Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-41303

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 11 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-41119 by Jim Fairlie on 9 October 2025, which stakeholders were invited and who attended the Wildfire Summit on 14 October 2025.

With regards to which stakeholders were invited to the Wildfire Summit held on 14 October 2025, I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-41157 on 6 November 2025. 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

The Scottish Government did not keep a register of those that attended the Wildfire Summit.

Question reference: S6W-41363

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 11 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the carbon footprint of data centres operating in Scotland, how the outcomes of any such assessments align with its net zero targets, and what measures are in place to ensure that new data centres meet environmental sustainability standards, including in relation to energy efficiency and renewable energy use.

In Scotland, there are a range of data centres serving public and private sector requirements. There has been no overall assessment of the carbon footprint of these facilities in Scotland.

The European Commission has adopted a new delegated regulation on the first phase for establishing an EU-wide scheme to rate the sustainability of EU data centres which the Scottish Government is monitoring. However significant parts of this directive fall out with the devolved powers of Scottish Parliament. Scottish Government will however consider alignment for parts of the directive that fall within devolved competency. We are in discussion with the UK government around their plans to align UK policy to this directive.

Existing co-location commercial data centre operators have been contacted directly by our economic agencies to explore routes to decarbonise their facilities and operations, with operators being signposted to relevant funding opportunities.

Where proposals for new data centres come forward, our Fourth National Planning Framework (NPF4) ensures their potential impacts are important considerations in planning decision-making. NPF4 needs to be read and applied as a whole, and all applications are subject to site specific assessments.

NPF4 Policy 2 (climate mitigation and adaptation) requires development proposals to be sited and designed to minimise lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions as far as possible. We have published new planning guidance supporting the application of NPF4 policy 2 setting out a proportionate approach to dealing with whole life carbon through the planning process, drawing on recent research and international best practice.

NPF4 Policy 19 (heating and cooling) sets out that National and Major developments that will generate waste or surplus heat, and which are located in areas of heat demand, should include a Heat and Power Plan to demonstrate how energy recovered from the development will be used to produce electricity and heat.

New data centre buildings must also be designed and constructed in compliance with the relevant building regulations applicable to non-domestic buildings, including standard 6.1 which focuses on the reduction of energy demand arising from the use of heating, hot water, lighting, ventilation and cooling systems in a new building.

Question reference: S6F-04446

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 10 November 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 13 November 2025

To ask the First Minister whether the Scottish Government is still on track to restore 250,000 hectares of peatland by 2030.

Question reference: S6W-41397

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 6 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider extending the scope of the Matthews Second Options Exercise pension remedy to include retained firefighters, who received retaining fees, but served at stations not formally designated as retained stations.

The Scottish Government is currently consulting on amendments to the terms of the Matthews Second Options Exercise, the scope of which is contained within the Firefighters’ Pension Scheme (Scotland) Order 2007.

The Scottish Government will fully consider all matters raised by respondents to the consultation, which can be viewed at: https://pensions.gov.scot/sites/default/files/2025-09/Retained%20Firefighters%20Pensions%20%28Matthews%29%20-%20Consultation%202025.pdf

Question reference: S6W-41396

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 6 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made by the Scottish Public Pensions Agency in determining whether retained firefighters serving at non-designated retained stations are eligible under the Matthews Second Options Exercise pension remedy.

Question reference: S6W-41270

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 30 October 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, whether it remains committed to (a) the aims of the legislation and (a) an operational licensing scheme by autumn 2026.

The Scottish Government remains committed to the aims of the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Act 2024 which includes introducing a licensing scheme and associated training requirements for muirburn so that it can be undertaken in an environmentally sustainable manner.

We are hopeful that the delay to the implementation of the licensing scheme until Autumn 2026 will provide us with the time and opportunity to carefully consider the upcoming changes to muirburn practices and how these changes can be brought forward in a way which does not adversely affect our ability to prevent and respond to wildfires.

Question reference: S6W-41301

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 30 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to instruct NatureScot to produce reports on any impact of the wildfires reportedly caused by out of control muirburn that occurred in 2025, including those on the Tinto Hills SSSI, North Bute Oakwoods SSSI, Muir of Dinnet NNR and Culblean Hill in the Cairngorms National Park on 9 October.

The Scottish Government is keen to learn, along with others, about the impact of wildfires to develop a better understanding of fire risks and fire resilient landscapes.

NatureScot will be reporting and monitoring the impact of the fire, which affected a relatively small area, on the Muir of Dinnet National Nature Reserve. They will also look into assessing the impact on Culbean Hill Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSI) and learning about the impact on the other SSSIs.

Question reference: S6W-41287

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 30 October 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.

Wildfire, as we saw this summer, is very damaging to our precious peatland carbon stores and the Scottish Government is incredibly grateful to the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, gamekeepers, land managers, volunteers, partners, landowners, the extended local community, the wider land management sector and indeed to everyone who played a part in getting these under control.

Scottish Ministers held a wildfires summit on 14 October to consider how we can together to improve our preparedness for wildfires in the future. The increased wildfire risk in Scotland cannot be ignored and muirburn is a tool we cannot afford to lose.

Delaying the muirburn licensing scheme is a difficult but necessary decision to ensure there are no unintended consequences in regards to muirburns role in wildfire mitigation.

Question reference: S6W-41346

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 30 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken in relation to the reported 75,000 farmed salmon escaping at the Mowi-owned Gorsten salmon farm, at Loch Linnhe, during recent Storm Amy.

Through the Aquaculture and Fisheries (Scotland) Act (AFSA) 2007, the Scottish Government requires satisfactory measures to be in place at fish farm sites for the purposes of the containment of fish and the prevention of escape of fish. Where satisfactory measures are found not to be in place, Scottish Ministers may serve an enforcement notice. Fish farm operators are required to report the details of any circumstances which caused or might have caused an escape of fish from a fish farm site. In this case, the site operator has followed reporting protocols and reported the incident to the Fish Health Inspectorate (FHI). The FHI has attended the site and is conducting an escape investigation and enhanced containment inspection. In addition, the details of this incident will be published on Scotland’s Aquaculture website. Any escape of farmed fish is regrettable and we expect all farmers to minimise the risk of escapes.

We will continue to work with the sector to reduce the risk of escapes, supported by existing legislation and the FHI’s associated inspection regime. The Scottish Government supports innovation in the sector, including where it helps to reduce the risk of fish escaping from fish farms.

Question reference: S6W-41300

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 29 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, following its decision to further delay the implementation of the revised muirburn licensing scheme, what assessment it has made of any potential impact of public exposure to fire-related fine particulate matter (PM2.5).

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