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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-36153

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 March 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 24 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the comments made by Jim Watson, Head of Domestic Fisheries Management at the Marine Directorate, to the Rural Affairs and Islands Committee on 5 February 2025, that "in the mid-1990s, around 38% of our key stocks were being fished at sustainable levels and, by 2022-23, that had risen to 70%", what the full list of key stocks considered were (a) in the mid-1990s and (b) by 2022-23, and which of those were being fished at sustainable levels in both periods.

Question reference: S6W-35717

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 17 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 27 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when it will begin its process to recruit a new chair of Highlands and Islands Enterprise, and whether it will publish details of this.

The process to appoint the new chair of the Highlands and Islands Enterprise agency, began on 4 March, when I received Alistair Dodds' letter, confirming his retirement.

Once the selection panel's appointment plan has been approved, the vacancy will be published online at Public appointments - Scottish Government Jobs. There will also be an extensive outreach programme to ensure we attract a strong field of applicants.

The appointment process will follow the Ethical Standards Commissioner’s Code of Practice for Ministerial Appointments to Public Bodies in Scotland. Once the process is complete, the appointment decision will also be published, in line with this Code.

Question reference: S6T-02447

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 24 March 2025
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers that the reported £203 million it spent on external advisers to help administer agricultural support payments to be good value for money.

Question reference: S6W-35691

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 14 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 21 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-35132 by Ivan McKee on 27 February 2025, for what reason it only carried out a partial island communities impact assessment (ICIA), instead of a full ICIA, for the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Bill prior to the Parliament's consideration of the Bill at stage 1, in light of the assessment in the partial ICIA published in May 2023, which noted that "the geographical remoteness of islands can generate a number of particular challenges".

Further to the explanation in the ICIA, the basis of the charge being a percentage, it would not be expected to have a significantly different effect on island based tourism businesses to those based on the mainland, Nevertheless, the ICIA does include observations and concerns around issues including the prevalence of smaller hospitality businesses on islands, the high numbers of day visitors, the existing costs of transport to islands, and that islands and island residents have a particular reliance on using overnight accommodation when people travel to and from the mainland because of the need to build in consideration for potential ferry disruption.

I would add that, local authorities have an obligation to comply with their duties under the Islands (Scotland) Act 2018. Additionally, local authorities have the power to charge different rates and exemptions for different geographical areas. Each local authority has a responsibility to publish an assessment of the impacts of introducing a Visitor Levy, including for the different rates and exemptions they may choose to apply. Local authorities also have a statutory requirement to consult with local communities, businesses, and the public, prior to the introduction of a Visitor Levy. You may wish to respond to any consultation in your local area in relation to how they might introduce a scheme.

Question reference: S6W-35382

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 March 2025
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 17 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the view of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, in its written submission to the Rural Affairs and Islands Committee as part of its stage 1 consideration of the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Bill, that every person intending to undertake muirburn should have had some form of learning on the muirburn code and training on the use of fire.

Question reference: S6W-35381

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 March 2025
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 17 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to imposing a grace period in respect of the requirement to complete an approved muirburn training course, in order to avoid minimising or otherwise diluting the importance of practical muirburn training.

The first year of muirburn licencing will be a transitional year, which will require only online knowledge-based training. This prevents any delays as a result of access to training.

Requiring the knowledge-based online training will help enforce current standards, clarify where it is appropriate burn and how to do so safely. A grace period would mean that muirburn could be carried out in the 2025 season by people with no training whatsoever. The transitional approach we are proposing means that all practitioners must have completed the knowledge-based element and a large proportion will have completed the practical element also. By the 2026 season all practitioners will have to have completed both elements of the training.

Question reference: S6W-35378

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 March 2025
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 17 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what the practical differences are between "the setting of fire to" heath or muir, and "the burning of" heath or muir, as set out in section 22 of the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Act 2024.

Question reference: S6W-35383

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 March 2025
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 17 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government who is required to undertake muirburn training in relation to the (a) setting of fire to heath or muir, (b) burning of heath or muir and (c) extinguishing of fire on heath or muir.

Question reference: S6W-35379

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 March 2025
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 17 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason NatureScot is reportedly planning to remove the practical element of muirburn training from the approved training course for muirburn in (a) 2025-26 and (b) future years.

NatureScot is not planning to remove the practical element from the muirburn training. Practical training is an important part of muirburn training and the Scottish Government encourage all practitioners to undertake this as soon as they are able. However, we also recognise that it is possible that everyone who needs to undertake the practical training may not be able to do so before the end of the current muirburn season. This is because of limited training capacity, possible adverse weather and numbers of individuals requiring training.

NatureScot therefore propose to introduce a transitional period during 2025-26 and allow the granting of a licence on the completion of the knowledge-based training, with a requirement for the practitioner to complete the practical element within a specified period. In future years NatureScot will require completion of the practical element before a licence is granted.

Question reference: S6W-35380

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 March 2025
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 17 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether (a) it has and (b) any of its agencies have consulted muirburn training providers about NatureScot’s reported plans to remove the requirement for the completion of practical muirburn training from the approved training course for muirburn in (i) 2025-26 and (ii) future years.

NatureScot has discussed training and the challenges of ensuring that all those who need to be trained can undertake training ahead of the next muirburn season with the Muirburn Code Working Group. The Group, which is made up wide-range of relevant stakeholders, also includes training providers.

For the first year of muirburn licences, only the online knowledge-based training will be required. The intention is that practical elements will be required before a licence is issued in future years. We will continue to engage with stakeholders as this develops.