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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-40603

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 1 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what funding mechanisms are available to help (a) farmers and (b) crofters improve farm security.

Question reference: S6W-40572

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 30 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many prisoners have been transferred from closed to open prisons in each year since 2021.

I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

It is the aim of SPS to prepare people in custody for their eventual release and return to communities as contributing citizens. Whilst part of this preparation for release, progression to less secure conditions is an option, however, not an automatic entitlement.

We currently have 3 establishments which are classed as ‘open’, HMP Castle Huntly, and the Community Custody Units, Lilias and Bella.

The following table shows the number of individuals in SPS care that have transferred from a ‘closed prison’ to those 3 sites:

Year	Number of individuals transferred to HMP Castle Huntly	Number of individuals transferred to HMP Bella	Number of individuals transferred to HMP Lilias
Jan – Dec 2021	153	-	-
Jan – Dec 2022	162	13	6
Jan – Dec 2023	241	19	32
Jan – Dec 2024	204	33	35
Jan – Sept 2025*	158	19	35

*Data up to 18 September 2025.

Question reference: S6W-40600

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 30 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to define the phrase ‘"rural crime" in legislation.

Question reference: S6T-02690

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 29 September 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service has issued an extreme wildfire warning for the first time in September since 2020.

Question reference: S6W-40573

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 25 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how much NHS boards have spent on posting appointment letters to patients using (a) the Royal Mail and (b) private couriers in each year since 2021.

Question reference: S6W-40571

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 25 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to Science for Sustainable Agriculture’s report, Food Security – Outlook to 2025.

The Scottish Government has considered this UK report with interest and recognises the importance of a range of factors including land use, yield, and population in planning future food security.

The Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Act 2024 similarly recognises the importance of these factors and requires Scottish Ministers to make a statement on food security at least every three years and to also have regard to food supply and security in the rural support plan.

The publication of Scotland’s 4th Land Use Strategy to be published next year will also allow us to further consider the multiple pressures on land and the benefits and opportunities presented by a more integrated approach to land use.

Question reference: S6W-40472

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 25 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether a brief note was produced for the First Minister ahead of his meeting with the President of the United States of America and the US Secretary of State on 9 September 2025 in accordance with Section 11.14 of the Scottish Ministerial Code, and, if so, whether this note will be published.

Question reference: S6W-40471

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 25 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it engaged with officials at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office ahead of the First Minister’s meeting with the President of the United States of America and the US Secretary of State on 9 September 2025.

Yes, the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office were engaged about the First Minister’s meeting with the President of the United States and fully supported the First Minister’s engagement with the President and the US Government on whisky tariffs. The First Minister was hosted at the British Ambassador’s residence in Washington D.C and was accompanied by the former UK Ambassador to the United States, Lord Mandelson, during his meeting with the President in the Oval Office.

Question reference: S6W-40468

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 25 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether the First Minister raised the issue of Scottish independence during his meeting with the President of the United States of America and the US Secretary of State on 9 September 2025.

Question reference: S6W-40599

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 25 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-40164 by Angus Robertson on 4 September 2025, whether the First Minister raised the issue of Scottish independence with the President of the European Commission on 26 July 2025 in line with the advice that he received in the "Key message" section that was set out in the briefing document for that meeting, which was published under FOI reference FOI/202500477553 and, if so, what the outcome was.