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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-18168

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 22 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 6 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what (a) total area in km2 and (b) percentage of the continental shelf area adjacent to Scotland, as designated in the Continental Shelf (Designation of Areas) Order 2013, is covered by the Marine Protected Area network, after all overlapping designations have been taken into account.

The total area of the Marine Protected Area network designated in the Scottish continental shelf area adjacent to Scotland, as designated in the Continental Shelf (Designation of Areas) Order 2013 is (a) 228,118 square kilometres and (b) 37%.

These figures take into account all overlapping designations and capture:

Special Areas of Conservation
Special Protection Areas
Nature Conservation Marine Protected Areas
Ramsar sites for wetlands of international importance.
Sites of Special Scientific Interest.

These figures do not include Historic Marine Protected Areas, Other Area Based Measures, or the Demonstration and Research Marine Protected Area.

Question reference: S6F-02180

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 May 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 June 2023

To ask the First Minister what priority the Scottish Government gives to protecting Scotland's environment.

Question reference: S6O-02294

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 May 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 31 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the letter from the Scottish Creel Fishermen's Federation, offering to assist with progressing fisheries management issues, including Highly Protected Marine Areas.

Question reference: S6W-18244

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 May 2023
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 19 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will be implementing management measures for the sandeel fishery in Scottish waters for the protection of the marine environment.

We recognise that biologically diverse seas and healthy, functioning marine ecosystems are vital to underpin a wide variety of marine industries and interests. It is important that we manage our marine environment in such a way as to ensure sustainable use, allowing future generations to enjoy and benefit from a healthy resource. Therefore, I am pleased to announce that we will be undertaking a public consultation on potential measures to manage fishing for sandeel in Scottish waters, bearing in mind our environmental protection objectives.

Sandeels aid the long-term sustainability and resilience of the marine ecosystem and are an important food source for many species, including marine mammals, seabirds and predatory fish.

Measures to restrict fishing for sandeels in Scottish waters could also deliver benefits to seabirds which have been impacted by Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza as well as providing greater resilience to seabird populations, some of which have faced declines in recent decades.

Launching in summer 2023, this consultation will seek the public’s views on potential measures for the sandeel fishery in Scottish waters, to help achieve the Scottish Government’s vision for clean, healthy, safe, productive and diverse seas which are managed to meet the long term needs of nature and people. This consultation will also seek the public’s views on a number of key documents including environmental and business regulatory impact assessments.

This consultation aligns with the overarching Scottish Government position, which is reflected in Scotland’s Fisheries Management Strategy, not to support fishing for sandeel in our waters. For this reason, sandeel quota has not been allocated to UK vessels since 2021.

Question reference: S6O-02268

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 May 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the STUC's proposals for a local wealth tax.

Question reference: S6W-17547

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 15 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of Scotland’s sea beds have been degraded by human activities, including fishing, and what economic impact it anticipates Highly Protected Marine Areas could have on coastal communities, including fishing businesses.

Human activities have had a considerable impact in Scotland’s seas. Of the 21 marine regions reported in the Scottish Marine Assessment 2020 , where physical disturbance was assessed, 18 were predicted to have more than 15% of their area classified as highly disturbed and are considered to be in “poor condition”.

Our proposals to introduce Highly Protected Marine Areas (HPMAs) are intended to contribute to addressing this situation and improving the state of our sea bed across Scotland’s seas. However, enhanced marine protection is about more than tackling biodiversity loss and climate change – it is also about delivering societal benefits which must include benefits for coastal and island communities.

We are proposing that HPMAs protect ecosystems and the services they provide, including essential fish and shellfish habitats, which will deliver societal benefits, including for island and coastal communities. By being properly designed and located we believe these areas would provide long term and sustainable benefits for island and coastal communities.

Scientific studies indicate that fish stocks can increase in HPMAs, providing spill over benefits for fishers and making sure there are sustainable levels of fish and other marine products to be derived and benefitted from our seas. For example, a study by Lenihan et al in California has shown spill over benefits with increased stocks of spiny lobster.

We have conducted a range of initial impact assessments, including an initial Sustainability Appraisal (composed of a Strategic Environmental Report and a Socio-Economic Impact Assessment); a partial Island Communities Impact Assessment (ICIA) Screening Report; and a partial Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment (BRIA). We sought views on these as part of our initial consultation, which closed on 17 April. However, as was noted in the consultation, any specific potential impacts can only be considered in full once specific site proposals have been developed, following close stakeholder and community engagement.

Question reference: S6W-17598

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 12 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many tonnes of (a) lumpfish and (b) wrasse were output from hatcheries in Scotland in the last five years or for the latest years for which data is available, and what information it holds on how this compares with equivalent data for England and Wales.

Question reference: S6O-02236

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 May 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Police Scotland regarding any changes to the policing of protests.

Question reference: S6W-17246

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 4 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what the current level of woodland cover is on agricultural land.

The June 2021 Scottish Agricultural Census identified Scotland to have an agricultural land area of 5.64 million hectares. Scotland has created over 83,500 hectares of new woodland in the last ten years. For illustration purposes, if all of this had hypothetically been planted on agricultural land it would equate to 1.5% of the total agricultural land holding in Scotland.

Analysis of the Forestry Grant Scheme shows the applications for small woodland grants since 2015 covers 6,839 hectares, which equates to 0.1% of all agricultural land. Over the same period some 1,100 hectares of woodland creation has been on prime agricultural land, which represents 0.2% of total prime agricultural land.

Question reference: S6W-17325

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 4 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, with reference to its consultation on A New Deal for Tenants, what work it has done with animal welfare charities to promote the benefits of pet-friendly properties to landlords.

We recognise the health and wellbeing benefits having a pet can bring and our New Deal for Tenants sought views on proposals to give tenants greater rights to keep a pet.

Scottish Government officials engaged with Battersea Dogs & Cats Home to discuss their Pet Friendly Properties report and how these recommendations could work with tenants, landlords and pets. Officials also engaged with Cats Protection regarding their Purrfect Landlords campaign and to consider ways to encourage more landlords to allow pets in their properties.

We are currently considering responses to the consultation as we develop proposals for future reform and will continue to liaise with all stakeholders during this process.