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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-29410

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 02 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 17 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has met (a) BT Openreach and (b) mobile phone service providers to discuss improving access to a phone signal on train routes in the Highlands and Islands region, and, if so, what the outcome was.

The Scottish Government’s recently concluded £28.75 million Scottish 4G Infill investment programme and the UK Government’s ongoing Shared Rural Network programme have, and are continuing, to deliver widespread improvements to mobile connectivity across the whole of Scotland.

The Scottish Government continues to engage with BT Openreach and the mobile network operators to improve phone connectivity across the country, which includes access on train routes in the Highlands and Islands region. However, policy relating to telecommunications, including mobile communications, is reserved to the UK Government.

Question reference: S6W-29431

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 02 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 17 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how it works with teachers to improve its Reading Schools programme.

The Scottish Government funds the Scottish Book Trust (SBT) to deliver the Reading Schools programme and therefore SBT works with teachers to seek feedback and improve its programme.

SBT seek feedback from teachers taking part in the programme via annual surveys. They conduct three teacher surveys: one to gather feedback on their Professional Learning offer; a second one focusing on the process for staff experience; and a final survey that is sent after accreditation is granted to assess the impact of the programme on the school.

Question reference: S6W-29355

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 17 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason Marine Scotland is reportedly unable to conduct a further inspection of the partially deconstructed man-made causeway between the Isles of Luing and Torsa, as requested by members of the community in Luing.

Marine Directorate - Licensing Operations Team (MD-LOT), on behalf of Scottish Ministers, investigated the unlicensed construction of a causeway between Luing and Torsa between September 2021 and July 2022. During that time, several site visits were undertaken by authorised Marine Enforcement officers (MEOs) and remedial works were instructed under Section 44 of the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010. Following a final visit to the site by MEOs, these works were completed to the satisfaction of MD-LOT on 26 July 2022. No further enforcement action is planned in this case.

Question reference: S6W-29210

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 17 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with Comhairle nan Eilean Siar regarding reported calls to upgrade the road leading into the Gearrannan Blackhouse Village.

Transport Scotland has had no engagement with Comhairle nan Eilean Siar regarding reported calls to upgrade the road leading into the Gearrannan Blackhouse Village. Transport Scotland has responsibility for the trunk road network, and as such has no responsibility for that road as it is not a trunk road.

Local authorities have a duty under the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 to manage and maintain local roads in their area and duties under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 to secure the expeditious, convenient and safe movement of traffic.

Ultimately, it is for locally elected representatives to make local decisions on how best to deliver services to their local communities.

Question reference: S6W-29215

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 17 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any ongoing repair work at Castle of Old Wick, and when it will reopen to the public.

Question reference: S6F-03373

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 16 September 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 September 2024

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to reports that Transport Scotland has spent more than £16 million on consultancy fees in relation to the A83 Rest and Be Thankful project.

Question reference: S6W-29364

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 16 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has given any consideration to establishing a publicly available real-time map of (a) proposed, (b) ongoing and (c) completed energy infrastructure projects.

The Scottish Parliament publishes a renewable energy map of Scotland which is available here Renewable energy map of Scotland – SPICe Spotlight | Solas air SPICe (spice-spotlight.scot) This makes available details of operational and planned renewable energy generation projects.

The data that the map is based on comes from the Renewable Energy Planning Database: quarterly extract, which is maintained by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.

The Electricity System Operator (ESO) provides a map which provides a view of the current and what the potential future electricity transmission system could look like out to 2040. Note this is for illustrative purposes only. The map can be viewed here - Web map | ESO (nationalgrideso.com)

The Scottish Government is not, at this time, considering to establish anything further to this already publicly available information.

Question reference: S6W-29607

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 13 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to reopen its Pathways Pre-Start Fund for applications in the 2024-25 financial year.

The Scottish Government launched a call for applications for the What you can apply for - Pathways Fund: form and guidance - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) between 19th July 2024 and 30th August 2024.

We welcomed bids from organisations registered in the UK, who are providing support to pre-start entrepreneurs and/or early stage businesses in Scotland.

We are currently processing the applications received and successful applicants will be announced in due course.

Question reference: S6W-29433

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 02 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 13 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the organisations that received funding from its Ecosystem Fund in 2023-24, broken down by local authority area.

Question reference: S6W-29208

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 13 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many whistleblowing champions it currently employs.