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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-34579

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 19 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many Scottish Development International personnel are based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for the promotion of Scottish products, and where their office is located.

Question reference: S6W-34577

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 19 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many GlobalScot representatives are located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and what events are planned there for 2025.

Scottish Enterprise confirmed there are 60 GlobalScots located in the UAE.

There are currently 4 events coming up within the year with one specific to GlobalScots. The 4 events that are planned for this year within UAE are:

Gulfood - the world's largest annual food and hospitality show (17-21 February 2025);
GlobalScot Middle East AGM (end of March 2025);
Scotland Week, which will include an Energy Trade Mission, Scottish Food and Drink showcase and some Capital Investment and Science & Tech related activity (planned for April 2025);
ADIPEC - Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition & Conference (3-6 November 2025; focus on energy transition).

Question reference: S6W-34395

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 18 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government who the members are of the Wildlife and Species Forum; on what date the Forum will next meet, and how many meetings are scheduled for the next 12 months.

Membership of the Strategic Wildlife and Species Land Managers Forum (SWSLM Forum) is made up of representatives from the main public and private organisations that have a role in managing wildlife. However the constitution of the group may change on a meeting-by-meeting basis to reflect the subjects on the agenda. The initial membership of the SWSLM Forum consists of the following organisations:

Scottish Government
British Association for Shooting and Conservation
National Farmers Union Scotland
National Trust for Scotland
NatureScot
Royal Society for the Protection for Birds
Scottish Gamekeepers Association
Scottish Land and Estates
Scottish Countryside Alliance
Scottish Wildlife Trust
Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust

The next meeting of the SWSLM Forum is scheduled to take place on Thursday 3 April 2025. The intention is that the Forum will then meet every three months.

Question reference: S6W-33835

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 13 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the publication of the Subsidy Advice Unit Report on the proposed subsidy to CalMac Ferries Limited on 17 December 2024 by the Competition and Markets Authority, whether Transport Scotland will undertake a route by route assessment explaining whether any level of service could be commercially provided.

Question reference: S6W-33834

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 13 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the publication of the Subsidy Advice Unit Report on the proposed subsidy to CalMac Ferries Limited on 17 December 2024 by the Competition and Markets Authority, whether Transport Scotland will undertake any further diligence work to ensure that the direct award of the Clyde and Hebridean Ferry Service to CalMac satisfies all of the areas for improvement identified within the report.

We welcome the publication of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) report, which is advisory in nature. Transport Scotland officials are considering the report in detail and will then take forward the recommendations where required. Scottish Minsters have been clear on the operational, resilience, value for money and efficiency benefits of operating the Clyde and Hebridean Ferry Service (CHFS) network as a whole, and this remains the intent.

Question reference: S6W-33836

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 13 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the publication of the Subsidy Advice Unit Report on the proposed subsidy to CalMac Ferries Limited on 17 December 2024 by the Competition and Markets Authority, whether Transport Scotland will (a) explain and (b) evidence whether bundling the network ensures that the subsidy is proportionate to the policy objective and limited to the minimum necessary, which could include cost modelling of unbundled routes, which might permit more efficient business models.

Question reference: S6W-33837

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 13 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the publication of the Subsidy Advice Unit Report on the proposed subsidy to CalMac Ferries Limited on 17 December 2024 by the Competition and Markets Authority, whether Transport Scotland will (a) explain and (b) evidence for what reason an open competitive tender would not allow the policy objective to be met with a lower level of subsidy.

Question reference: S6W-34307

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 7 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a list of postcode areas that would be eligible for house building through funding from the Rural Affordable Homes for Key Workers Fund.

The Rural Affordable Homes for Key Workers Fund operates in categories 4, 5 and 6 of the six-fold urban rural classification. We do not publish a list of postcode areas and applicants can check if a proposed project is located within an eligible area by using the National Records of Scotland’s Scottish Postcode Directory (SPD) at Geography products - National Records of Scotland (NRS)

National Records of Scotland publishes an updated SPD every six months and an update is planned for publication in March 2025.

Question reference: S6W-34308

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 7 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a list of postcode areas that would be eligible for house building through funding from the Rural Housing Fund.

Question reference: S6W-34306

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 7 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a list of postcode areas that would be eligible for house building through funding from the Islands Housing Fund.

The Rural and Islands Housing Fund operates in categories 4, 5 and 6 of the six-fold urban rural classification. We do not publish a list of postcode areas and applicants can check if a proposed project is located within an eligible area by using the National Records of Scotland’s Scottish Postcode Directory (SPD) at Geography products - National Records of Scotland (NRS)

National Records of Scotland publishes an updated SPD every six months and an update is planned for publication in March 2025.