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-32750

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 23 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 7 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact that its proposed budget reduction of £5.3 million in 2025-26 for support for inter-island connectivity’ will have for communities in the (a) the Western Isles and (b) Argyll and Bute local authority area.

The Scottish Government has increased revenue funding for inter-island connectivity by £8.6 million in 2025-26, including extending free ferry travel between islands to under 22s. Provisional local authority allocations are included in Annex E of

Comparisons of 2024-25 Autumn Budget Revision (ABR) to 2025-26 Budget are misleading in the context of local government funding as the 2024-25 ABR includes an agreed transfer of £13.9 million. This transfer will also be processed at the 2025-26 ABR, increasing the Inter Island Connectivity funding included in table 4.14 of the 2025-26 Scottish Budget from £36.4 million to £50.3 million.

Question reference: S6W-32755

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 23 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 7 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many houses have been built as a direct result of funding from the Vacant and Derelict Land Investment Programme in the (a) Argyll and Bute, (b) Highland, (c) Western Isles, (d) Orkney Islands, (e) Shetland Islands and (f) Moray local authority area in each year since 2021.

The Vacant and Derelict Land Investment Programme (VDLIP) is available to local authorities which bring forward suitable project proposals associated with remediating and unblocking long-term vacant and derelict land, supporting place based approaches to delivering regeneration and sustainable inclusive growth, as part of a just transition to net-zero. Additional funding to support the delivery of new homes, where this is part of the project proposals, is considered as a part of the application process by the independent investment panel.

The VDLIP has supported the delivery of 110 homes in the Highland Council area across two projects which received funding in 2023 – 2024.

There have been no applications received for projects in Argyll and Bute, Shetland Islands or Moray local authority areas supported by the VDLIP since the fund was launched in 202. We received one application for Orkney Islands and one for the Western Isles but neither was recommended for funding.

Question reference: S6W-32483

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 7 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken of any impact that adopting ultra high frequency electronic identification technology would have on the trade of Scottish cattle and beef with (a) England, (b) Wales and (c) Northern Ireland.

Scottish Ministers are considering all the available information on bovine EID and technology use across the UK. This includes the ScotEID pilot findings into UHF, the results and analysis of the consultation held on Cattle ID and Traceability earlier this year and ongoing close discussions with the livestock sector. All potential impacts, including those on trade, will be fully considered before a final decision is made.

Question reference: S6W-32715

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 23 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 30 December 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26709 by Neil Gray on 26 April 2024, in light of the cabinet secretary's comment that "we anticipate the publication of a report later in 2024", whether the Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce has published its report this and, if not, for what reason it was unable to do so.

Question reference: S6W-32444

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 23 December 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what (a) its and (b) NHS Scotland's position is regarding whether osteopathic services are offered to patients as an NHS service in addition to existing services for musculoskeletal conditions.

Question reference: S6W-32016

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 19 December 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the 2024 report to the Parliament on the Marine Protected Area network, in line with its requirements under the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010.

Question reference: S6W-32015

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 17 December 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any progress that it has made against the actions set out in the document, Delivering Scotland's Blue Economy Approach.

Delivering Scotland's Blue Economy Approach committed to mainstreaming blue economy thinking across the Marine Directorate and our wider work. To highlight some examples of this, it is evidenced in our approach to marine funding channels where we look to maximise private investment and since 2021, the Marine Fund Scotland has awarded £55 million in grants, enabling £120 million of investment, progressing blue economy outcomes. The Marine and Science Innovation Strategy embeds the Blue Economy Vision, furthering our evidence base, and blue economy outcomes are steering the development of Scotland's new National Marine Plan, influencing stakeholder engagement and how its monitoring and evaluating framework develops, helping to deliver our Vision.

Question reference: S6W-31917

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 13 December 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31416 by Neil Gray on 28 November 2024, how many of the 30 remaining Scottish Graduate Entry Medicine (ScotGEM) graduates who chose not to take up GPST 1 posts (a) took up and (b) did not take up other roles in the NHS.

Further to the published answer to question S6W-31416 there were 35 students who had not taken up a GPST post in Scotland (including three still in foundation training).

The data below indicates the destination of these students:

Training post in NHS Scotland (excluding 10 GPST)	6
Clinical Fellow post in NHS Scotland	11
Post in NHS England	8
Total	25

The destination of the remaining seven is currently unknown.

Question reference: S6W-31918

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 13 December 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31416 by Neil Gray on 28 November 2024, within which NHS boards the remaining eight individuals that chose to take up GPST 1 posts are placed.

Question reference: S6O-04123

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 December 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 December 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how its Marine Directorate monitors international fishing vessels.

NHS Tayside	2 trainees
NHS Forth Valley	2 trainees
NHS Lothian	1 trainee
NHS Fife	1 trainee
NHS Dumfries and Galloway	1 trainee
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde	1 trainee