries that they may have on the Scheme or in making an application and I thank them for their on-going work.
Due to the pre-election period, the Scottish Government was limited in what could be done to promote the Scheme; we are now increasing awareness and will continue to use various channels to reach those households most in need.
My officials monitor the scheme on an on-going basis. As part of this, consideration is given to any adaptations that can be made.
The Scheme’s outcomes and performance will be assessed following its closure.
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 06 July 2026
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Current Status:
Answered by Stephen Gethins on 23 July 2026
To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the £10 million Scottish Heating Oil Support Scheme fund, where any unallocated funds are currently held and, if so, what it plans to do with such funds when the scheme closes in September 2026, including where they will be held subsequently.
Answer
The Scottish Emergency Heating Oil Scheme launched on 1 April, with up to £10 million being made available to ensure those households who are most vulnerable would receive support. This includes those households on means-tested benefits but also those in financial hardship and at risk of self-rationing fuel who have unavoidable heating needs.
Advice Direct Scotland (ADS) deliver the scheme on behalf of the Scottish Government. ADS draw-down funds when required to make payments to the eligible household’s chosen supplier. Within the terms of the grant, there is a claw-back option for any unspent funds.
The scheme is currently operational, with my officials providing advice regularly on performance, including current and projected spending, and on future operational requirements.
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 June 2026
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 21 July 2026
To ask the Scottish Government whether any Barnett consequential funding has arisen from the introduction of the Places of Worship Renewal Fund in England, which replaced the UK-wide Listed Places of Worship Scheme.
Answer
The Scottish Government has not identified any Barnett consequential funding specifically linked to the introduction of the Places of Worship Renewal Fund in England.
Under the Barnett formula, changes to the Scottish Government’s funding are calculated at the level of overall UK Government departmental spending, rather than individual programmes or schemes. UK Government ministers have confirmed that the funding for the Places of Worship Renewal Fund is included within the wider Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) settlement, and that Barnett consequentials are applied to the total departmental allocation rather than to specific funding lines.
Decisions on how to allocate funding received through the block grant are a matter for the Scottish Government, in line with devolved responsibilities.
The final decision to end the UK-wide scheme was also only confirmed to the Scottish Government after the 2026-27 Scottish Budget was set, further limiting Scottish Ministers' options. However, Ministers will continue to seek options.
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 June 2026
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Current Status:
Answered by Stephen Gethins on 21 July 2026
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any impact of further delays to the finalisation of the Sectoral Marine Plan for Offshore Wind Energy on consenting decisions for offshore wind projects that are currently at planning stage.
Answer
All consenting decisions are made on a case-by-case basis in line with the planning, consenting and assessment framework available at the time. No delays to individual project determinations have occurred because of the development timeline of the Updated Sectoral Marine Plan for Offshore Wind Energy, which remains on track for adoption in Summer 2026. Due to the conclusions of the plan-level Appropriate Assessment, adoption of the Updated Sectoral Marine Plan is contingent on UK Ministerial agreement.
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 June 2026
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Current Status:
Answered by Stephen Gethins on 20 July 2026
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it is working to support coexistence between the offshore wind and fisheries sectors.
Answer
The Scottish Government has an important role in managing Scotland’s marine space, ensuring the interests of all marine users are appropriately considered. We want to see a prosperous future for the offshore wind and fisheries sectors.
The Scottish Government participates in the Scottish Offshore Wind Energy Council (SOWEC) Barriers to Deployment Group, which brings together representatives from the offshore wind industry and fishing sector to discuss coexistence matters between the two sectors. Through this group, the Scottish Government is working with stakeholders to scope potential options to support coexistence, drawing on input from both sectors before reporting these options to Scottish Ministers for consideration.
Fishing interests also play an active role in both sectoral planning and project consenting processes, and developers are required to engage with fishers to agree appropriate fisheries mitigation, monitoring and communication as part of the consenting process.
This reflects the Scottish Government’s commitment to ensuring that offshore wind deployment is delivered sustainably while recognising the importance of Scotland’s fishing industry.
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 29 June 2026
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Current Status:
Answered by Stephen Gethins on 20 July 2026
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the November 2025 report by the Nuclear Regulatory Taskforce, Nuclear Regulatory Review 2025, and whether it plans to implement the recommendations in relation to devolved policy areas.
Answer
The UK Government’s Nuclear Regulatory Review specifically excluded devolved issues in Scotland and Wales in its consideration. Therefore, recommendations covering such matters are set out for England only.
The Scottish Government remains firmly opposed to new nuclear power stations in Scotland under current technologies and so recommendations regarding new nuclear energy will not be considered. Where there are recommendations about the wider management of existing nuclear sites concerning devolved areas of competence, we will consider the merits of any measures once we receive more detailed proposals from UK Government. Our focus remains on managing Scotland’s nuclear legacy in a way that protects people and the environment.
