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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 MSPs 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: S6O-03320

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S6W-25559

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 26 March 2024

Question reference: S6W-26108

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 26 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made on the review of the Clean Air Act 1993, as set out in the Clean Air for Scotland strategy published in 2021, and whether it has considered introducing any changes for controlling domestic combustion emissions such as incentivising the use of electrostatic particulate filters for wood burners.

As part of the delivery of our Cleaner Air for Scotland 2 strategy, we are taking forward a review of the Clean Air Act 1993 working closely with SEPA and Local Authorities to focus the review and develop initial findings. From January 2022 Ecodesign standards now apply for all new wood burning appliances. We are currently developing our public engagement framework for air quality, and as part of that we will consider the best approach for engaging with the public on domestic burning issues.

Question reference: S6W-25558

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 25 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the licensing conditions for wrasse harvesting and its evidence base for carrying out an appropriate assessment of wrasse fisheries management in special areas of conservation, in relation to the (a) goldsinny, (b) rock cook, (c) corkwing, (d) ballan and (e) cuckoo species of wrasse, what length the (i) male and (ii) female fish are on their (A) first, (B) second, (C) third, (D) fourth and (E) subsequent breeding season(s).

Question reference: S6W-25557

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 25 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the licensing conditions for wrasse harvesting and its evidence base for carrying out an appropriate assessment of wrasse fisheries management in special areas of conservation, in which months of the year the gonads of the (a) goldsinny, (b) rock cook, (c) corkwing, (d) ballan and (e) cuckoo species of wrasse (i) are most developed and (ii) spawn.

Under the Habitats Regulations there is a requirement to carry out an appropriate assessment where an activity is capable of affecting a designated feature of a Special Area of Conservation (SAC). Wrasse are not a protected feature in any Scottish SAC.

At the introduction of the licence variation ,The Scottish Government was not required to carry out an Appropriate Assessment (AA) for the wrasse fishery under the Habitats Regulations, as wrasse are not protected features in any of Scotland’s Special Areas of Conservation. The licence condition brought control to a fishery that previously had no management measures. There is an association between wrasse and rocky reef, however an appropriate assessment would only be required if evidence showed pots had a significant impact on the reefs. We will continue to work with NatureScot and if evidence shows an AA is necessary, one will be undertaken. Therefore, at this present time, the Scottish Government does not hold the information you have requested. Additional data collected through the licence condition to fish for wrasse will be published in the coming months.

Question reference: S6O-03288

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 March 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the Cost of Living (Tenant Protection) (Scotland) Act 2022.

Question reference: S6W-25555

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 28 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the licence conditions to fish for wild wrasse, how its Marine Directorate ensures that each vessel deploys a maximum of 250 wrasse traps at any one time.

Marine Directorate Compliance Operations use a risk-based procedure which considers intelligence, likelihood, and impact on environment and fishery resources to ensure the conditions of the wrasse derogation are adhered to. For example, wrasse fishers are required to submit weekly data returns, in addition to their FISH1 forms, which can highlight if a fisher may be using more than 250 traps a day.

Marine Directorate have recently consulted on proposals to require a tracking device on all under 12 metre fishing vessels in Scotland. The consultation responses are currently being analysed and will be published in due course and depending on the outcome of the consultation, if implemented, this could provide additional compliance monitoring of the fishery.

Question reference: S6W-25556

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 27 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many vessels are currently licensed to fish for wild wrasse, and how many of these use creels for other species in addition to wrasse traps.

The wrasse fishing season is open from 1 May to 30 November, so at present no vessels hold a derogation giving permission from Scottish Ministers to fish for wild wrasse. Applications are assessed on a year by year basis, and do not automatically carry over. In the 2023 season, 67 vessels were issued with a derogation and of those 51 used creels to fish for other species at some point over the course of 2023.

Question reference: S6F-02798

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 05 February 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 February 2024

To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking to strengthen enforcement powers in relation to long-term empty homes.

Question reference: S6W-25083

Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Withdrawn