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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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

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Question reference: S6W-15189

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 17 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 16 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason its National Rail Conversation does not seek the views of people in Scotland regarding the passenger rail services provided by West Coast Railways, in light of the reported views of local communities that are keen to see the company deliver a service that is run for the benefit of local residents as well as visitors.

The Scottish Government’s National Rail Conversation is focussed on the publicly owned railway, therefore concerns the provision of services by ScotRail. The National Rail Conversation will engage the views of rail users, regional transport partnerships, rail unions, local authorities, equalities groups, businesses, emergency services and rail industry organisations – as well as non-rail users – for their input in to the vision for rail services in Scotland. The Conversation will listen to feedback from passengers and stakeholders and shape a vision for ScotRail which best meets the needs of the people of Scotland.

Charter train operators such as West Coast Railways will be invited to provide input and insight as part of the wider stakeholder engagement process but are not within the scope of the Conversation itself.

Question reference: S6O-02041

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 March 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it is ensuring that legal aid funding is easily available to tenants in order to defend eviction proceedings.

Question reference: S6F-01913

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 March 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 March 2023

To ask the First Minister, ahead of the publication of the next report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change next week, what the Scottish Government is doing to ensure that Scotland plays a leading role in tackling the global climate emergency.

Question reference: S6O-02013

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 March 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made on delivering the Bute House Agreement commitment to ensure that community housing trusts are adequately funded so that they can support the delivery of enhanced rural home building plans.

Question reference: S6W-14761

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 8 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what action it plans to take to reduce the potential risk of future high pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI) transmission from released pheasants to (a) wild birds of prey, (b) waterfowl, (c) corvids and (d) gulls, which were assessed as “high” or “very high risk” in the Risk Assessment on the spread of High Pathogenicity Avian Influenza (HPAI) to wild birds from released, formerly captive gamebirds in Great Britain, which was published by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in December 2022.

As set out in my response to S6W-14760 on 24 February 2023, the Scottish Government is examining the risk assessment conclusion in detail, given the serious impact of HPAI (High Pathogenicity Avian Influenza) on wild and kept birds. We will monitor risk levels and carefully consider our response over coming months.

When gamebirds are kept in captivity, they are subject to the same legislation as any other bird species in that there is a legal requirement to report suspicion of notifiable avian disease. The release of game birds is also prohibited within an avian influenza protection zone and surveillance zone.

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-14880

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 7 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether the shooting of native woodcock is regulated through a licensing scheme.

Question reference: S6W-14881

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 7 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is considering introducing further restrictions on the shooting of native woodcock, in light of the reported decline in European woodcock populations over the last 10 years, current pressures from bird flu and the unusually cold winter.

The Scottish Government understands concerns over the decline of European woodcock populations. At present, all woodcock in Scotland are classed as a quarry species and as such are listed on Schedule 2 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, which determines the species that can be killed or taken.

As set out in my response to PQ S6W-14320, NatureScot are currently carrying out a review of Schedule 2 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Once the review has been completed, they will provide a report to the Scottish Government for Ministers to consider whether any changes to the Schedule are required.

Question reference: S6W-15426

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Elena Whitham on 7 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of all rural wildfires attended by Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) in the last five years have been officially investigated by the SFRS to determine the cause, and where any such investigation reports are published.

Question reference: S6W-14755

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 7 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many non-native gamebirds are released in Scotland each year.

Question reference: S6W-14756

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 7 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of released non-native gamebirds are from captive bird operations that are registered with the Animal and Plant Health Agency.