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-33368

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 17 January 2025
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 28 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether the priority to "provide complementary governance of new entrant support provided by the Scottish Government [including for the] Scottish Land Matching Service, Next Generation Practical Training Fund, Machinery Ring Pre-apprenticeship Programme and emerging New Entrants Support" as set out by the permanent members of its Farming Opportunities for New Entrants (FONE) group for 2024-25 has been achieved and, if so, by what method.

Yes. FONE has provided considerable and ongoing governance support to each of these Scottish Government funded programmes. FONE group members discuss the SLMS’ progress against its objectives and highlight opportunities for succession that are relevant to the service. It scrutinises progress made against the Scottish Government’s initiative to relaunch the Next Generation Practical Training Fund and takes a similar approach regarding the Land-Based Pre-Apprenticeship Programme. The FONE group is actively considering what further new entrant and next generation support the Scottish Government could consider in the future.

Question reference: S6W-33381

Asked by: Sue Webber, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 17 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 28 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans any upgrades to the A1 in Scotland before May 2026 and, if so, what impact the decision by the UK Government to cancel the dualling of the road between Morpeth and Ellingham might have on these plans.

The recommendations set out in the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2), published in December 2022, guide long term investment in Scotland’s strategic transport network.

The evidenced led appraisal that supported STPR2 did not recommend any major road upgrades for the A1. It did, however, make provision for investment to ensure that Scotland’s trunk road network remains safe (Recommendation 30), adapted to deal with the impacts of climate change (Recommendation 31) and resilient (Recommendation 32).

The UK Government’s cancellation of the A1 Morpeth to Ellingham scheme following their autumn budget in October 2024 is anticipated to have no impact on Scottish Government plans for the A1. Last financial year (2023/24), the Scottish Government invested £10,613,185 to ensure the continued safe and efficient operation of the A1 north of the border.

Question reference: S6W-33369

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 17 January 2025
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 28 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether the priority to "advocate the importance and prominence of new entrants in the sector [including] ensuring new entrants’ and the next generations’ interests are represented in future governmental and non-governmental policy" as set out by the council members of its Farming Opportunities for New Entrants (FONE) group for 2024-25 has been achieved and, if so, by what method.

The FONE is a collaborative group dedicated to supporting agricultural new entrants and the next generation of Scottish farmers and crofters. Each of the members looks to ensure that their organisation is giving due consideration to new entrant opportunities and further support they can provide.

The group’s success can be evidenced by the 8,272 hectares of land that have been made available to new entrants since 2016. This represents a combined effort from public bodies to maximise new entrant opportunities on public land.

Question reference: S6W-33371

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 17 January 2025
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 28 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether the priority to "work with stakeholders to develop a consistent narrative of what is possible in terms of making best use of crofts and attracting new entrants" as set out by the council members of its Farming Opportunities for New Entrants (FONE) group for 2024-25 has been achieved and, if so, by what method.

Question reference: S6W-33359

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 28 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has received any reports of underspend in Whole Family Wellbeing Fund allocations, and, if so, how much this has amounted to in each financial year that the fund has operated.

In line with other reporting from programmes funded via the General Revenue Grant, we do not routinely gather detail on the totality of Children’s Services Planning Partnerships spend, instead focusing on the activities they are delivering, outcomes achieved, and resources allocated to each activity. However, to help understand future funding needs we did gather some limited data from CSPPs regarding their spending plans.

The following table collates information from the 29 CSPP areas who responded.

	Year 1 – 22-23	Year 2 – 23-24
Spend	£5.2m	£16.5m
Allocated funding (29 CSPPs)	£25.5m	£25.5m

It was anticipated that CSPPs may not spend their full allocations in the early years of the Programme, as CSPPs were encouraged to assess their current delivery of family support and develop plans accordingly. Wider factors will also have influenced spend, such as year 1 funding being announced mid-year; recruitment challenges which have hindered spend; and proactive multi-year profiling of allocations by individual CSPPs to support their local planning and delivery.

CSPPs are permitted to carry over underspend into the subsequent year, and WFWF allocations must be spent in line with criteria which provides flexibility whilst protecting the objectives and outcomes of the funding.

Our evaluation of Year 1 of the WFWF has shown that CSPPs are finding the funding beneficial, and that our approach to the funding has afforded them the autonomy and flexibility needed to tailor their family support activities to local needs.

A breakdown of Whole Family Wellbeing Funding can be found in the answer to question S6W-29612 on 17 September 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

Question reference: S6W-33501

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 17 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 28 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what professional memberships are held by (a) it and (b) each of its departments and directorates, broken down by organisation.

Question reference: S6W-33470

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 17 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 28 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to divest from buildings with poor energy efficiency ratings and relocate to more energy-efficient premises.

The Scottish Government estate is always under review to allow us to plan for accessible, modern and secure, energy efficient buildings to meet our changing needs and net zero ambitions, as well as to ensure best value for taxpayers’ money.

Estate decisions are informed by key estate data, for example the condition, usage, carbon emissions, accessibility and capacity. We prioritise funding towards ensuring our buildings are fit-for-purpose, inclusive and accessible for all staff and stakeholders and contribute to our net zero ambitions.

Question reference: S6W-33504

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 17 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 28 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to renew or change its professional memberships as part of its organisational strategy.

The Scottish Government has adopted a professions model. All our jobs are now aligned to profession and related job family and job type. We are starting to apply related expectations into how we design jobs and recruit people for jobs. For some professions and job types this will include professional membership and accreditation requirements that either need to be achieved on entry or once in the job - e.g. Finance, Procurement. For a few professions, professional memberships are mandatory to be able to practice - e.g. Law. Our Heads of Profession oversee these expectations and standards.

Question reference: S6W-33391

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 17 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 28 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered introducing an avian influenza prevention zone, in light of the reported outbreak of avian influenza in Kingoldrum.

A Scotland wide Avian Influenza Prevention Zone was introduced covering the whole of Scotland at 12:00 hrs on 25 January 2025. The Scottish Government takes account of information provided though surveillance and the latest advice from a broad range of relevant experts and is ready to respond immediately and appropriately to any change in risk from avian influenza that may impact Scottish bird keepers.

Question reference: S6W-34323

Asked by: Emma Roddick, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 January 2025
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Jim Fairlie on 28 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to bring forward legislation to change the close season for female deer.

The Scottish Government consultation “Managing deer for Climate and Nature” proposed implementing the recommendation from the independent Deer Working Group’s report of January 2020, to make changes to the close season for female deer. These changes may be made by order under the Deer (Scotland) Act 1996. However, following consultation with stakeholders, I have concluded that, in most cases, the cull levels required to reduce the overall deer population to support nature and climate objectives can be achieved within existing deer seasons. Where it is necessary to cull outwith existing seasons, there will continue to be the ability to apply to NatureScot for authorisations. In coming to this decision, I have taken careful note of the potential distress caused to many stalkers by being required routinely to shoot heavily pregnant female deer and I have decided against any wider change to the timings of the female close season.