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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-37438

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 09 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 21 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many people were interviewed as part of the Pain Management Panel report, which was published in November 2022, broken down by NHS board area; what its position is on whether publishing the views of 16 people in the report presents a fair representation of the 800,000 people in Scotland who experience chronic pain; for what reason (a) the reported screening questionnaire used to produce the report did not directly ask participants about whether their condition had been diagnosed by a health professional and (b) respondents were reportedly paid £200 each to participate in the survey; whether known pain patient volunteers were asked to take part in the survey, and whether it sought guidance from NICE or any other body on the suitability of a "no impact" categorisation being used in the survey.

The Pain Management Panel consisted of 16 people with lived experience of chronic pain. A sampling framework was developed by The Lines Between to ensure diversity within the panel across participants’ experiences, circumstances, and characteristics. The sampling framework was designed to recruit 15 participants to the pain management panel with the intention to interview a group of 22-25 people to mitigate potential attrition during the project.

The Scottish Government does not hold information on how many people were interviewed.

The Scottish Government does not hold information on which NHS board area the volunteers lived in. More information on the demographics of the panel can be found in the report.

The Scottish Government does not hold any special category data, such as details of a medical diagnosis, for the participants of the pain management panel.

The Pain Management Panel is just one of the ways we engage with people with lived experience. The report was primarily intended to provide detailed qualitative information and illustrative examples of participants’ experience living with chronic pain, rather than being an exact representation of the prevalence of chronic pain in Scotland’s wider population.

Participants in the panel were reimbursed for their time in line with the Scottish Government’s guidelines.

This term ‘no impact’ was proposed by the Scottish Government as a contraction of ‘did not experience any limitation on life or work activities over the past three months’. This was designed to align with the questions in the Scottish Health Survey which showed that 22% of the more than 4000 adults surveyed did not experience any impact on their work or life activities.

Question reference: S6O-04687

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 May 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to allocate additional funding to Argyll and Bute Council, in light of reports of Argyll and Bute Health and Social Care Partnership’s funding deficit.

Question reference: S6W-36746

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 2 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many wind farms are on land owned by it, broken down by megawatts of wind capacity generated, and what proportion of these farms are community owned.

There are twenty-five operational windfarms on Scotland’s national forests and land, managed by Forestry and Land Scotland. None of the windfarms are community owned in whole or part.

Windfarm	Number of MW on Scotland’s National Forests and Land (*several projects are located largely on neighbouring private land)
Deucheran Hill	16
Cruach Mhor	26
Beinn An Tuirc 1	9*
Black Law	20
Rothes 2 (Cairn Uish Hill)	7*
Whitelee 1	163
An Suidhe	19
Camster	22
Arecleoch	106
Myres Hill	2*
Mid Hill	53
Stroupster	16
Little Clyde	25
Burn of Whilk	23
Beinn An Tuirc 2	44
Whitelee 2	193
Harestanes	136
Clashindarroch	37
A' Chruach	43
Kilgallioch	73
Blackcraig	5*
Beinn An Tuirc 3	50
West Benhar	30
Halsary	28
South Kyle	240

Question reference: S6W-36546

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 04 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 1 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with NatureScot regarding maintaining and growing native oyster populations in Marine Protected Areas, and what actions are being considered.

MPAs are managed in line with the conservation and management advice provided by NatureScot. Management measures are already in place to achieve the conservation objectives for native oysters where they are a protected feature, by reducing the pressures that affect them. Additional protection is being considered for native oysters through the proposed PMF management areas as part of development of the inshore fisheries management measures.

The Scottish Government, with support from NatureScot, is currently developing a Marine and Coastal Restoration Plan which will support the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy objective of accelerating restoration and regeneration.

Question reference: S6W-36544

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 04 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 29 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is, in light of reports that native oyster numbers within the Loch Sween Marine Protected Area have significantly declined.

Question reference: S6W-36545

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 04 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 29 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what actions are being considered to address any unregulated gathering of native oysters in Marine Protected Areas, in light of recent reports of functional extinction of native oysters.

In general, it is an offence to collect native oysters from any location in Scotland. Currently the Loch Sween MPA is the only marine protected area that lists native oysters as a protected feature, and there are specific management measures in place for the MPA which prohibit fishing with a demersal trawl, mechanical dredge or by hand. British sea-fishery officers from the Marine Directorate will investigate any alleged reports of illegal fishing activity wherever it occurs.

Question reference: S6W-36417

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Kaukab Stewart on 25 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Scottish Human Rights Commission’s November 2024 report, Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in the Highlands and Islands.

Question reference: S6W-36418

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Kaukab Stewart on 25 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address the findings by the Scottish Human Rights Commission in its November 2024 report, Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in the Highlands and Islands, in areas where the Commission identified obligations that were being (a) partially and (b) not met.

We expect to issue our response to the Scottish Human Rights Commission’s report before the Scottish Parliament's summer recess. Our response will outline the actions being taken to respect, protect and fulfil economic, social and cultural rights in the Highlands and Islands.

We acknowledge that more can be done to advance rights realisation in Scotland's Highlands and Island communities. We will continue to work closely with stakeholders, duty bearers and delivery partners to achieve this.

Question reference: S6W-36419

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Kaukab Stewart on 25 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration was given to the Scottish Human Rights Commission’s November 2024 report, Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in the Highlands and Islands, when allocating its 2025-26 Budget, and what the outcome was.

The Scottish Government's 2025-26 Budget was published on 4 December 2024. This was a week after the Scottish Human Rights Commission published their report on rights in the Highlands and Islands, so there was not sufficient time to fully consider and incorporate the report and its recommendations into the Scottish Government's 2025-26 Budget.

However, an Island Communities Impact Assessment was undertaken on the 2025-26 Budget, to consider the unique needs of Scottish island communities.

We are considering the Scottish Human Rights Commission’s report with a view to formally responding to its recommendations ahead of the summer recess.

Question reference: S6W-36317

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 24 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, to ensure timely implementation, what milestones have been set for the delivery of the Fracture Liaison Service audit.

Scottish Government commissioned the Fracture Liaison Service (FLS) audit in July 2024 following a scoping exercise and business case by Public Health Scotland (PHS). PHS are responsible for the delivery and implementation of the FLS audit, which includes setting delivery and evaluation milestones.

I refer the member to the answers to questions S6W-35534 and S6W-35567 on 21 March 2025, S6W-36002 on 1 April 2025 and S6W-36035 on 17 April 2025

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