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-36956

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 1 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has carried out of the suitability and availability of aircraft and helicopter support for wildfire incidents in the Highlands and Islands, in light of the reported frequency and scale of such events.

The allocation of resources within the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) is an operational matter for the Chief Fire Officer and SFRS Board. There is a Public Sector Framework contract in place for the provision of suitable helicopter services (including for the use of firefighting). This framework was constructed on the basis of estimated levels of use by the various Public Bodies who utilise this contract (including NatureScot, Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) and SFRS).

Forestry and Land Scotland routinely work with SFRS during wildfire incidents, strategically placing available aircraft and / or helicopter support in the right locations at the right times during wildfire incidents across Scotland. The call-out process, as defined within the framework contract, is followed when helicopter support is required by SFRS and / or FLS.

The Chief Fire Officer has provided assurances to the Scottish Government that fire fighter safety is an absolute priority and that all equipment in place is safe. SFRS remains fully ready and able to respond to any instance of wildfire that occurs across Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-36954

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 1 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to introducing a specific retention package for retained firefighters in remote and island areas.

Recruitment and retention of Wholetime and On Call firefighters is a matter for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) Chief Fire Officer and Board.

Terms and Conditions and pay of all firefighters are negotiated on a UK wide basis under a well-established collective bargaining process. Through this process there is a new nationally agreed pay banding system which offers far more flexibility in the contracts SFRS can offer to Retained Firefighters which SFRS hope will allow people who may not previously have been able to provide the requisite commitment to contribute to protecting their communities whilst maintaining a better work/life balance.

Question reference: S6W-36960

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 1 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what the average cost to the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service was of dealing with each wildfire incident in each of the last 10 years.

Question reference: S6W-36961

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 1 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what the average time spent by each fire station was in each of the last 10 years in engaging with stakeholders on reducing the risk of wildfires.

Question reference: S6W-36947

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 1 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what additional funding it has allocated to the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service in the Highlands and Islands to enhance its capacity to respond to wildfires.

The allocation of resources within the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) is an operational matter for the Chief Fire Officer and SFRS Board. Scottish Government has not allocated funding to SFRS for the specific purpose of tackling wildfires, the £422.2 million budget is allocated to support the whole range of SFRS functions.

The budget for 2025-26 provides SFRS with an additional £18.8 million in support of front line services.

Scottish Government is supportive of the SFRS Wildfire Strategy which was launched in 2023 and is supported by a planned spend of around £1.6 million over the course of three years. SFRS responds to wildfires using a tiered system of fire stations which include the latest technology and techniques to safely bring any incident to a conclusion.

SFRS remains ready and able to respond to any instance of wildfire that occurs across Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-36950

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 1 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has undertaken, or is carrying out, on the current recruitment and retention levels of retained firefighters in the Highlands and Islands.

Recruitment and retention of Wholetime and On Call firefighters is a matter for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) Chief Fire Officer and Board.

In common with other fire and rescue services both across the UK and internationally there are recognised challenges to the recruitment and retention of firefighters in rural areas. Scottish Government is supportive of the work that SFRS is doing to enable recruitment in these areas.

SFRS continues to recruit all year round and actively recruit for on call firefighters across local areas by holding community open days and events. Within many areas across Scotland, SFRS has targeted recruitment campaigns on a variety of platforms and many of these highlight the local people who are already helping their community.

Question reference: S6O-04625

Asked by: Stephanie Callaghan, MSP for Uddingston and Bellshill, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 April 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when it last engaged with the UK Government, transmission operators and the National Energy System Operator, to explore the possibility of reviewing the Transmission Impact Assessment, in light of reports that this limits Scotland's solar energy development.

Question reference: S6O-04626

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 April 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the First Minister's recent comments regarding the mothballing of nurseries, what systems are in place to ensure local authorities comply with national guidance.

Question reference: S6O-04630

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 April 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its plans to introduce a cruise ship levy, including the option for local authorities to apply a "point of entry" levy.

Question reference: S6O-04629

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 April 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Scottish Funding Council's College Indicative Funding Allocations 2025-26 and any impact this may have on the funding settlement for Fife College.