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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

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Question reference: S6W-40184

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 01 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 10 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the funding provided to each Scottish Mountain Rescue team, in each of the last five years.

The Scottish Government provides an annual grant to Scottish Mountain Rescue, which they distribute onwards to all of Scotland’s volunteer mountain rescue teams including Glencoe and Cairngorm which are not affiliated with Scottish Mountain Rescue, according to an agreed and established formula. Information from Scottish Mountain Rescue on the funding that each team has received in the last 5 years is set out in the following table:

Team Name	Apr 2020 - Mar 2021	Apr 2021 - Mar 2022	Apr 2022 - Mar 2023	Apr 2023 - Mar 2024	Apr 2024 - Mar 2025	Total
Aberdeen MRT	10,024.66	10,372.88	10,721.08	10,848.40	10,443.18	52,410.20
Arran MRT	12,259.62	11,745.61	12,287.49	11,280.23	11,011.71	58,584.66
Arrochar MRT	11,395.85	11,003.03	11,529.98	11,485.21	11,589.07	57,003.14
Assynt MRT	9,220.56	9,580.92	10,234.07	10,970.49	10,698.58	50,704.62
Borders Search and Rescue	10,859.48	11,000.25	11,607.48	11,685.47	11,347.64	56,500.32
Braemar MRT	13,626.03	14,101.65	14,370.18	14,342.12	14,312.52	70,752.50
Cairngorm MRT	16,052.56	16,052.56	16,978.67	16,978.67	16,978.67	83,041.13
Dundonnel MRT	14,783.79	14,760.47	15,573.25	16,118.53	15,510.59	76,746.63
Galloway MRT	11,281.85	11,271.54	11,711.36	11,559.73	11,072.40	56,896.88
Glencoe MRT	18,453.12	18,453.12	19,517.72	19,517.72	19,517.72	95,459.40
Glenelg MRT	6,907.97	6,985.66	7,151.30	7,049.61	6,898.61	34,993.15
Glenmore Lodge MRT	4,000.00	4,000.00	4,230.77	4,230.77	4,230.77	20,692.31
Hebridean Search and Rescue	9,092.94	9,334.97	9,379.41	9,084.53	8,722.56	45,614.41
Killin MRT	13,747.67	14,435.01	15,255.26	14,892.53	14,494.62	72,825.09
Kintail MRT	8,531.18	8,479.04	8,912.36	8,694.06	8,970.64	43,587.28
Lochaber MRT	24,484.53	24,484.53	25,897.10	25,897.10	25,897.10	126,660.36
Lomond MRT	13,451.78	13,959.31	15,050.04	15,065.03	14,905.52	72,431.68
Moffat MRT	10,345.26	10,460.14	11,066.28	10,941.19	10,231.33	53,044.20
Oban MRT	11,034.07	10,800.00	11,378.44	11,334.58	11,855.42	56,402.51
Ochils MRT	11,163.73	11,371.75	12,460.79	12,905.25	12,455.10	60,356.62
Search and Rescue Aerial Association	0	0	0	0	3,485.59	3,485.59
Search and Rescue Dog Association Scotland	6,478.10	5,810.99	5,668.24	5,796.72	5,624.45	29,378.50
Search and Rescue Dog Association Southern Scotland	4,706.59	4,478.90	4,563.12	4,735.35	4,771.54	23,255.50
Scottish cave Rescue Organisation	4,185.17	4,399.23	6,093.27	6,016.83	5,876.95	26,571.45
Skye MRT	16,751.66	15,652.75	16,232.34	16,483.51	16,883.22	82,003.48
Tayside MRT	14,398.93	14,013.34	14,992.87	14,699.51	16,090.32	74,194.97
Torridon MRT	9,971.20	9,480.18	9,556.21	9,477.21	8,742.02	47,226.82
Tweed Valley MRT	14,791.70	15,512.16	17,580.91	17,909.64	17,382.16	83,176.57

Question reference: S6W-40185

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 01 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 10 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports of an increase in call-outs for the Assynt Mountain Rescue team, what plans it has to increase funding for Scottish Mountain Rescue teams.

The Scottish Government provides an annual grant to Scottish Mountain Rescue, which they distribute onwards to all of Scotland’s individual volunteer teams. This distribution follows an agreed and established formula that takes into account relative changes in team activity levels, alongside a range of other relevant factors. Scotland is the only part of the UK in which volunteer mountain rescue teams are supported in this way. While the overall budget for this grant is determined on an annual basis, the Scottish Mountain Rescue grant has, for this year, been included in the Scottish Government’s Fairer Funding pilot. This inclusion offers increased assurance that funding will be maintained at no less than the current level until at least March 2027.

Question reference: S6W-40182

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Monday, 01 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 10 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what emergency funding it is providing to any producers negatively impacted by the recent introduction of water abstraction restrictions.

Climate change is clearly driving more extreme weather, and this summer has brought very dry conditions across Scotland, particularly in the east, resulting in eight catchment areas now experiencing significant water scarcity. In response, we are implementing Scotland’s National Water Scarcity Plan in collaboration with SEPA and Scottish Water to support those affected.

Since spring, we have worked with SEPA and partners to communicate water scarcity risks to producers. SEPA has also contacted all impacted abstraction license holders directly to offer advice and is working closely with affected businesses. While this is a challenging time, SEPA are reporting encouraging levels of compliance on the ground.

To reduce the impact on agriculture, the Scottish Government’s Agri-Environment Climate Scheme (AECS) promotes sustainable land management, including water-use efficiency and water management measures such as irrigation lagoons.

Since 2024, AECS has raised the grant ceiling for irrigation lagoons to £40,000 and enabled applications to be made as either a simplified standalone item or as part of a wider application. Additionally, the Future Farming Investment Scheme launched this year, offering £14 million in capital funding to support improvements in efficiency, nature restoration, and climate change mitigation and adaptation.

Recognising the increasing challenges posed by climate change, we remain committed to continuing with reformed direct payments. These provide farmers with vital financial stability, helping them to plan and continue producing food sustainably in the face of more frequent and severe weather events.

Question reference: S6W-40083

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 25 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 9 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many members of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh there have been in each year since 2021.

Question reference: S6W-40120

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 29 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 9 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether Transport Scotland has issued any penalties to Amey as a result of any delays to the completion of work on the A96 Union Bridge at Keith, and, if so, whether it will provide details of this.

Question reference: S6W-40080

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 25 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 9 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what work the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh does to support (a) further and (b) higher education institutions.

Question reference: S6W-40079

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 25 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 9 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how much the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh has spent on conversation projects (a) in Scotland, (b) in the rest of the UK and (c) outside of the UK in each year since 2021.

Question reference: S6W-40082

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 25 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 9 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what outreach work the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh currently carries out in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools.

Question reference: S6W-40078

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 25 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 9 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many vacancies there are at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh as of 31 July 2025.

Question reference: S6W-40081

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 25 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 9 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how much the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh has spent on diversity, equality and inclusion (a) officers and (b) training in each year since 2021.