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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-31441

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 18 November 2024
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 22 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has (a) set out and (b) acted upon for consultation on the Rural Support Plan.

Question reference: S6W-31468

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 November 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 21 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-04853 by Mairi Gougeon on 14 December 2021, how many of the Fixed Penalty Notices issued since 25 January 2019 remain unpaid, and, of those, how many have been (a) referred to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and (b) proceeded in the courts, and, of any that resulted in convictions, what the (i) nature of the offence, (ii) value of the original Fixed Penalty Notice and (iii) court disposal was.

Since 25 January 2019 until 13 October 2021, the period covered by S6W-03688 on 29 October 2021 and S6W-04853 on 14 December 2021, there have been 19 fixed penalty notices (FPNs) unpaid prior to referral to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, compared to 93 paid. This makes a payment rate over the period of 83%.

The breakdown is as follows:

(a) 8 of the 19 cases were referred to the COPFS for consideration of prosecution; 2 of the 8 cases resulted in the original FPNs being paid after agreement with the Procurator Fiscal, ultimately resulting in 17 unpaid FPNs in total and;

(b) 4 of the 8 cases resulted in convictions and fines with the breakdown as follows:

	Offence	FPN Offered (£)	Court Disposal (£)
1	Breach of hobby fishermen regulations	2000	500
2	Non submission of statutory returns	2000	3000
3	Marine Protected Area incursion	4000	2000
4	Fishing gear offence	3000	2075

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-31442

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 18 November 2024
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 21 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will outline any progress that it has made on establishing regional land use frameworks across Scotland.

The Scottish Government has supported four pilot regions in the development of bespoke Regional Land Use Frameworks (RLUFs). This work was taken forward through a co-development approach with a range of stakeholders. It tested a natural capital-led approach to identifying land use opportunities and priorities, whilst maintaining place-based principles to understand the potential for delivering mutual benefits to all land users.

This work covers the South of Scotland (Scottish borders and Dumfries and Galloway) The Cairngorms and Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Parks and the NorthWest 2045 region of the Highlands. More information on the individual RLUFs can be found at the links below:

South of Scotland region: Delivery & Strategies | South of Scotland Regional Economic Partnership
North West Highland region: Land+ Project | NORTHWEST2045
Cairngorms National Park region: Cairngorms National Park Partnership Plan 2022-27
Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park region: Read The Plan - Here. Now. All of us. - Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park

We are now working with the RLUPS to consolidate this learning in order to refine our understanding of the role that RLUFs could play in supporting/delivering land use change and informing wider Scottish Government policy.

Question reference: S6O-04026

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 November 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how many houses have been built in rural communities, as a direct result of funding from the Rural and Islands Housing Fund, since the fund was established.

Question reference: S6W-31123

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 08 November 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 20 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the publication of the Cowal and Rosneath Community Needs Assessment by Transport Scotland on 11 September 2024, and the completion of the associated consultation exercise on 9 October 2024, whether it will confirm the cost of providing the assessed excessive service level between Gourock and Dunoon.

The independent Cowal and Rosneath Community Needs Assessment concluded that there is evidence of over-provision on the Gourock-Dunoon passenger ferry service in terms of sailings per day and in terms of the length of the operating day in winter. The Assessment does not calculate the cost of the over-provision. There are several options considered to address the findings and the preferred approach and associated costs will be determined in due course.

Question reference: S6W-31066

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 November 2024
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 20 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how much of the £1.5 million of Islands Growth Deal investment earmarked for the Outer Hebrides Food and Drink Programme, as set out in its National Islands Plan: Implementation Route Map 2024, has been allocated to date.

To date, £174,000 of the Scottish Government's £1.5 million investment in the Outer Hebrides Food and Drink Programme has been allocated to Acarsaid Harbour Redevelopment on the Isle of Eriskay and a gear storage facility at Vatersay Pier on the Isle of Vatersay. This will be followed by the release of further funds once we are in receipt of the remaining project business cases from the Island Growth Deal's Programme Management Office and these have been reviewed and endorsed.

Through this package of support, multiple investments will preserve and enhance local markets for traditional fishing industries, enable the sustainable development of the primary food production industries in the Outer Hebrides in a socio-economic context by developing local food and drink markets and respond to sectoral opportunities linked to product diversification. This will build economic resilience, community wealth and well-being by supporting communities and businesses across the Outer Hebrides throughout the Island Growth Deal's ten-year lifespan and beyond.

Question reference: S6W-31064

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 November 2024
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 20 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how often its Gaelic and Scots Team and Bòrd na Gàidhlig have met in each of the last five years.

The Gaelic and Scots Team has a sponsorship role for Bòrd na Gidhlig and meets with officers in the body regularly and consistently. The nature of the sponsorship duties combined with the Gaelic and Scots Team’s policy role requires close working at different levels and on a range of subjects. The Gaelic and Scots Team is in contact with Bòrd na Gidhlig every week and this pattern of working has been in place for the last five years and before. In addition, Bòrd na Gidhlig Chair and CEO meet with ministers at least twice a year; with Scottish Government directors at least twice a year and officials from the Gaelic and Scots Division support these meetings. Gaelic and Scots officials arrange quarterly meetings and regular media meetings with the senior team at Bòrd na Gidhlig.

Question reference: S6W-31124

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 08 November 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 19 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the publication of the Cowal and Rosneath Community Needs Assessment by Transport Scotland on 11 September 2024, and the completion of the associated consultation exercise on 9 October 2024, which one of the assessment’s recommendations will be taken forward in terms of aligning the service levels and subsidy payments with the assessed needs.

Community views are an essential part of informing future service options. The community feedback gathered at engagement events in Kilcreggan on the 1st of October, Dunoon on the 2nd of October, and Gourock on the 3rd of October, along with the online user survey outcomes, is currently being analysed as part of the appraisal of the possible options. No decisions on the future service design of the Gourock-Dunoon and Gourock-Kilcreggan routes have been made at this stage.

Question reference: S6W-31125

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 08 November 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 19 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the publication of the Cowal and Rosneath Community Needs Assessment by Transport Scotland on 11 September 2024, and the completion of the associated consultation exercise on 9 October 2024, when it will announce the order for new vessels for the Gourock to Dunoon route.

Question reference: S6W-31063

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 November 2024
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 19 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what impact its decision to introduce a means-tested Pension Age Winter Heating Payment will have on strategic objective 5 of its National Islands Plan: Implementation Route Map 2024 to reduce levels of fuel poverty.

The Scottish Government continues to call on the UK Government to overturn their decision to limit eligibility for Winter Fuel Payments.

The decision was taken without consultation and has forced us to review the way in which the Pension Age Winter Heating Payment (PAWHP) will be delivered.

Nonetheless, the PAWHP will make a significant contribution towards the heating expenses of low-income, pension-aged island households.

Since December 2022, we have also provided £3.4 million in support of island households through the Islands Cost Crisis Emergency Fund.