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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-32717

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 06 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 16 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-21099 by Jenni Minto on 19 September 2023, how many of its pharmacist pre-registration training places were (a) available and (b) filled on 31 December (i) 2019, (ii) 2020, (iii) 2021, (iv) 2022, (v) 2023 and (vi) 2024.

Question reference: S6W-32826

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 06 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 16 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31124 by Jim Fairlie on 19 November 2024, whether it will provide an update on when Transport Scotland will outline its plans for the future service design of the Gourock-Dunoon route, including whether it will order new vessels for the route.

Transport Scotland has received considerable feedback and input through the Community Needs Assessment report, user survey, and community engagement events. This information has now been reviewed and a decision on the future service design for the Gourock-Dunoon passenger ferry service will be made shortly.

Preferred vessel options for the Gourock to Dunoon ferry service are being considered as part of the outline business case and this work is ongoing. Any investment in new vessels and infrastructure must offer value for money and be affordable.

Question reference: S6W-32716

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 06 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 16 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many community pharmacies there were in NHS (a) Highland, (b) Grampian, (c) Orkney, (d) Shetland and (e) Western Isles areas on 31 December (i) 2021, (ii) 2022, (iii) 2023 and (iv) 2024.

Question reference: S6O-04221

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 January 2025
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its plans for future agricultural support.

Question reference: S6W-33124

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 10 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 15 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding was awarded to businesses in (a) Argyll and Bute, (b) the Western Isles, (c) the Highlands, (d) Orkney, (e) Shetland and (f) Moray from the Regional Food Fund in the (a) 2021, (b) 2022, (c) 2023 and (d) 2024 round.

A breakdown of funding per year and requested areas for the last three financial years has been provided below as requested:

	2021	2022	2023
Argyll	£26,042	£10,000	£5,000
Western isles	-	-	£5,000
Highlands	£34,262	£10,000	£10,000
Orkney	£5,000	-	-
Shetland	£5,000	£4,957	£2,700
Moray	-	-	£9,900

Final funding for financial year 2024-25 will not be available until April 2025.

Information on funding awarded to projects from the Regional Food Fund is published on the Scotland Food & Drink website and can be found at the following link: Regional Food Fund | Scotland Food & Drink.

Question reference: S6W-32718

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 23 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 15 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many mobile community pharmacies there are in the NHS (a) Highland, (b) Grampian, (c) Orkney, (d) Shetland and (e) Western Isles area.

Question reference: S6W-32723

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 23 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 13 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many productions organised Scottish Opera have taken place in (a) the Highlands and Islands Region and (b) nationally in each year since 2021.

Since April 2021, Scottish Opera has undertaken the following number of productions in Scotland and in the Highlands and Islands region:

Financial year	No of productions in Scotland	No of productions within Highlands and Islands	Details of engagements in Highlands and Islands
2021-2022	322	88	16 Opera Highlights; 54 outdoor pop-up performances; 12 schools performances; 6 large venue performances
2022-2023	240	66	17 Opera Highlights; 18 Pop-up performances (6 locations); 9 BambinO - Opera for Babies, 13 schools performances, 6 large venue performances
2023-2024	275	63	17 Opera Highlights; 26 pop-up performances; 16 school performances; 4 large venue performances
2024-2025	223	67	13 Opera Highlights; 11 community workshops; 20 pop-up performances; 19 school performances; 4 large venue performances

Question reference: S6W-32724

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 23 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 13 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many productions by the National Theatre of Scotland have taken place in (a) the Highlands and Islands region and (b) nationally in each year since 2021.

Since April 2021, the National Theatre of Scotland has undertaken the following number of productions in Scotland and in the Highlands and Islands region:

Financial year	No of productions in Scotland	No of productions within Highlands and Islands	Details of engagements in Highlands and Islands
2021-2022	11	3	The Enemy Theatre in Schools Scotland (TISS): Family Portrait TISS: Mixed Up Digital
2022-2023	18	10	Burn Exodus James IV Orphans TISS: Buff and Sheen TISS: Family Portrait TISS: Maya and the Whale TISS: Chalk TISS: KLC TISS: Wellies
2023-2024	18	8	Dear Billy Dracula Kidnapped Protest Thrown TISS: Cloud Man TISS: Going For Gold TISS: MESS
2024-2025	13	6	Dear Billy June Carter Cash: The Woman Her Music and Me Maggie & Me Sho and the Demons of the Deep TISS: Ginger TISS: One of Two

Question reference: S6W-32729

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 23 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 13 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding Creative Scotland has distributed to organisations registered in the European Union in each year since 2021-22.

Since 2021-22, Creative Scotland distributed £251k to organisations registered in the EU (plus Norway). Full breakdown as follows:

Financial Year	Number of Applications	Awarded Amount*
2021-22	1	25,000.00
France	1	25,000.00
2022-23	5	85,197.00
France	2	30,000.00
Luxembourg	1	21,197.00
Netherlands	1	4,000.00
Norway	1	30,000.00
2023-24	6	84,380.00
France	1	25,000.00
Germany	2	14,200.00
Italy	1	17,680.00
Netherlands	1	2,500.00
Norway	1	25,000.00
2024-25	4	56,800.00
Denmark	1	40,000.00
Germany	2	14,200.00
Netherlands	1	2,600.00
Grand Total	16	251,377.00

*Figures includes some COVID-19 emergency funding

Question reference: S6W-32719

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 23 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 13 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will review its decision not to proceed with any of the fixed link options proposed in the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2), in light of its announcement that it will make specific funding available to support connectivity in the Northern Isles, as set out in its draft Budget 2025-26.

The Scottish Government remains committed to taking forward work on the three proposed fixed links identified as part of the second Strategic Transport Review (STPR2) under Recommendation 41. Noting that STPR2 is a long term plan, the next step is in determining whether there is a robust enough business case and local support to progress these options for more detailed consideration.

The business cases for a potential Sound of Harris, Sound of Barra fixed links and a fixed link between Mull and Scottish mainland would need to consider the benefits, costs and challenges associated with these interventions and would further consider the feasibility of improving island connectivity through additional fixed links.

The funding allocated in the draft Budget is for Orkney and Shetland Councils to improve inter-island connectivity in the way that best meets local needs, therefore distinct from the STPR2 recommendation.

Date	Posts Available	Posts Filled
31 December 2019	200	200
31 December 2020	215	215
31 December 2021	235	214
31 December 2022	235	223
31 December 2023	235	216
31 December 2024	220	213

NHS Board	(i) 2021	(ii) 2022	(Iii) 2023	(iv) 2024
(a) Highland	132	132	131	130
(b) Grampian	83	85	83	81
(c) Orkney	4	4	4	4
(d) Shetland	5	5	5	5
(e) Western Isles	3	3	3	3