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-23368

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, in relation to Peatland ACTION projects, for what reason the prior information notice (PIN) process is used rather than the contract notice and contract award notice process.

The Prior Information Notice (PIN) process is used to give advance notice of projects to the sector and then this is followed by the contract notice and contract award notice process. Publishing a PIN is not a mandatory requirement, but it can alert the market that there is an opportunity coming up within the next 12 months, allowing bidders to research and start to prepare your bid. It can also make it possible for the procurement officer to reduce the timescales needed to complete the procurement exercise.

Question reference: S6O-02883

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S6W-23172

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 4 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on when the ripening and spawning season for razor clams takes place in Scottish waters.

As part of the scientific trial on electrofishing for razor clams, the Scottish Government has collected biological information related to the species. This has included live samples of razor clams which have been analysed to determine sex, stage of maturity, spawning time and length-weight relationships.

Scottish Government has worked closely with fishers to identify spawning season through first-hand experience and knowledge gathered through fishing. Annual progress reports are published online: 2018-2019 , 2019-2020 , 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 ).

Question reference: S6W-23171

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 4 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to amend the current scientific trial regarding razor clams to include a closed season during their ripening and spawning season in Scottish waters.

Question reference: S6O-02856

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 November 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to accelerate new woodland creation in order to meet its targets.

Question reference: S6O-02826

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 November 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what funding it is providing for regeneration and economic renewal projects in the south of Scotland.

Question reference: S6O-02740

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 November 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the role that peatland plays in climate change mitigation and adaptation.

Question reference: S6W-22075

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 27 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 7 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any benefits of free-to-air terrestrial TV and radio services in supporting the physical and mental health and wellbeing of (a) people in rural communities, (b) older people and (c) people on low incomes in Scotland.

The Scottish Government is aware of the health and wellbeing impacts of access to broadcast services on particular demographics from our assessment of research conducted by Ofcom, such as their annual Media Nations reports, and through our engagement with stakeholders, including audiences in Scotland.

Their Media Nations 2023 report showed that almost a third of Scottish households only used television services delivered via aerial. [1] Research conducted by Ipsos Mori for Arqiva shows that these services are of particular importance to older people, people living in rural areas, and households from lower socio-economic backgrounds. [2] Due to Scotland’s demographics in terms of an ageing population, and numbers living in rural or island locations, this issue is therefore especially important in Scotland.

Ofcom’s report also shows the continued importance of broadcast services to Scottish audiences, who watch the most broadcast TV of all the UK nations. The report also notes that nearly nine in ten people in Scotland listen to the radio weekly, for an average of almost 19 hours.

[1] Media Nations: Scotland 2023 (ofcom.org.uk)

[2] The Future of Broadcast TV & Radio (arqiva.com)

Question reference: S6W-22074

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 27 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 7 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what representations it has made to Ofcom regarding the potential impact of any agreement to change spectrum allocations at the World Radiocommunication Conference 2023 (WRC-23) on the physical and mental health and wellbeing of (a) people in rural communities, (b) older people and (c) people on low incomes in Scotland.

The Scottish Government has not made specific representations to Ofcom in relation to the changes to spectrum allocations due to be discussed at the World Radiocommunication Conference 2023, or the impacts of those changes on particular groups. We understand that the UK Government, who lead on decision-making around broadcasting as it is a reserved issue, have directed Ofcom to represent the UK at WRC-23, and have expressed that their preference is for no change to international spectrum allocations. The Scottish Government understands that, if a different spectrum allocation is agreed at WRC-23, the UK would still have considerable freedom over how to use the spectrum going forward.

Question reference: S6W-22076

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 27 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 7 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding any potential impact on the health and wellbeing of people in Scotland, particularly people experiencing poverty, what its position is on the objectives of the Broadcast 2040+ campaign to guarantee the future of free-to-air terrestrial TV and radio services beyond the current licence period, which ends in 2034.

The Scottish Government is supportive of the view, set out in the Broadcast 2040+ Campaign, that audiences should continue to have access to the high-quality broadcast TV and radio services they rely on. In response to a letter from members of the Campaign, I wrote to arrange a meeting to hear more about the valuable work of the Campaign and will meet with them on 6 December. When that meeting takes place, I will ensure that the positive health and wellbeing impacts of access to broadcast television and radio are discussed.