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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-34407

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 27 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how the Freight Facilities Grant (FFG) contributes to the reduction of carbon emissions in Scotland, and what quantifiable impact has been recorded in terms of emissions reductions from FFG-funded projects in each year since 2021.

The Freight Facilities Grants (FFG) is intended to bring about a number of benefits from the removal of freight from roads to other modes of transport. This includes but is not limited to emissions reduction.

The impact of Freight Facility Grant awards is measured in terms of the number and distance of road vehicle miles displaced onto other forms of transport. As the emissions impact will vary depending on the type of vehicle, the duty cycle and other factors, this is not recorded separately.

To date, Freight Facility Grant awards have resulted in the reduction of over 50 million heavy goods vehicle miles on Scotland’s roads.

Question reference: S6W-34424

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 27 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many projects funded by the Freight Facilities Grant (FFG) are directly linked to the development of intermodal transport facilities, and what the expected benefits of these developments are.

Detailed below is a table containing Freight Facilities Grant awards linked to the development of intermodal transport facilities with the commodities that were removed from being transported by container from road onto rail or water instead.

Award	Commodities Moved by Rail or Water Instead of by Road	Mode of Transport
Russells Transport, Hillington.	Food, scrap metal and alcohol.	Rail.
Safeway Stores Mossend, Inverness, Nairn Elgin, Buckie.	Groceries.	Rail.
Safeway Stores Mossend, Thurso, Wick, Kirkwall and Ullapool.	Groceries.	Rail.
WH Malcolm Ltd, Grangemouth.	Glass and alcohol.	Rail.
Forth Ports.	General cargo.	Water.
Asda Stores, Grangemouth.	Groceries.	Rail.
WH Malcolm Ltd, Phase 2 at Grangemouth	Rubber and alcohol.	Rail.
WH Malcolm Ltd, Phase 3, Grangemouth to Aberdeen.	Paper and groceries.	Rail.
WH Malcolm, Phase 4, Elderslie.	General cargo.	Rail.
WH Malcolm Phase 5, Kirkby Thore to Elderslie.	Plasterboard.	Rail.
Eddie Stobart (Tesco), Daventry to Grangemouth.	Groceries.	Rail.
Eddie Stobart, Grangemouth, Inverness	Groceries.	Rail.

Question reference: S6W-34422

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 27 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Freight Facilities Grant (FFG) has been used to support the integration of digital technologies in freight transport and, if so, which projects have received this support.

Question reference: S6W-34414

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 27 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that the Freight Facilities Grant (FFG) supports projects that contribute to improving connectivity between Scotland and international markets.

Freight Facilities Grant (FFG) was introduced in recognition that taking freight off roads and moving it by rail or water can have environmental and wider social benefits but can be more expensive.

Improving international connectivity is not a specified aim of FFG. However, FFG awards have been made to Scottish ports and rail facilities, which can be utilised for the movement of goods to international markets.

Question reference: S6W-34415

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 27 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how the Freight Facilities Grant (FFG) supports the reduction of freight transport congestion in urban areas, and what specific measures have been implemented to address this issue.

Question reference: S6W-34582

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 27 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what (a) action it is taking and (b) funding it is making available to progress the reintroduction of a ferry connection from Scotland to mainland Europe.

The Scottish Government continues to support the development of our ports, and the potential for new direct freight and passenger ferry services linking Scotland to Europe.

I have personally engaged with parties interested in introducing new ferry services, and Transport Scotland officials communicate regularly with potential operators and Scotland’s main ports.

The Scottish Government and its agencies have supported a number of maritime initiatives across Scotland, including establishing a Green Freeport at Forth Ports, which includes Rosyth. This involves both seed capital funding, along with businesses locating within the ports being able to access a package of devolved and reserved tax incentives.

We will continue to engage with port operators and others to explore opportunities for new commercial ferry services, so that Scottish exporters and passengers have more direct routes to and from Europe. However, the Scottish Government cannot subsidise routes in ways which would be anti-competitive beyond considering the availability of limited start-up grant funding opportunities for freight initiatives.

Question reference: S6O-04386

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 February 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it monitors the ways in which local authorities engage with stakeholders regarding the implementation of the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Act 2024.

Question reference: S6W-34413

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 26 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how the Freight Facilities Grant (FFG) scheme has supported the growth of Scotland’s ports and logistics infrastructure, and what improvements have been made to port facilities as a result of this funding.

Question reference: S6W-34399

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 25 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what the highest (a) fine and (b) custodial sentence imposed has been each year under the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) (Scotland) Act 2021; how many people received this, and how this compared with the maximum sentence that was available.

The worrying of livestock by dogs is completely unacceptable and is something the Scottish Government takes very seriously and any dog attack is one too many.

We welcome the fact that in Scotland we have tough legislation in place to deal with livestock worrying. The Scottish Government supported Emma Harper’s member’s bill when it was introduced, to provide Police Scotland and the courts with greater powers to deal with those who allow their dogs to worry, attack or kill livestock in Scotland’s countryside. Under this law owners of dogs that attack or worry livestock can be fined up to £40,000 or face a prison sentence of up to 12 months.

Please find below the number of accused convicted based on the financial year of conviction in relation to the fines and custodial sentences handed down. Please note that The Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) (Scotland) Act 2021 came into force on 5 November 2021. The 2021 Act amends the offence under the 1953 Act so all proceedings are still under the 1953 Act (as amended).

Table 1: Number of accused convicted with at least one protection of livestock from dogs crime, given a fine or imprisonment

Financial Year of Conviction	Disposals	Number of case-accused
5 Nov 2021- March 2022	Fine	3
2022-2023	Fine	5
2023-2024	Fine	8
April 2024-June 2024	Fine	0
	Imprisonment	1

Source: Scottish Government Justice Analytical Services

Table 2: The highest fine imposed each year and number of accused who received it:

Financial Year of Conviction	Highest Fine	Number of case-accused
5 Nov 2021 - March 2022	£200	2
2022-2023	£360	1
2023-2024	£400	1
April 2024-Jun 2024	NA	0

Source: Scottish Government Justice Analytical Services

Table 3: The highest custodial sentence imposed each year and number of accused who received it:

Financial Year of Conviction	Custodial sentence length	Number of case-accused
5 Nov 2021- March 2022	NA	0
2022-2023	NA	0
2023-2024	NA	0
April 2024-Jun 2024	5 months	1

Source: Scottish Government Justice Analytical Services

Question reference: S6W-34410

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 25 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to expand the Freight Facilities Grant (FFG) programme to include new types of projects or industries, and, if so, what these new areas of focus would be.