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-24253

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 22 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 15 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what role local authorities will have in relation to the regulation of seaweed aquaculture in their area.

Local authorities are a non-statutory consultee to the marine licence application determination process. This allows the local authority to make representations on any marine licence application for a proposed seaweed farm.

The exception is in the case of Marine Planning Partnerships, who are statutory consultees to marine licence applications. A Local Authority may form the whole, or part of a Marine Planning Partnership as per section 12(2) of the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010. Sole delegates are possible, and Orkney Islands Council is the sole delegate for regional marine planning in the Scottish marine region for the Orkney Islands. Local authorities are not therefore statutory consultees but may be consulted in their remit as part of a marine planning partnership (where applicable).

Question reference: S6W-24255

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 22 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 15 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when it will require NatureScot to publish a guidance document on seaweed cultivation.

NatureScot advise on marine environmental impacts of proposed seaweed farms in relation to protected features and have best practice advice included in their responses. These responses are written on a case-by case basis.

The Scottish Government’s Vision for Sustainable Aquaculture , published in July 2023, sets out our long-term aspirations for the finfish, shellfish and seaweed farming sectors to ensure that development happens in the right places, underpinned by an effective and efficient regulatory framework informed by the best available evidence.

The Scottish Government published the Seaweed Cultivation Policy Statement in 2017 to help facilitate the growth of the sector by setting out policy on the suitability of seaweed cultivation in different scenarios. This provides those wanting to operate in this sector with a better understanding of the type of development that may be given approval.

Question reference: S6O-02984

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S6O-02931

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 December 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how much it spent on the UCI World Cycling Championships in Glasgow in 2023.

Question reference: S6W-23367

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 04 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 18 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what the eligibility criteria are for slurry storage grants under the new Agri-Environment Climate Scheme, which is due to open in early 2024, in light of reports that if a holding or farm has been in receipt of a grant in the past then it is ineligible.

Question reference: S6O-02918

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 December 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the small business minister has had with ministerial colleagues regarding an assessment of the total number of self-catering properties in Scotland since the introduction of its short-term let licensing scheme.

Question reference: S6W-23467

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 12 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made to identify an alternative to using Asulox as a method of bracken control.

A number of alternative methods of control are available to aid bracken management depending on the intended outcome of a control strategy and the challenges that could be encountered.

The Scottish Government will continue to support stakeholders by working with NatureScot to progress priorities that were identified at the stakeholder roundtable in August. These include delivery of best practice guidance, to be in place for June 2024, and development of a bracken framework which will help land managers consider where bracken control is needed, how it could be undertaken and the intensity of any control.

The Scottish Government takes the use of chemicals very seriously. Pesticide products are only authorised where data demonstrates that the proposed use will not have unacceptable effects on human health or the environment.

Question reference: S6W-23372

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 11 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what criteria Peatland ACTION uses to vet the design of peatland restoration plans.

Question reference: S6W-23369

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 11 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of NatureScot's budget attributed to peatland restoration is delivered via Peatland ACTION projects.

Question reference: S6W-23373

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 11 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what criteria Peatland ACTION uses for selecting contractors in relation to peatland restoration.