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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-22503

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 27 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 7 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is considering steps to reduce recreational fishing for (a) wild salmon and (b) trout, in light of the species’ reported decline.

The Scottish Government is not considering steps to reduce recreational fishing for salmon or trout in Scotland.

Recreational fisheries for salmon and trout are regulated by a body of legislation that determines where and when fishing can take place, by what method and whether any fish caught can be retained or must be returned to the water.

The Conservation of Salmon (Scotland) Regulations 2016 prohibit the retention of salmon caught in coastal waters and specified inland waters. The regulations are amended annually to take account of the latest assessment of the conservation status of salmon.

As a result of statutory and voluntary measures, the practice of catch and release has increased in recent years. In 2022, catch and release accounted for 97% of the total rod catch of salmon and 91% of the total rod catch of sea trout.

Question reference: S6W-22572

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by George Adam on 7 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to press the Scottish Information Commissioner to issue a decision on a complaint (Case ID: 202200650) about the non-disclosure by SEPA of environmental information relating to salmon farming, which was requested on 12 January 2022.

Question reference: S6W-22222

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 13 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 26 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when local authorities will receive an update on any new responsibilities and obligations on local government arising from the national Good Food Nation plan.

The Good Food Nation (Scotland) Act 2022 ("the Act") requires Scottish Ministers, local authorities, and health boards to publish Good Food Nation Plans. Local authorities will be encouraged to share their views on the national Plan during the forthcoming consultation. Following the consultation process, the proposed national Plan will be laid before the Scottish Parliament. Local authority and health board Plans will be published after the national Plan, as they must have regard to the content of the national Plan in the preparation of their own Plans. The Scottish Government recognises the importance of engaging with local authorities during the development and delivery of the Good Food Nation Plans. Officials have regular meetings with COSLA to provide progress updates on the national Plan and to discuss the duties on local government arising from the Act. The Scottish Government will continue to engage with local authorities and COSLA throughout the Good Food Nation work.

Question reference: S6O-02623

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 October 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what financial support is available to cultural organisations that are operating in rural areas.

Question reference: S6W-21757

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 18 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what assistance it can offer to car sharing organisations that work to support the National Transport Strategy aim to promote car and ride sharing in preference to single occupancy car use, in light of reports that such work is being undermined by insurance premiums increasing by more than 100% in a single year.

Transport Scotland provide funding sources, such as the Smarter Choices Smarter Places Open Fund, to encourage people to change their behaviours to drive less and to walk or cycle as part of their everyday short journeys or to use public transport for longer journeys for which shared transport projects, including those supporting car clubs, are eligible.

The cost of motoring through vehicle excise duty, fuel duty and motor insurance is subject to legislation fully reserved to the UK Government.

Question reference: S6W-22269

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S6W-21850

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 9 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what steps have been taken to ensure that any electric vehicle (EV) chargers installed at Scottish Government agency locations across Scotland are made available for the wider public through the ChargePlace Scotland system, as is the case with the SEPA EV chargers in Elgin.

Electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure is owned by many different executive agencies and other public bodies (such as SEPA) which are funded by the Scottish Government, as well as a small proportion owned by the Scottish Government directly. Each individual organisation is responsible for managing their own charge point assets and for making decisions about whether they should be designated for staff, visitors and/or fleet vehicle usage or for general public access. Not all charge point sites are suitable for general public access, for example those in secure staff car parks or in fleet vehicle depots.

There are no plans to centralise the management of EV charging infrastructure across all Scottish Government agencies or public bodies.

Since 2011, the Scottish Government has provided £65 million to support the installation of over 2,600 public charge points across Scotland, making it one of the largest and most comprehensive public EV charging networks in the UK. The Scottish Government’s Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Fund aims to provide a further £60 million of public and private sector investment to increase the number of public charge points to 6,000 by 2026.

Question reference: S6W-21561

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 4 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance and support can be given to local authorities to enable more communities to run Play Street events, including through simplifying the process of applying for temporary traffic regulation orders, designing traffic management schemes, loaning signs and cones to organising groups and enabling group stewards to be suitably trained to safely put out and collect road signs on the day of the event.

Local authorities are responsible under the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 for the management and maintenance of local roads within their areas. Where necessary, this includes restricting local roads for events such as Play Streets. In certain circumstances Scottish Ministers consent is required to make a temporary traffic regulation order that closes or restricts a road for a special event.

A number of Play Street events are already undertaken in Scotland with great success utilising the powers that local authorities already have. Glasgow City Council’s Street Play initiative for example allows communities to close local streets free of charge. Given that local authorities are best placed to know their streets, the Scottish Government has no current plans to issue further guidance on this matter.

Question reference: S6W-21614

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 3 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide an update on phase 3 of the Learning Estate Investment Programme, and in relation to how it can work with local authorities to deliver any necessary improvements to the school estate.

I understand that local authorities are keen to get clarity on Phase 3 of the Learning Estate Investment Programme (LEIP). We wrote to councils to explain that consideration of potential Phase 3 projects was still ongoing.

It is important to recognise that we are trying to make these important investment decisions against a backdrop of market volatility on current projects, which has meant that we have agreed to provide an 11% adjustment to 20 Phase 1 and 2 projects, and this was communicated to local authorities on 3 August. The incidences of RAAC in a small number of our schools is also a factor we are taking into consideration.

These are big decisions, it is important that we get them right, and I have committed to updating the Parliament by the end of October.

LEIP is an important part of our investment in education provision and will build on this government’s proud record in improving our school estate, which has saw the number of schools in Scotland in good or satisfactory condition rise from 61% in 2007 to 90.7% today.

Question reference: S6W-21321

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 18 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 2 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is considering a Norwegian-style system where vessels would be required to report the coordinates of lost fishing gear when such a loss occurs, if it occurs in the offshore region outwith the 12 nautical mile limit, so that the gear could be recovered during an annual summer “clean up” organised by its Marine Directorate.

Lorna Slater: The Scottish Government is not considering a Norwegian-style system of funding and running an annual clean-up of fishing gear reported as lost. Scottish vessels are required to carry retrieval equipment aboard unless working exclusively within 12 nautical miles or never more than 24 hours at sea. Vessels must attempt to retrieve lost gear in a timely manner if it is safe to do so. Any gear that remains lost must be reported to the UK Fisheries Monitoring Centre. Fishing licence holders have been reminded of these responsibilities with a fact sheet from fishery offices.