Seòmar agus comataidhean

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

Criathragan Hide all filters

Displaying 755 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S6W-33883

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 29 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government in what ways it feeds the views of the Regional Inshore Fisheries Groups into fisheries policy-making.

Our six national RIFG Chairs regularly meet both with fishing industry stakeholders throughout their respective areas, as well as Marine Directorate officials. Outputs of these meetings help ensure that the views of Scotland’s small fishing businesses, particularly those who do not have formal representation, are heard and incorporated into policy development.

A recent example of this relationship is Marine Directorate implementation of Interim Measures for protection of under-pressure crab and lobster stocks during 2024. The RIFG network took a lead role during an intense, month-long consultation period which involved engagement with over 400 fishers. These views were collated and helped inform policy advice on the use of short-term Interim Measures ahead of the 2024 fishing season.

Question reference: S6W-33908

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 29 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how much the Marine Directorate spent on the (a) maintenance, (b) repair and (c) fuel costs of the (i) patrol boats and (ii) patrol planes that it has had access to in each year since 2021.

Patrol Vessels

The following table sets out the patrol vessel spend for the last three financial years, for the purposes of the response maintenance includes the maintenance of the vessels, cranes and landing craft both at refit and on an ongoing basis.

Vessels	2021-22				2022-23				2023-24
Vessels	Hirta	Jura	Minna	Total	Hirta	Jura	Minna	Total	Hirta	Jura	Minna	Total
Fuel	£529,446	£504,358	£280,870	£1,314,674	£919,617	£916,924	£439,914	£2,276,455	£738,498	£667,363	£401,065	£1,806,926
Maintenance	£55,696	£232,007	£50,430	£338,133	£181,903	£139,499	£162,687	£484,089	£685,172	£400,509	£277,382	£1,363,063
Repairs	£82,756	£129,213	£54,481	£266,450	£84,780	£139,971	£108,982	£333,734	£126,259	£417,382	£83,118	£626,759

Patrol Aircraft

The Scottish Government engages an external contractor to provide aerial surveillance services utilising our aircraft by providing certification, maintenance and crewing for the aircraft. The following table sets out the aerial surveillance costs for the last three financial years of which a small proportion of the maintenance cost is borne by the external contractor with the main proportion being carried by the Scottish Government and billed as part of the contracted cost.

Aircraft	2021-22	2022-23	2023-24
Fuel	173,097	199,586	141,102
Aerial Surveillance Ops	1,324,482	1,407,115	1,529,433

Question reference: S6W-33859

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 29 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to consult stakeholders on the future of the Sea Fish (Prohibition on Fishing) (Firth of Clyde) Order 2024.

Question reference: S6W-33821

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 28 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government which organisations have received funding from the Victim Surcharge Fund since 31 March 2024, also broken down by how much each received.

The following organisations have received funding from the victim surcharge fund since 31 March 2024

Victim Support Scotland	£850,000
The Moira Fund	£14,500
Dumbarton District Women's Aid	£13,500
Survivors of Human Trafficking Scotland (SOHTIS)	£27,465
Central Advocacy Partners	£5,000
Women's Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre Dundee and Angus	£10,000
Migrant Help	£73,985
Action Against Stalking	£16,000
AberNecessities	£67,100
Women's Aid South Lanarkshire & East Renfrewshire (WASLER)	£31,800
Jubilee House	£10,000
6VT Edinburgh City Youth Café	£5,000

Question reference: S6W-33360

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 17 January 2025
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 28 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how its Farming Opportunities for New Entrants (FONE) group engages with agricultural stakeholders.

Question reference: S6W-33370

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 17 January 2025
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 28 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether the priority to "provide a council to share progress, challenges, and opportunities across a range of government and non-governmental support for agricultural New Entrants in Scotland" as set out by the council members of its Farming Opportunities for New Entrants (FONE) group for 2024-25 has been achieved and, if so, by what method.

Question reference: S6W-33364

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 17 January 2025
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 28 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government who the chairperson is of its Farming Opportunities for New Entrants (FONE) group.

Question reference: S6W-33822

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 28 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many applications for support from the Victim Surcharge Fund have been rejected since 31 March 2024.

Question reference: S6W-33820

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 28 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what the current balance is of the Victim Surcharge Fund.

Question reference: S6W-33856

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 28 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, other than Scottish salmon, what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding designating food and drink products with a protected geographical indication, and what the outcome was.

The Scottish Government continues to engage with the UK Government on the designation of food and drink products as geographical indications through its status as a constituent member of the UK GI scheme panel.

The operation of the UK GI schemes is reserved and is run by The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), where all applications are submitted directly to them for consideration. It is for producers themselves to apply for protection under these schemes, and the Scottish Government seeks to support and promote applications from Scotland.

The final decisions on whether to grant a GI are made by the Secretary of State. However, a panel made up of representatives from Defra and the devolved administrations reviews all applications (including third country applications) and makes a collective decision as to whether they should proceed to the Secretary of State for consideration.