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-41898

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 14 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 1 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what action the Minister for Business and Employment takes to ensure that any claims regarding job creation from floating offshore wind projects are independently verified.

A comprehensive social and economic impact assessment was carried out as part of the process to update our Sectoral Marine Plan. This assessment included a strategic analysis of potential employment opportunities arising from the ScotWind and INTOG leasing rounds.

The work was undertaken by external contractors and independently verified through a rigorous quality assurance process. It was further scrutinized through cross-sector stakeholder engagement and a public consultation to ensure transparency and credibility.

The Scottish Government applies rigorous quality assurance to analytical work it undertakes internally or commissions externally.

Question reference: S6W-41897

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 14 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 1 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Minister for Business and Employment has received any analysis on the net employment impact of floating offshore wind developments, including any potential displacement of existing jobs.

Ministers and officials consider a broad range of evidence to assess the economic opportunities and constraints of offshore wind development. This includes analysis as set out in the Offshore Wind Focus paper and the Social and Economic Impact Assessment for the draft updated Sectoral Marine Plan for Offshore Wind Energy.

Together these sources provide the Scottish Government with an overarching understanding of the economic and employment impacts of offshore wind development, informing ministerial advice and decision-making across relevant portfolios.

Offshore wind developers also provide detailed environmental and socio-economic assessments as part of applications for marine licences and consents. These are reviewed by officials and inform recommendations to relevant Ministers.

Question reference: S6O-05243

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 November 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 4 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it is engaging with communities based near the Moray Firth regarding the proposed Moray FLOW-Park project.

Question reference: S6W-41864

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 25 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what support and funding is being made available to help Scotland's seafood (a) exporters, (b) processors and (c) suppliers meet the upgraded export requirements under the new EU traceability rules, which come into effect on 10 January 2026.

We will continue to ensure the interests of the Scottish industry are considered throughout this process. The Scottish Government will also continue to push for the UK to deliver as much assistance as possible to enable our industry to comply with the new requirements and minimise the impact on trade.

Longer term, UK Fisheries Administrations – including Scottish Government - are currently progressing the introduction of a revised UK Control and IUU Regulations in light of these EU changes. This is a complex process with many considerations.

As the IUU changes have a direct impact on the ability of Third Counties to continue to export fisheries products to the EU this has to be taken into consideration when assessing our regulatory alignment.

Question reference: S6W-41863

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 25 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it is working with the Marine Management Organisation campaign, Fish, Trace, Ship, to publicise the new EU traceability rules, which come into effect on 10 January 2026.

The programme of informing the UK industry of these changes is being led by the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) with input and support by Devolved Governments. The Scottish Government has been closely involved in the development of the MMO campaign, including at the recent virtual industry engagement sessions that have progressed during October and November.

To supplement the MMO campaign, Marine Directorate officials have organised meetings with key stakeholders in Scotland to raise awareness of the forthcoming changes.

This includes in September, when meetings took place with some of Scotland’s largest seafood exporters.

Question reference: S6W-41860

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 25 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to monitor and report on how well Scotland's seafood businesses adapt to the new EU traceability rules, including whether there is disruption to trade to the EU post-January 2026.

Question reference: S6W-41861

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 25 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact on Scotland’s seafood exporters of the incoming EU traceability rules, which take effect on 10 January 2026.

We appreciate that the impact of the forthcoming mandatory EU changes may be significant for Scottish seafood exporters. In particular, around the additional new information required for the export documentation.

The changes being introduced by the EU are mandatory for all imports of fisheries products entering the EU from all third countries after 10 January 2026 so there is no alternative to compliance when trading.

Where industry hold specific questions or concerns regarding the current guidance and approach, we would encourage them to raise these as soon as possible as part of the ongoing engagement campaign.

Alongside other Fisheries Administrations, we are still in the process of raising technical questions for clarification with the EU, via UK Government, including those flagged via industry engagement.

When answers are secured to these questions, these will be made available in the FAQ section of the relevant Fish, Trace, Ship campaign website:

Question reference: S6W-41862

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 25 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the definition of “processing” being expanded under the new EU traceability regime, which takes effect on 10 January 2026, and that only seafood “frozen and/or packed without further processing” is exempt, how many businesses in Scotland it estimates will be subject to the new documentation requirements.

The requirement for processing statements currently only applies to seafood caught by non-UK vessels and processed in the UK prior to export. Rather than the definition being “expanded”, from 10 January 2026, the requirement for a Processing Statement will also apply to seafood caught by UK vessels and processed in the UK before export to the EU.

The EU have confirmed that where fish has only been subject to freezing and/or packed after landing and prior to export, they will not require a Statement.

Given the complexity of the seafood export supply chain, it is difficult to estimate the exact number of businesses impacted. However, given many of our exporters undertake processing that will be captured by the new requirement, we expect a significant number of Scottish businesses to be impacted.

Question reference: S6W-41865

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 25 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what contingency plans are in place to help any of Scotland's seafood businesses that might not be ready in time for the new EU traceability rules, which come into effect on 10 January 2026, and therefore are unable to export to the EU.

The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) are responsible for updates to the IT system – the Fish Export Service (FES) – which exporters will use to provide the enhanced processing statements, catch certificates and other documentation required by the EU from 10 January 2026.

We are seeking assurances from UK Government that appropriate support will be available through MMO to deal with any immediate industry issues arising – including for out of hours service given the nature of seafood exports often occurs outwith routine business hours.

Question reference: S6W-41839

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 25 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its responsibilities are as a partner of the Emergency Services Mobile Communications Programme.

The Home Office is leading the cross-government Emergency Services Mobile Communications Programme (ESMCP) to deliver the new Emergency Services Network (ESN) critical communications system, in which the Scottish Government is a Funding Sponsor Body.

In addition to funding the Scottish share of the programme, the Scottish Government is responsible for working in partnership with the Home Office and the Scottish emergency services to ensure that ESN meets their operational needs, and that the network coverage is at least as good as Airwave, the existing communications system. In addition, the Scottish Government provides funding directly to the Scottish emergency services to support and de-risk their transition to ESN.