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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: S6W-41287

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 October 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 10 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-41119 by Jim Fairlie on 9 October 2025, regarding the delaying of the implementation of the muirburn provisions under the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Act 2024 until the start of the next muirburn season in Autumn 2026, for what reason it considers that its decision to permit intentional muirburn over a longer period than that agreed by the Parliament will help address wildfires, in light of Scottish Fire and Rescue Service data reportedly indicating that intentional muirburns that have got out of control have been the fourth biggest cause of primary wildfires in the Highlands and Islands over the last five years.

Question reference: S6W-40680

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 19 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 3 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will clarify its commitment to funding Rapid Rehousing Transition Plans beyond 2026-27, in light of its decision to provide multi-year funding for the delivery of social and affordable housing.

Rapid Rehousing Transition Plans were developed by local authorities in 2018, with funding support of £2m from the Scottish Government. The five-year plans set out how each local authority would transition to a rapid rehousing approach to homelessness between 2019-2024. The Scottish Government provided local authorities with £8m per annum between 2019-2024 to support the delivery of these plans. An additional £5.5m was provided to support the delivery of a Housing First Pathfinder programme between 2019 and 2022.

While positive progress was made in the initial five-year period, the Scottish Government recognised that implementation was impeded by external factors, including the pandemic and the cost of living crisis. As a result, Scottish Government funding was extended for an additional two years, with £8m provided in both 2024-25 and 2025-26. The Scottish Government has also acted to boost rapid rehousing transition plan funding to respond to pressures, with a £5m uplift provided in 2020-21 (bringing total funding that year to £13m) and a £2m uplift provided in both 2023-24 and 2024-25 (bringing total funding in both of those years to £10m).

The Scottish Government recognises the essential role that rapid rehousing, including Housing First, continues to play in tackling homelessness and supporting people into settled homes. That is why we announced a £1m Housing First uplift to funding in 2025-26 and a further extension of £8m funding in 2026-27 as part of our Housing Emergency Action Plan. This will support local authorities to mainstream rapid rehousing activity and funding, and brings total investment since 2018-19 to £81.5m.

Future funding for rapid rehousing beyond 2026-27 will be considered as part of the Scottish Government’s normal budgetary process to ensure resources are directed where they can have the greatest impact. Funding to date is set out in the following table.

Purpose	Amount
Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan Development 2018-19	£2m
Housing First Pathfinder 2019-2022	£5.5m
Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan Implementation - initial five year period 2019-2024	2019-20 £8m 2020-21 £8m + £5m pandemic response uplift 2021-22 £8m 2022-23 £8m 2023-24 £8m +£2m temporary accommodation uplift
Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan Implementation – extended funding 2024-27	2024-25 £8m +£2m temporary accommodation uplift 2025-26 £8m + £1m Housing First uplift 2026-27 £8m
Total	£81.5m

Question reference: S6W-40957

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 October 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 30 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has regarding the recorded landings of (a) haddock, (b) whiting, (c) cod and (d) saithe by weight at west coast fishing harbours in (i) 1987, (ii) 1988, (iii)1989, (iv) 1990 and (v) 1991, and how this compares with returns for wild salmon.

Question reference: S6W-40956

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 October 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 30 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what work it has carried out regarding the establishment of (a) modern apprenticeships in construction and (b) a flexible modern apprenticeship model that could be delivered in rural areas.

Question reference: S6W-40958

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 October 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 30 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of Marine Fund Scotland's award of the collection of fisheries observer data to commercial subsidiaries of the Scottish Fishermen's Federation, how these commercial subsidiaries are working on this with the Marine Directorate, and by what date the data and accompanying documents from the project will be released.

Question reference: S6W-40954

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 October 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 30 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of what was set out in the Construction Skills Investment Plan 2015, whether it has developed annual regional demand statements for modern apprenticeships and, if so, how these can be accessed.

Question reference: S6W-40955

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 October 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 30 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Construction Skills Investment Plan 2015, which identified the need for flexible models of modern apprenticeship delivery, what progress it has made towards achieving this outcome, particularly for tiling and roof slating modern apprenticeships in rural areas.

Question reference: S6O-05043

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 October 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what scoping work it has undertaken regarding dualling and electrifying the Highland Main Line.

Question reference: S6W-40857

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 October 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 29 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential (a) environmental and (b) economic impact on Scotland of any breakdown of the Gulf Stream and its associated currents, and what action it has carried out to prepare for any such eventuality.

Question reference: S6W-40952

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 October 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 29 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what advice and recommendations it has received, and from whom, regarding the proposed Nature Conservation Order to protect the Parallel Roads of Lochaber Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) at Achnabobane.