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-33952

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 24 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 6 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many VisitScotland development managers were in post each December since 2018, and where each was located.

The following table captures current roles and locations and indicates whether the role has been in place since 2018:

Job Title	Contracted work base (current role-holder)	Role in place since 2018
Destination Development Director - Central/North-East – Including Tay Cities	Perth	Yes
Destination Development Director – Highlands & Islands	Inverness	Yes
Destination Development Director – South	Glasgow	Yes
Regional Director - Argyll & the Isles	Oban	Yes
Regional Director - Glasgow City	Glasgow	Yes
Regional Director - Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire & Moray Speyside	Aberdeen	Yes
Regional Director - Edinburgh & Lothians	Perth	Yes
Regional Director - Ayrshire & Forth Valley	Glasgow	Yes
Island Manager – Shetland	Lerwick	Yes
Island Manager - Orkney	Kirkwall	Yes
Island Manager – Outer Hebrides	Stornoway	Yes

Over time exact job titles and responsibilities have evolved. VisitScotland’s system does not allow point in time reporting required to share information for each December since 2018.

Question reference: S6W-33951

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 24 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 6 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many VisitScotland destination development directors were in post each December since 2018, and where each was located.

The following table captures current roles and locations and indicates whether the role has been in place since 2018:

Job Title	Contracted work base (current role-holder)	Role in place since 2018
Destination Development Director - Central/North-East – Including Tay Cities	Perth	Yes
Destination Development Director – Highlands & Islands	Inverness	Yes
Destination Development Director – South	Glasgow	Yes
Regional Director - Argyll & the Isles	Oban	Yes
Regional Director - Glasgow City	Glasgow	Yes
Regional Director - Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire & Moray Speyside	Aberdeen	Yes
Regional Director - Edinburgh & Lothians	Perth	Yes
Regional Director - Ayrshire & Forth Valley	Glasgow	Yes
Island Manager – Shetland	Lerwick	Yes
Island Manager - Orkney	Kirkwall	Yes
Island Manager – Outer Hebrides	Stornoway	Yes

Over time exact job titles and responsibilities have evolved. VisitScotland’s system does not allow point in time reporting required to share information for each December since 2018.

Question reference: S6W-33949

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 24 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 6 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what the average spend was of recreational visitors to the Highlands and Islands in each year since 2018.

Average spend (£) of overnight visitors to Highlands and Islands by year, 2018-2023
	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023
Domestic Visitors	260	252	-	-	247	247
International Visitors	495	418	-	-	658	640
Overall average	309	281	-	-	303	328

Number of overnight visitors to Highlands and Islands by year, 2018-2023 (000s)
	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023
Domestic Overnight	1,997	2,805	-	-	2,461	2,124
International	525	591	-	-	393	555
Total Overnight	2,522	3,396	-	-	2,854	2,679

Highlands and Islands includes the following local authorities: Highland, Orkney Islands, Shetland Islands and Western Isles (aka Outer Hebrides / Eilean Siar).
Average spend figures are shown in pounds. These figures are nominal and have not been adjusted for inflation.
There is a break in the time series in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID19 pandemic so there is no data available for these years.
The source for domestic overnight figures is the Great Britain Tourism Survey.
The source for international figures is the International Passenger Survey.

Question reference: S6W-33954

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 24 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 6 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many recreational visitors travelled to the Highlands and Islands in each year since 2018.

Number of overnight visitors to Highlands and Islands by year, 2018-2023 (000s)
	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023
Domestic Visitors	1,997	2,805	-	-	2,461	2,124
International Visitors	525	591	-	-	393	555
Total overnight	2,522	3,396	-	-	2,854	2,679

Highlands and Islands includes the following local authorities: Highland, Orkney Islands, Shetland Islands and Western Isles (aka Outer Hebrides / Eilean Siar).
There is a break in the time series in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID19 pandemic so there is no data available for these years.
The source for domestic overnight figures is the Great Britain Tourism Survey.
The source for international figures is the International Passenger Survey.

Question reference: S6W-33950

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 24 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 6 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what experience each VisitScotland board member has in relation to their role in the organisation, and where each is located.

Question reference: S6W-33974

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 24 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 6 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how people in the NHS Highland area who are impacted by Huntington’s disease can access support from (a) general psychiatry and (b) community mental health teams.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that individuals impacted by Huntington’s disease, including those in the NHS Highland area, can access the mental health support they need.

This includes access to community mental health teams and psychiatry by referral through their GP or a Huntington’s specialist. Clinical leads and Huntington’s disease specialists, supported by the Scottish Huntington’s Association network, coordinate physical and mental health care and provide clear pathways to mental health services, including psychiatry.

We have published Core Mental Health Quality Standards which aim to ensure equitable access to mental health services, through clear referral processes, reduced barriers, and prioritisation of those most in need, which could include those with Huntington’s.

Question reference: S6W-33975

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 24 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 5 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what recourse is open to people impacted by Huntington’s disease in the NHS Highland area who have been refused statutory mental health care due to their condition, and how this compares with the rest of the country.

NHS Health Boards must ensure that everyone, regardless of their background or circumstances, has equitable access to mental health care.

If a patient is dissatisfied with their care or access to services, they should first raise their concerns with their local Health Board. If unsatisfied with the response, they can also escalate the matter to the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO) for an independent review.

We acknowledge that Highland has some of the highest rates of Huntington disease, we do not hold information to compare this to the rest of the country.

Question reference: S6W-33973

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S6W-32908

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 17 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when a timeline for the dualling of the A96 between Inverness and Nairn, including the Nairn Bypass, will be published.

The made Orders for the A96 Dualling Inverness to Nairn (including Nairn Bypass) scheme were published on 12 March 2024. As no legal challenge was received during the 6 weeks following publication of the made Orders, this completes the statutory process for the scheme and clears the way for Ministers to take title to the land (i.e. complete the acquisition process) included in the made Compulsory Purchase Order which is required to construct the scheme. Transport Scotland is pressing ahead with the procedural steps to make this happen as soon as possible. It is currently expected that the process to take title to the land (via a General Vesting Declaration procedure) will be completed in the coming months.

Work is also underway to determine the most suitable procurement option for delivering the A96 Dualling Inverness to Nairn (including Nairn bypass) and thereafter a timetable for progress can be set in line with available budgets. The Government’s preference would be to deliver the scheme using capital funding, but because of erosion to our capital budget, we need to look at all possible ways of delivering the road improvement.

This is a complex exercise which looks at a number of factors including how the project can be delivered most efficiently by industry whilst minimising disruption to road users.

It is fundamental that contracting authorities allow sufficient time to properly consider the range of procurement routes available for any given project. This is important to ensure that the chosen procurement option generates sufficient competition to maximise value for money, delivers against the objectives of the intervention and complies with all statutory and regulatory requirements.

As part of this work, consideration will be given to the feasibility and attractiveness of combining with adjacent schemes to form larger contracts or splitting the scheme and delivering through smaller contracts, for example the Nairn Bypass.

It is expected that the work to determine the most suitable procurement option and develop the business case will take a further 12 months and this assessment work would closely align with the Mutual Investment Model (MIM) assessment work being undertaken on the A9 Dualling. The decision on the use of MIM for the A96 Inverness to Nairn (including Nairn Bypass) would need to follow after, or be considered alongside, the A9 decision which is currently expected at the end of 2025. We will also include consideration of delivery options for the adjacent A9/A96 Inshes to Smithton scheme (part of the Inverness and Highland City Region Deal) as part of this work.

Question reference: S6W-32907

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 17 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has allocated funding to complete the dualling of the A96 between Inverness and Nairn, including the Nairn Bypass.

The Scottish Government is committed to improving the A96 and it is already taking forward the dualling process from Inverness to Nairn, including Nairn Bypass.

The publication of Made Orders for the A96 Dualling Inverness to Nairn (including Nairn Bypass) scheme in 2024 is a strong sign of the Scottish Government’s commitment to build this key project. Further to this, the Scottish Government has confirmed through its Programme for Government, that Transport Scotland will take forward the final stage of the process for acquisition of land required to construct the project, and progress work to determine the most suitable procurement option.

Funding is included in the 2024-25 budget and draft 2025-26 budget to take forward this work – thereafter a timetable for procurement and construction phases can then be set in line with annual budget setting process for future years.