- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Submitting member has a registered interest.
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Date lodged: Friday, 17 October 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Fairlie on 6 November 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on piloting a community-only deer management leasing scheme that prioritises residents with appropriate qualifications.
Answer
Forestry and Land Scotland is currently developing a community stalking, deer management national agreement which could be applied to pilot sites on Scotland’s National Forests and Land (SNFL). This is consequent to recent discussions between FLS and NatureScot to review the results of the NS community stalking project at Creag Meagaidh
FLS is also in the process of identifying suitable locations for potential pilot sites on SNFL.
The pilot sites will provide suitably qualified and motivated local individuals with opportunity to support FLS in the culling of deer to help protect tree crops, restore nature and to enhance biodiversity and climate resilience across the chosen locations.
- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 06 October 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 4 November 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether all school staff receive training in recognising anaphylaxis and administering adrenaline auto-injectors.
Answer
Schools must arrange specialist anaphylaxis training for staff where a pupil within the school has been diagnosed as being at risk of anaphylaxis. Where this happens, schools should ensure there are a reasonable number of designated members of staff available to provide sufficient coverage, including times when staff are on leave.
Any member of a school’s staff can volunteer to take on responsibilities for administering adrenaline to children or young people, although they cannot be compelled to do so. Where school staff do volunteer to administer epilepsy rescue medication to children and young people, they must be appropriately trained and they should have their epilepsy training refreshed at least every two years.
Information about treating anaphylaxis, and the use of adrenaline auto-injectors, in schools set out in our guidance on supporting children and young people with healthcare needs in schools. This information is available through the following web link: Supporting children and young people with healthcare needs in schools: guidance - gov.scot.
- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Submitting member has a registered interest.
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 October 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 3 November 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to update planning or consenting guidance to ensure that the impact on private water supplies are classed as a material consideration in planning applications under sections 36 and 37 of the Electricity Act 1989.
Answer
The Scottish Government processes section 36 and 37 applications in accordance with the relevant legislation and regulatory frameworks. Our Good Practice Guidance for developers, which is available to view on Scottish Government webpages, sets out procedures and advice for projects requiring an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). As part of the EIA process, developers are required to identify and assess any private water supplies in the vicinity of the proposed development that could potentially be affected by the works.
- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Submitting member has a registered interest.
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 October 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 3 November 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what measures are in place to protect private water supplies when determining applications for energy infrastructure developments under sections 36 and 37 of the Electricity Act 1989.
Answer
Applications are determined in line with the relevant legislation, including the Electricity Works (EIA)(Scotland) Regulations 2017, together with advice from consultees. These processes ensure that potential impacts on the environment, including on private water supplies, are fully considered. Scottish Ministers also impose conditions on the consent which are designed to control the development and ensure it is consistent with the application and the proposed mitigation measures outlined in the application and recommended by consultees.
- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Submitting member has a registered interest.
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Date lodged: Friday, 17 October 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 30 October 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what consideration Forestry and Land Scotland gave to alternative lease models, such as a community-only stalking lease, before introducing the policy of exclusive use of paid contractors for deer management.
Answer
FLS does not have a policy of exclusive use of paid contractors for deer management.
FLS currently achieves its annual deer cull via:-
- FLS Wildlife Rangers (x 50), delivering 24% of cull.
- Professional Culling Contractors (x 115), delivering 74% of cull.
- Recreational Stalkers (x 50), delivering 2% of cull.
This model was developed over several years and has helped FLS facilitate a 35% increase in its cull from 30,700 deer in 2015/16, to 41,500 deer in 2024/25.
Higher culls result in reductions in deer numbers and associated deer damage impacts.
Across SNFL there are currently 23 recreational deer leases and permissions covering 24,700 hectares.
- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Submitting member has a registered interest.
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Date lodged: Friday, 17 October 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 30 October 2025
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason Forestry and Land Scotland has reportedly ceased offering sporting leases to the public, and what evidence supports the reported claim that previous leaseholders failed to reduce deer numbers effectively.
Answer
Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) has evolved its current deer management model, that has increased the annual cull by 35% since 2015/16. This model—delivered through a combination of Wildlife Rangers, professional contractors, and recreational stalkers—has proven more effective in reducing deer impacts on Scotland’s national forests and land (SNFL), while supporting broader land management goals and protecting public investment.
Sporting leases, often lacked the flexibility and responsiveness needed to manage deer populations effectively, the current model allows year-round culling across varied terrain using specialist equipment. Professional Rangers and contractors ensure a targeted and efficient approach.
Additionally, increasing sporting leases would significantly raise the cost of sporting rates payable by FLS to local authorities along with the increased administrative burden, especially compared to more direct delivery models.
- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 September 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 24 October 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy, what (a) assessment it has made of the potential impact that increased nature restoration targets might have on domestic food production and (b) action it is taking to reduce Scotland’s reliance on food imports.
Answer
(a) The introduction of statutory nature restoration targets is key in delivering the vision of restoring and regenerating biodiversity in Scotland by 2045 as outlined in the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy. The Scottish Government is undertaking a 4-step process for the selection of nature restoration targets which includes engagement with expert groups using the best available scientific evidence and includes carrying out any necessary impact assessments. This process is being underpinned by stakeholder engagement with a range of stakeholders including land managers, farmers, ENGOs and other business. Any targets which are set much be adaptable to the unpredictability of ecological responses and climate impacts.
Within the Biodiversity Delivery Plan Biodiversity: delivery plan 2024 to 2030 - gov.scot it outlines the importance of the Vision for Scottish Agriculture for delivering the 2045 ambition and to transform how we support farming and food production in Scotland to become a global leader in sustainable and regenerative agriculture. The Delivery Plan includes actions which will be incorporated into the new agricultural support system to help farmers and crofters transition to practice generating substantial regeneration in biodiversity, ecosystem and soil health and significantly reduce carbon emissions while sustaining high quality food production.
(b) Scotland’s food and farming sectors have a critical role to play in Scotland’s food security, producing food for consumption in Scotland, and increasing our economic resilience through exports of food and drink worth £8 billion in March 2025. Our strong trade relationships are also vital. Our imports ensure the availability of a wide choice of food throughout the year and so we are not reliant on any one country of origin.
High quality food and sustainable production chains are an outcome of the Vision for Agriculture. The Proposed Good Food Nation Plan has outcomes which reflect both the need for Scotland’s food system to be sustainable and contribute to a flourishing natural environment and be food secure and food resilient. A suite of indicators for the Plan were published and can be viewed at: Proposed National Good Food Nation Plan - gov.scot.
- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 October 2025
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 30 October 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with NHS boards regarding their winter resilience plans.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 30 October 2025
- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 October 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 21 October 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-40202 by Neil Gray on 25 September 2025, how long it gave NHS boards to submit bids for the newly announced recurrent funding for specialist support for long COVID, myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome and other similar conditions.
Answer
NHS boards were contacted on 10 January 2025 inviting feedback by 22 January on activities which could be delivered and supported by single-year funding of £4.5 million allocated on a non-recurring basis in the financial year 2025-26. A further opportunity to provide feedback was provided on 29 January with feedback invited by 4 February.
To enable a case for multi-year funding to be considered, on 2 May NHS boards were requested to provide by 16 May an indicative multi-year proposal covering the financial years 2025-26, 2026-27 and 2027-28. Responses beyond this date were accommodated in instances where NHS boards indicated that additional time was required.
On 6 August NHS boards were requested to provide finalised versions of the indicative proposals supplied in May. Boards were provided with the option of two deadlines for returns, 18 August and 11 September.
The Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care wrote to NHS Board Chief Executives on 18 September to confirm that NHS boards’ shares of the available 2025-26 funding would be allocated in full on a recurring basis. These shares were reflected in NHS boards’ allocation schedules for September 2025.
- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 September 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 14 October 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of recent reports of a 5.1% rise in food and drink prices in the year to August 2025, what its position is on whether Scotland is facing a cost of food crisis, and what action it can take to address food affordability.
Answer
The Scottish Government recognises the particular impact of food price inflation on low-income households in Scotland who are already grappling with cost-of-living pressures and are disproportionately affected by rising food prices. That is why the 2025-26 budget continues to allocate over £3 billion a year to policies which tackle poverty and the cost of living, including offering free school meals to all pupils in P1 to 5 and in special schools, saving families taking those meals around £450 per year per child. The Scottish Government is investing around £6.9 billion in our social security system this year, almost £1.3 billion more than the UK Government gives to the Scottish Government for Social Security. This includes investment of £649 million in our package of benefits and payments only available in Scotland. All action putting more money in people’s pockets to be able to afford the essentials, including food.
There are a range of global and domestic factors driving food price inflation and whilst the Scottish Government is seeking to support households and local food suppliers in Scotland, there are a number of challenges that lie specifically with the UK Government. Indeed, the Bank of England cite factors such as regulatory changes and rising labour costs, which have been exacerbated by the UK Government’s increase to Employer National Insurance Contributions in autumn last year, as creating an additional financial burden on businesses, households, and the public sector. While many of the levers to address these challenges lie with the UK Government and could be managed more effectively in an independent Scotland, the Scottish Government remains committed in the meantime to using the powers available to us to support people across our nation with the cost of living pressures.
