- Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
-
Date lodged: Friday, 09 January 2026
-
Current Status:
Answer expected on 23 January 2026
To ask the Scottish Government how it will decouple the NorthLink Ferry service from the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) rate for calculating inflation.
Answer
Answer expected on 23 January 2026
- Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
-
Date lodged: Friday, 09 January 2026
-
Current Status:
Answer expected on 23 January 2026
To ask the Scottish Government when the NorthLink Ferry service booking system will change from opening bookings for a set time period to a rolling system.
Answer
Answer expected on 23 January 2026
- Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
-
Date lodged: Friday, 09 January 2026
-
Current Status:
Answer expected on 23 January 2026
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of Serco NorthLink’s decision to remove the shared cabins policy without consultation with passengers on the Northern Isles Ferry Service, what the estimated cost to ensure that one concessionary voucher can secure a sole cabin will be to (a) it and (b) per passenger, and how this compares with the cost to remove peak fares on ScotRail services.
Answer
Answer expected on 23 January 2026
- Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 December 2025
-
Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 7 January 2026
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-40575 by Neil Gray on 23 September 2025, whether it can now confirm what its position is regarding the recommendations in the independent review of the anaesthesia associate (AA) and physician associate (PA) roles in England.
Answer
The Scottish Government is continuing to consider the recommendations from the independent review of the AA and PA roles in England, and I await further policy and legal advice before reaching a formal position. As part of my consideration, I will also have a keen interest in any outcome of the judicial review ongoing in England.
I did write to the MAPs Programme Board to commit to using the Leng Review as a framework for future discussions. Given this, and the agreement to a four-nations approach to the work, the views of Scotland are actively being considered through new structures that have been established by the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England. This includes Scottish representation on a newly established Clinical Advisory Panel.
- Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 December 2025
-
Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 17 December 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how many households in Shetland have received support through the (a) Warmer Homes Scotland programme and (b) Heat and Energy Efficient Scotland: Area-Based Scheme (HEES: ABS), in each financial year of its operation.
Answer
The following tables give the number of households who have received support in Shetland through the (a) Warmer Homes Scotland programme, and (b) Heat and Energy Efficient Scotland: Area-Based Schemes in each financial year of its operation.
(a) The number of households helped through Warmer Homes Scotland in Shetland since the beginning of the programme in 2015 is set out below.
The table refers to WHS1 which was the Warmer Homes Scotland contract which accepted applications from 2015 to 2023, and WHS2 which is the current Warmer Homes Scotland contract in place since October 2023.
Local Authority | WHS1 | WHS2 | Total |
Shetland Islands | 326 | 65 | 391 |
Budget Year | WHS1 | WHS2 | Total |
15-16 Budget Year | 1 | 0 | 1 |
16-17 Budget Year | 9 | 0 | 9 |
17-18 Budget Year | 56 | 0 | 56 |
18-19 Budget Year | 30 | 0 | 30 |
19-20 Budget Year | 47 | 0 | 47 |
20-21 Budget Year | 23 | 0 | 23 |
21-22 Budget Year | 56 | 0 | 56 |
22-23 Budget Year | 48 | 0 | 48 |
23-24 Budget Year | 56 | 6 | 62 |
24-25 Budget Year | 0 | 59 | 59 |
Total | 326 | 65 | 391 |
(b) The number of households helped through the Area Based Schemes (ABS) in Shetland since the beginning of the programme in 2013 is set out below.
ABS is designed and delivered by local councils, targeting fuel poor areas and `hard to treat’ properties (solid or complex cavity wall insulation).
These numbers relate to the households helped under the financial year that a grant offer was made to the council.
2013-14 | 162 |
2014-15 | 258 |
2015-16 | 90 |
2016-17 | 287 |
2017-18 | 270 |
2018-19 | 261 |
2019-20 | 276 |
2020-21 | 278 |
2021-22 | 163 |
2022-23 | 161 |
2023-24 | 86 |
2024-25 | 102 |
Total | 2,394 |
- Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 December 2025
-
Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 17 December 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what it estimates the average annual cost in 2025 is to heat a home in (a) Scotland and (b) Shetland.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not produce estimates of actual average annual costs of heating homes.
The Department of Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) publishes Annual domestic energy bills tables at Annual domestic energy bills - GOV.UK which provide annual estimates of gas and electricity bills. These are available at a Scotland and regional level, including for North Scotland.
As part of the Scottish House Condition Survey, the Scottish Government produces estimates of average fuel bills, which includes heating homes to specific heating regimes, as set out in The Fuel Poverty (Enhanced Heating) (Scotland) Regulations 2020, as part of the Scottish definition of fuel poverty, as set out in Fuel Poverty (Targets, Definition and Strategy) (Scotland) Act 2019. However, these estimates do not represent actual costs paid by households. However, beyond exact averages we are very conscious of differentials and heightened costs in rural and island Scotland and factor this in to all our relevant decision making.
- Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
-
Date lodged: Monday, 15 December 2025
-
Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 17 December 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-36786 by Mairi Gougeon on 22 April 2025, what the anticipated timeline is for the squid fishing trial.
Answer
Scottish Ministers remain committed to working collaboratively with stakeholders as part of the Squid Pilot Co-Management Group to develop and undertake a limited squid pilot project.
The squid pilot project will involve a number of inshore vessels and will gather information on the potential impacts of squid fishing on cod stocks and bycatch of non-target stocks. The outcomes of the pilot project will be analysed to support longer-term policy decisions on fishing for squid under the North Sea Cod Avoidance Plan (NCAP).
Work is currently underway on the design and scope of the project based on best available evidence, this includes detailed advice that has been produced by Nature Scot, with the intention of introducing the squid pilot project in 2026.
- Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
-
Date lodged: Monday, 15 December 2025
-
Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 17 December 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-36787 by Mairi Gougeon on 22 April 2025, whether it will provide an update on the work of the squid fishing trial.
Answer
Scottish Government officials have continued to undertake the work necessary to develop a squid pilot project to support longer-term policy decisions on fishing for squid under the North Sea Cod Avoidance Plan (NCAP). This has involved detailed analysis of the best available evidence and continued collaboration with stakeholders as part of the Squid Pilot Co-Management Group.
Officials in Marine Directorate are aiming to establish the parameters of the pilot project over the coming months with the aim of squid pilot taking place in certain trial areas in 2026. Further updates will be provided once the pilot project has commenced and data has been gathered.
- Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 December 2025
-
Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 17 December 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, based on its most recent fuel poverty modelling and analysis, how many households in each local authority area it estimates will be in (a) fuel poverty and (b) extreme fuel poverty between October and December 2025.
Answer
The Scottish Government has not produced estimates for each local authority area from the fuel poverty scenario modelling analysis for October to December 2025, due to small survey sample size and complexities involved.
In order to produce robust estimates for each local authority area, the scenario modelling would need to combine data from 3 years of the SHCS, which is not available due to suspension of SHCS survey due to Covid-19 in 2020 and a different survey design in 2021. The Scottish Government plans to resume the publication of Local Authority estimates from the SHCS in 2026, combining data from the 2022, 2023 and 2024 surveys.
The most up to date national figures can be found in the annual publication found at Scottish House Condition Survey: 2023 Key Findings - gov.scot (34% fuel poverty in 2023) and the most recent price cap scenario modelling found at: Introduction - Fuel Poverty Scenario Modelling based on Ofgem Energy Price Caps - up to January to March 2026 - gov.scot (33% fuel poverty in January to March 2026).
- Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 December 2025
-
Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 16 December 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6M-41590 by Gillian Martin on 11 November 2025, in relation to the 10 schemes that are in progress, whether it will provide a breakdown of (a) the number of properties protected, (b) the estimated completion date, (c) the reason why the 2021 timeframe has not been achieved and (c) what the (i) initial forecast, (ii) current cost and (iii) expected final cost is, and how much was spent on each of the nine schemes that were removed from the programme because they were no longer required.
Answer
Local authorities are responsible for developing and delivering flood protection schemes, supported by Scottish Government funding.
The 2015 Flood Risk Management Plans contained 42 flood protection schemes. 40 were initially eligible for funding. 9 were removed because they were no longer required, subject to alternative arrangements or failed to meet progress deadlines.
The total grant funding provided to these 9 schemes is £28.31m. This includes £22.973m provided to Falkirk Council for Grangemouth Flood Protection Scheme. GFPS remains under development, but subject to alternative funding arrangements.
Flood protection schemes can have impacts on individuals, communities and the environment, and require careful and thorough planning. Like all infrastructure projects, it can take many years for flood schemes to progress from option appraisal to completion.
Please see table for 10 schemes that are in progress below;
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
Port Glasgow - Bouverie Burn | | | | | |
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
Newton Stewart/ River Cree | | | | | |
| | | | | |
