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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

Filter your results Hide all filters

Displaying 839 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S6W-23371

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 11 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what process Peatland ACTION follows when vetting applicants for funding.

The Scottish Government funds five direct delivery partners to carry out peatland restoration projects through the Peatland ACTION partnership - NatureScot, Forestry and Land Scotland, Cairngorms National Park Authority, Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park Authority and Scottish Water.

Operational and delivery aspects of the programme, such as vetting of individual applications seeking funding for their projects, are a matter for each respective delivery partner and I would refer the MSP to those organisations for further information.

Question reference: S6W-23372

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 11 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what criteria Peatland ACTION uses to vet the design of peatland restoration plans.

Question reference: S6W-23373

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 11 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what criteria Peatland ACTION uses for selecting contractors in relation to peatland restoration.

Question reference: S6O-02883

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S6W-23172

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 4 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on when the ripening and spawning season for razor clams takes place in Scottish waters.

As part of the scientific trial on electrofishing for razor clams, the Scottish Government has collected biological information related to the species. This has included live samples of razor clams which have been analysed to determine sex, stage of maturity, spawning time and length-weight relationships.

Scottish Government has worked closely with fishers to identify spawning season through first-hand experience and knowledge gathered through fishing. Annual progress reports are published online: , , and ).

Question reference: S6W-23171

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 4 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to amend the current scientific trial regarding razor clams to include a closed season during their ripening and spawning season in Scottish waters.

Question reference: S6O-02856

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 November 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to accelerate new woodland creation in order to meet its targets.

Question reference: S6O-02826

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 November 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what funding it is providing for regeneration and economic renewal projects in the south of Scotland.

Question reference: S6O-02740

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 November 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the role that peatland plays in climate change mitigation and adaptation.

Question reference: S6W-22074

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 27 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 7 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what representations it has made to Ofcom regarding the potential impact of any agreement to change spectrum allocations at the World Radiocommunication Conference 2023 (WRC-23) on the physical and mental health and wellbeing of (a) people in rural communities, (b) older people and (c) people on low incomes in Scotland.

The Scottish Government has not made specific representations to Ofcom in relation to the changes to spectrum allocations due to be discussed at the World Radiocommunication Conference 2023, or the impacts of those changes on particular groups. We understand that the UK Government, who lead on decision-making around broadcasting as it is a reserved issue, have directed Ofcom to represent the UK at WRC-23, and have expressed that their preference is for no change to international spectrum allocations. The Scottish Government understands that, if a different spectrum allocation is agreed at WRC-23, the UK would still have considerable freedom over how to use the spectrum going forward.