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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.

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Question reference: S6W-40093

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 25 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 4 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what the total cost to produce a single Baby Box was in each year since they were introduced, also broken down by the component parts and items included.

Scotland’s Baby Box is a universal demand led programme and the cost for the programme fluctuates according to Scotland’s birth rates. The specific cost of the items contained within the Baby Box and the box itself are subject to commercial sensitivity of the contract the Scottish Government has with its managing agent APS (Scotland) Group.

The total cost of an individual Baby Box which includes contents and all logistics is provided in the following table.

Year	Estimated cost per Baby Box
2018	£182
2019	£188
2020	£181
2021	£183
2022	£167
2023	£194
2024	£148

Question reference: S6W-40164

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 4 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-39896 by Angus Robertson on 27 August 2025, whether it will provide the information requested regarding whether the topic of Scottish independence was discussed in the meeting between the First Minister and the President of the European Commission on 26 July 2025.

Question reference: S6W-40152

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 4 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has paid consultants related to its work to support (a) the introduction and development of AI across the public sector and (b) staff training on the use of AI.

The Scottish Government does not hold information on payments to consultants for (a) the introduction and development of AI across the public sector or (b) staff training on the use of AI.

However, the Scottish Government has prioritised building internal capability and expertise to ensure sustainable and responsible adoption of AI technologies.

Work to support the development and implementation of AI has been led by civil servants, supported by specialist input from The Data Lab, in line with the Scottish Government’s AI Strategy which promotes inclusive, ethical, and trustworthy use of AI. Staff training and upskilling in AI have also been delivered internally including by the Scottish Digital Academy.

Question reference: S6O-04917

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 September 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 11 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what support it can offer to help local authorities protect council-run and arm’s-length external organisation-run community facilities.

Question reference: S6W-40075

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 25 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 3 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what specialist equipment the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service has to extinguish fires that originate in the nacelles of wind turbines, and whether it can provide details of how widely available any such equipment is.

Fires within wind turbine nacelles are rare, but they present significant challenges due to height, access limitations, and associated electrical and mechanical hazards.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) does not hold specific specialist equipment to extinguish nacelle fires. SFRS adopts a defensive strategy that prioritises public and firefighter safety, containment of the incident, and protection of the environment. Firefighting operations are not undertaken within the nacelle or tower itself. This approach is consistent with UK-wide national operational guidance.

Question reference: S6W-39881

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 3 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has engaged with the UK Government on any proposals to reform the grid connection queue in order to remove so-called zombie scheme energy applications, and, if so, whether it will provide details of such engagement.

Question reference: S6W-39895

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 3 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31917 by Neil Gray on 13 December 2024, whether it will provide an update on how many Scottish Graduate Entry Medicine (ScotGEM) graduates from summer 2023 did not take up a GPST 1 post in Scotland following completion of their foundation year 2, and what their destination was.

A total of 46 students graduated from the ScotGEM course in 2023. At the time of response, six have already taken up a GPST 1 post in Scotland.

The remaining students destinations can be broken down as follows:

Six graduates are yet to complete their Foundation Year 2 (FY2), for varying reasons.
Five graduates have elected to take a post other than a GPST 1.
Six graduates chose not to complete their FY2 training in Scotland.
23 graduates who have not yet taken up a post, at the time of response.

NHS Education for Scotland (NES) are currently working to understand the destinations of the 23 graduates who have not taken up a GPST 1 post and where they are currently working, if in the NHS. This information will support the initial evaluation of the ScotGEM programme being undertaken by the Scottish Government.

Question reference: S6W-39810

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 3 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-13680 by Michael Matheson on 18 January 2023, what information it holds on how much water production has been lost as a result of leakages in the Scottish Water supply area covering Argyll Islands, Argyll Mainland, Caithness, Fort William, Orkney, Ness, Shetland, Skye, and West Coast and Western Isles, in each month since January 2021.

As this is an operational matter for Scottish Water, I have asked them to respond. Scottish Water have provided estimates for the average total daily leakage levels in each month since January 2021 from water mains in the area requested (covering Argyll Islands, Argyll Mainland, Caithness, Fort William, Orkney, Ness, Shetland, Skye, West Coast, and Western Islands) in the following table. Figures are given in megalitres per day.

Year/ Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
2021	53.0	58.7	49.0	44.1	43.1	44.3	46.2	45.3	44.8	43.9	45.2	45.9
2022	46.2	46.4	45.6	39.3	39.7	39.3	41.5	41.9	40.3	41.8	42.0	47.4
2023	48.0	46.3	44.8	40.6	38.9	43.9	42.1	43.2	41.8	43.0	43.5	48.1
2024	49.6	45.8	42.4	40.3	39.0	40.6	41.1	39.6	39.7	39.8	40.1	41.4
2025	46.2	42.9	40.4	39.1	39.4	38.6	40.7	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A

Question reference: S6W-39877

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 3 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many energy consent applications have been lodged with the Energy Consents Unit in each year since 2021 in the (a) Highlands and Islands Region and (b) the rest of Scotland.

Details of applications made to the Energy Consents Unit under Sections 36 and 37 of the Electricity Act (1989) in the last five years are as follows:

Highlands and Islands planning authorities	2021	2022	2023	2024	2025
Section 36 applications (electricity generating station)	10	15	16	20	25
Section 37 applications (overhead lines)	21	51	41	33	17

Rest of Scotland planning authorities	2021	2022	2023	2024	2025
Section 36 applications (electricity generating station)	20	31	39	51	32
Section 37 applications (overhead lines)	34	30	34	29	18

Question reference: S6W-39878

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 3 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of how many so-called zombie scheme energy applications have secured grid connection offers since 2021 in the (a) Highlands and Islands region and (b) rest of Scotland.

The Scottish Government does not hold the information that has been requested. Legislation and regulations relating to electricity networks are reserved to the UK Government, with the National Energy System Operator (NESO) responsible for the strategic approach to the development of the electricity system across Great Britain, including connections.

The Scottish Government works closely with NESO and the UK Government on their proposals for connections reform and has regular engagement with both. Through these channels we have been clear on the need for a transparent and cohesive connections reform process which supports the delivery of a clean, strategically aligned and efficient electricity system. We have also been clear that connections reform must take account of the Scottish Government’s priorities.

Further information on the Connections Reform process is available from NESO - https://www.neso.energy/industry-information/connections-reform/about-connections-reform