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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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

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Question reference: S6W-41798

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 10 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 24 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to use the Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund to drive growth and sustainability in coastal communities and the fishing sector, and how it expects the fund will halt or reverse the decline in the number of (a) fishers and (b) fishing vessels, as outlined in the recent Scottish Sea Fisheries Statistics for 2024.

The allocation of just £28m of the £360 million Fishing and Coastal Fund is a hammer blow for our fishing sector. Scotland accounts for over 60% of the UK’s fishing capacity and seafood exports, with Scottish vessels landing over 75% of UK quota species. Scotland’s allocation should be at least 46%, reflecting our share of the UK’s EU fisheries funding.

We understand from the UK Government that the funding will not be provided until the financial year 2026-27, and that it will be spread over 12 years. The Scottish Government will make funding decisions for 2026-27 and future years in the upcoming Scottish Budget and Spending Review. When that process concludes we will be able to provide more detail on future years of marine funding in Scotland. However, this unfair allocation severely restricts our ability to support our industry which faces mounting pressures, and the very small allocation will do little to address these. I am strongly urging the UK Government to reconsider this decision.

Meanwhile, our Marine Fund Scotland (MFS) has been supporting new entrants into Scotland's Fishing industry and innovation withing the sector since 2021. Since the MFS's launch, a total of over £40 million in grant funding has been awarded to the fishing sector, supporting 45 new entrants into the sector and enabling £85 million investment. The Scottish Government remains committed to working with industry, coastal communities and stakeholders to ensure a sustainable and thriving future for Scotland's Fisheries. I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-41725 on 13 November 2025 which sets out the Scottish Governments full response to the 2024 Scottish Sea Fisheries Statistics.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.

Question reference: S6W-42031

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 November 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 4 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many times the Deer Code has been used to inform action of the ground by NatureScot to reduce deer (a) numbers and (b) damage.

Question reference: S6W-42030

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 November 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 4 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether NatureScot will carry out a review of the current Deer Code and how effective its implementation has been by the agency before a new Deer Code is produced, as proposed by part 4 of the Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill.

Question reference: S6W-42034

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 November 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 4 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many completed peatland restoration projects funded by the Peatland Action Fund have subsequently been damaged by deer populations, and what steps have been taken by NatureScot to prevent such damage from re-occurring.

Question reference: S6W-42032

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 November 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 4 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how the Deer Code was used to inform action under section 8 of the Deer (Scotland) Act 1996 at Loch Choire Estate in Sutherland.

Question reference: S6W-42033

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 November 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 4 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what the financial cost has been of damage by deer populations to areas of peatlands that have been restored under the Peatland Action Fund.

Question reference: S6W-41436

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 19 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to review its compliance with, including ministerial performance, section 315 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 1987, which refers to byelaws with respect to accommodation for seasonal workers.

We know that there is a gap in protection for seasonal workers and it is something we are very keen to address as urgently as we can.

As I stated during the Housing Bill debate, I do not think that it is appropriate to require ministers to make byelaws and therefore don’t feel that we should be considering reviewing section 315 of the Housing (Scotland) Act.

Instead, the Scottish Government will look to introduce a set of bespoke statutory accommodation standards, for all seasonal workers, and all routes will be considered for what will be the best path to take when introducing these standards.

Question reference: S6W-41960

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 November 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 3 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what policy it plans to implement to classify battery storage as energy generation.

Question reference: S6W-41963

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 November 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 3 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to review the level of grant support available for solar thermal installations, with a view to bringing it in line with that for solar photovoltaic (PV) systems.

Question reference: S6W-41964

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 November 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 3 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any impact of solar thermal installations on a building's Energy Performance Certificate (EPC).