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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-30457

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 04 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 28 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to present its new Scottish Government Gateway Review on the proposed Gasay ferry terminal development for Lochboisdale to the CMAL board and Transport Scotland investment decision-making board for funding.

Question reference: S6W-30456

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 04 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 28 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when it anticipates that it will have completed the new Scottish Government Gateway Review on the proposed Gasay ferry terminal development for Lochboisdale.

Question reference: S6W-30237

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 30 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 28 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve mental health support for people who experience migraines.

Our Mental Health & Wellbeing Strategy lays out our vision for improving mental health so people can get the right help, in the right place, at the right time for any aspect of their mental health. This includes people whose mental health has been affected as a result of migraines.

I acknowledge the recent report by the Migraine Trust, which highlighted the links between migraines and mental health.

Question reference: S6O-03865

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 October 2024
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 31 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to improve public consultation on renewable energy projects by energy companies.

Question reference: S6W-30535

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 22 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29982 by Jenni Minto on 1 October 2024, whether it will provide details of how it is progressing with rolling out the Family Nurse Partnership programme in (a) island NHS boards and (b) the rest of the NHS Highland area.

The Scottish Government has been working with NHS boards to carefully scale up the Family Nurse Partnership (FNP) programme across Scotland, ensuring implementation models are sustainable and delivered with quality.

Under this phased rollout of the programme (a) FNP is not yet offered in Island Boards and (b) we are still in the process of scaling up across NHS Highland areas, noting we began delivering the programme in Argyll and Bute earlier this year.

We want to ensure every eligible mother can access this support, that is why we are testing a number of options to support delivery in remote and rural contexts. The learning will be used to build a sustainable model that could expand the FNP programme to these areas in the future.

Question reference: S6W-30449

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 04 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 22 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-21203 by Tom Arthur on 19 September 2023, whether it will provide an update on which local authorities have used or are seeking to use their powers under the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 to reduce business rates in (a) 2022-23 and (b) 2023-24.

Local authorities are independent bodies, and it is for them to consider whether to use the powers under the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 to deliver local reliefs. The Scottish Government includes information on these powers in its Local government finance circular 5/2024: non-domestic rates relief guidance - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) issued to local authorities annually.

There were no awards of local relief in 2022-23.

Empty Property Relief was devolved to local authorities since 1 April 2023 and councils can now deliver relief for empty properties via the powers under the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015. As at 1 July 2023, all councils had awarded local Empty Property Reliefs to an estimated 17,000 properties, worth a total of £81 million in 2023-24.

Green Freeport relief is available for properties within the tax sites of Green Freeports in Scotland from the date of tax site designation, which was in 2024-25 for both Green Freeports. Local authorities will deliver this relief under the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 powers and will be reimbursed by Scottish Government for any awards of this relief.

Question reference: S6W-30450

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 04 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 22 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-21202 by Tom Arthur on 22 September 2023, whether it will provide an update on how much revenue raised by the business rates incentivisation scheme was retained by each local authority in (a) 2022-23, (b) 2023-24 and (c) 2024-25.

The business rates incentivisation scheme (BRIS) was suspended in 2020-21, 2021-22 and 2022-23 due to the disruptive impact of COVID on NDR revenues, as confirmed in Local government finance circular 8/2021: business rates incentivisation scheme 2019-2022 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)there was therefore no revenue retained by any council in 2022-23, retentions generally affecting the following year’s non-domestic rates income.

Non-domestic rates incentivisation scheme (NDRIS, formerly BRIS) retention amounts relating to 2023-24 will be made available at the earliest opportunity, these amounts will be reported in councils provisional NDR outturn returns following the end of the current financial year.

Local government finance circular 1/2024: Non Domestic Rates Incentivisation Scheme 2023 to 2026 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) details final NDRIS targets for 2023-24 and provisional targets for 2024-25 and 2025-26.

Question reference: S6W-30453

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 04 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 22 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-21203 by Tom Arthur on 19 September 2023, whether it will provide details of which local authorities it anticipates will use or are considering using their powers under the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 to reduce business rates in (a) 2024-25 and (b) 2025-26.

Question reference: S6W-30452

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 04 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 22 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-21204 by Tom Arthur on 22 September 2023, whether it will provide an update on any action that it has taken to encourage more local authorities to consider and utilise their existing powers under the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 to reduce non-domestic rates.

Question reference: S6W-30235

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 30 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 18 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to promote more understanding from employers regarding staff who experience migraines.

Scottish Government’s Fair Work policy sets out actions to promote fair and inclusive workplaces across Scotland. Becoming a 'fair work employer' includes creating a healthy and safe environment where individuals' wellbeing is actively supported.

Scottish Government supports employers to do this via several interventions, including:

Providing occupational health support for employers via Health Scotland's Healthy Working Lives website and Working Health Services Scotland. Access to occupational health can help enable early intervention and personalised support where required.
Promoting flexible and hybrid working by providing over £1.1 million in funding through Fair Work and Social Innovation Partnership budgets. Flexible working practices can help people to manage their condition without dropping out of the workplace and incurring a loss of income.

Those who experience a substantial and long-term impact on their lives due to migraine have a right under the Equality Act 2010 to have their employer make reasonable adjustments in the workplace.