Questions and answers

Chamber and committees

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 ��˿�� 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-39575

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 28 July 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 25 August 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what work it has carried out or commissioned into supporting (a) abattoirs and (b) mobile abattoirs in rural and island settings.

Question reference: S6W-39578

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 28 July 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 25 August 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the commitment made in the Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Act 2024 to provide financial support to the wool sector, what it is doing to fund crofter wool production and manufacturing businesses.

Question reference: S6W-39577

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 28 July 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 25 August 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what work and actions it has undertaken to reform the Crofting Agricultural Grant Scheme, and how it is transitioning the fund to support crofters to move towards sustainable and regenerative agriculture.

Question reference: S6W-39574

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 28 July 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 25 August 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to ensure that farmers and land managers are being rewarded for delivering public goods.

Question reference: S6W-39467

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 18 July 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 24 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many full-time equivalent (FTE) staff it estimates there are in each relevant agency and central government who are currently involved in the regulation of salmon farming and smolt production, including fish health, human safety, food standards, planning, environmental, fisheries interactions, licensing and leasing.

Question reference: S6W-39466

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 18 July 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 24 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what the estimated annual cost to the public purse is of governing the salmon farming industry, including smolt production, in Scotland.

We are unable to provide the information requested. The aquaculture sector is governed by multiple agencies in both Scotland and the UK, for example APHA (Animal and Plant Health Agency). These agencies provide different legislative functions and charging schemes. The agencies and their respective employees who work on aquaculture undertake a wide range of duties relating to the governance of aquaculture in the round, not only to the salmon sector.

Question reference: S6W-39329

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 July 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 22 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it proposes following the publication of the April 2024 consultation analysis on mandatory planning training for elected members, and when it will bring forward regulations under section 45 of the Planning (Scotland) Act 2019.

The Scottish Government is currently developing the mandatory planning training for elected members. This includes commissioned research by Planning Aid Scotland to inform the development of the content and roll-out of the training, working with stakeholders in the creation of a training package and piloting and evaluation of the training. This is to ensure the end product meets policy objectives to build trust and confidence in the planning system and to ensure the effective implementation of the mandatory training. The Regulations will be brought forward following the completion of this work, which is scheduled for 2026, to be ready in advance of the Scottish Local Government elections in May 2027. In the meantime, based on a survey that was completed at the start of the year, by Heads of Planning Scotland, a high number of Councillors receive planning training at the local level.

Question reference: S6W-39411

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 July 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 14 August 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-38478 by Mairi Gougeon on 23 June 2025, and the statement that Seafood Scotland is the “national trade and marketing body for the Scottish seafood industry”, how Seafood Scotland contributes to its goals and duties towards prioritising sustainability within Scotland’s food sector, and what requirements it places on Seafood Scotland regarding engagement with stakeholders across Scotland’s seafood value chain.

Question reference: S6W-38965

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 10 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the Wild Wrasse Fishery report that covers 2023.

Question reference: S6W-38945

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 10 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will mandate the reporting and publication of cleaner fish mortalities on salmon farms, in light of reports that Fish Health Inspectorate inspections indicate that these are already recorded by farms.