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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-36017

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 21 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 2 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many sites have been identified in a pipeline of new receptor sites for beaver management translocations, and how many beavers each receptor site is likely to accommodate.

Work has been ongoing within public agencies to identify sites where beaver release may take place, within and on the edge of current range and in new catchments. A licence issued to the Cairngorms National Park Authority allows for a further five beaver families to be released. Forestry and Land Scotland have submitted an application for beaver translocation to Glen Affric within the Beauly catchment which is currently being assessed by NatureScot.

NatureScot encourages any landowner who is interested in hosting beavers to come forward so that they can discuss the licence application process with them and the suitability of sites. The number of beavers hosted will vary depending on the number of release sites and the local circumstances, however, this forms part of the application process considered by NatureScot.

Question reference: S6W-36021

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 21 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 1 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether in applications for (a) lethal control and (b) trap and removal licences for beavers, evidence is required to prove that alternative mitigation options have been tried but deemed unsuccessful.

All applications for trapping or lethal control of beavers require that satisfactory alternatives are considered.

The beaver licence application form asks what alternative mitigations have been attempted. NatureScot specialists can advise whether there are other satisfactory alternatives that could be put in place and can require that these should be attempted first, before determining an application for a licence.

Question reference: S6W-35999

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 21 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 31 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what communications it has had with the (a) UK Government and (b) Maritime and Coastguard Agency to improve the welfare of seafarers and offshore workers on vessels that use Scottish ports.

The Scottish Government has regular communication with the UK Government and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) on a variety of issues affecting the maritime industry in Scotland including related to seafarer welfare.

Whilst shipping safety, seafarer welfare and employment conditions are reserved functions, the Scottish Government is committed to working with the UK Government and the MCA to ensure that these matters are given the highest priority on those vessels accessing Scotland’s waters and ports.

Question reference: S6W-36000

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 21 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 27 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what communications it has had with the (a) UK Government and (b) Maritime and Coastguard Agency regarding any environmental impact on Scotland of the recent collision in the North Sea between an oil tanker and a cargo ship.

The Scottish Government's Marine Directorate operates a 24hr on-call cadre of Spill Response Duty Officers (MD-DOs). The role coordinates the environmental and public health response to any pollution event, or potential pollution event, in Scottish marine waters. Duty Officers are contacted regularly about incidents in Scottish and wider UK waters through the circulation of POLREPS (Pollution Reports) and SITREPS (Situation Reports). On Monday 10 March 2025, The MD-DO was included in the circulation of a SITREP from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, detailing the initial circumstances of the allision between the vessels MV Solong and the MV Stena Immaculate. The MD-DO was informed at an early stage that there was little or no risk of pollution in or close to Scottish waters and that information was passed to Ministers. Further updates were circulated from the UK Government's Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) and also shared with Ministers. The final update was shared on 13 March 2025, when the incident had stabilised and the emergency response was well established.

Question reference: S6W-35998

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 21 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 27 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the use of so-called "fire-and-rehire" practices in the public sector in Scotland, in light of the proposed Employment Rights Bill by the UK Government.

The Scottish Government has been consistently clear that it opposes fire and rehire practices.

The vast majority of employers consult and reach agreement with their employees when they have to consider making changes to contracts and will only consider using fire and rehire practices as an exceptional and pressing business necessity. In such cases, we are clear that there must be meaningful dialogue between employers and employees and their trade unions, to ensure transparency and that employees are treated fairly.

The Scottish Government welcomes the Employment Rights Bill, which is an opportunity to put on a statutory footing some of the progress we have made already in Scotland through our Fair Work approach with the levers at our disposal. Scottish Ministers are clear, however, that the best way to provide long term protection for Scotland’s workers is by devolving employment law.

Question reference: S6F-03968

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 24 March 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 March 2025

To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking to prevent instances of water scarcity in 2025.

Question reference: S6W-35623

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 20 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-32232 by Gillian Martin on 19 December 2024, what consideration it has given to (a) fisheries management and (b) the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010 with regard to the National Marine Plan 2.

Marine Planning in Scotland’s waters is governed by two Acts – the UK Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 and the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010. Together these set out the requirement for the development of marine plans.

A Planning Position Statement for NMP2 was published in November and covers how the requirements of the Marine Acts and other relevant legislation are being considered in the development of NMP2, as well as the initial thinking on policy direction for NMP2.

The responses to the consultation on the Planning Position Statement are currently being considered, and these stakeholder perspectives alongside the policies established in the fisheries management strategy and fisheries management plans, will inform the development of the NMP2.

Question reference: S6W-35397

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 17 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the declaration of a national housing emergency, what (a) measures beyond rent adjudication and (b) emergency measures it has considered to protect private rented sector tenants.

Following our declaration of a national housing emergency in May last year, we set out a response plan to focus in the short term on housing supply. This includes delivering more high quality, permanent homes - growing the economy and supporting affordable housing as a vital public service through increased private and public sector investment across all housing tenures.

The 2025-26 budget allocation of £768m represents an increase of over £200m when compared to the original 2024-25 published budget of £556m. This investment will help tackle the housing emergency while contributing towards our target of 110,000 affordable homes by 2032.

Alongside our Housing Emergency response work, the Housing Investment Taskforce will identify actions that will unlock both existing and new commitments to investment in housing – across all tenures – by bringing together key interests of investors and investees.

There are strong legislative protections that protect tenants living in the private rented sector, including the right to seek an independent adjudication of a rent increase.

It is critical that tenants are aware of their rights. We have therefore launched another wave of our Renters Rights Campaign to support private tenants understand their housing rights and exercise them.

Question reference: S6W-35405

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 17 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the continuing cost of living crisis, what (a) measures beyond rent adjudication and (b) emergency measures it has considered to protect private rented sector tenants.

Scotland already has the strongest protections for tenants in the UK. The rent adjudication process is in place to protect tenants from above market rent increases and it is one of a number if protections tenants have in place. An appeal can be made to the First Tier Tribunal if a landlord or tenant is not happy with a rent adjudication decision.

Raising awareness of the strong existing rights tenants have is critical. That is why we have launched a further Renters’ Rights Campaign. This will support tenants understand their rights, how to use them and where to seek further advice and support.

Question reference: S6W-35403

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 17 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the Housing (Scotland) Bill, what contact it has had with (a) individual tenants and (b) representative tenant bodies.