- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 13 November 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 21 November 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-24400 by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 23 January 2024, what progress has been made regarding its agreement with the UK Government in principle to proceed with a Section 104 Order relating to changing marriages to civil partnerships covering the reserved law of Scotland only.
Answer
Discussions are ongoing at official level between Scottish Government and UK Government officials in relation to the proposed section 104 Order to enable the conversion of a marriage into a civil partnership.
If regulations were made by the Scottish Ministers without a section 104 Order covering matters reserved to Westminster, this could result in conversions not being recognised in the rest of the UK and could negatively impact the pensions of some couples who convert their relationship. Therefore our original policy proposal remains to also proceed with a section 104 Order.
The latest meeting my officials had with the Scotland Office was productive, however it was noted that there would be no progress made on this Order until after the Scottish general election in 2026.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 November 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 21 November 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) fatal and (b) serious accidents there have been on each road in the trunk road network covering the Highlands and Islands region in each year since 2021.
Answer
The following tables presents the total number of personal injury collisions on the trunk roads in Highland Council Region between 1 January 2021 and 5 October 2025 (latest date for which data is available for serious and slight collisions and 12 November 2025 for fatal collisions), broken down by month and severity.
Personal Injury Accident Statistics: By route as noted in tables
Route | Year | Fatal | Very Serious | Moderately Serious | Less Serious | Slight | Total |
A82 | 2021 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 8 | 20 | 38 |
2022 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 13 | 24 |
2023 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 20 | 37 |
2024 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 17 | 40 |
2025 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 18 |
Total | 10 | 21 | 25 | 27 | 74 | 157 |
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Route | Year | Fatal | Very Serious | Moderately Serious | Less Serious | Slight | Total |
A828 | 2021 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
2022 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2023 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2024 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
2025 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
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Route | Year | Fatal | Very Serious | Moderately Serious | Less Serious | Slight | Total |
A830 | 2021 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 6 |
2022 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 5 |
2023 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
2024 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 9 |
2025 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
Total | 1 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 12 | 26 |
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Route | Year | Fatal | Very Serious | Moderately Serious | Less Serious | Slight | Total |
A835 | 2021 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 5 |
2022 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 8 |
2023 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 12 |
2024 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 |
2025 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 8 |
Total | 2 | 3 | 5 | 9 | 19 | 38 |
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Route | Year | Fatal | Very Serious | Moderately Serious | Less Serious | Slight | Total |
A86 | 2021 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
2022 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
2023 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 6 |
2024 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 7 |
2025 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
Total | 0 | 5 | 1 | 8 | 9 | 23 |
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Route | Year | Fatal | Very Serious | Moderately Serious | Less Serious | Slight | Total |
A87 | 2021 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 14 |
2022 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 7 |
2023 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 18 |
2024 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 9 | 22 |
2025 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 12 |
Total | 8 | 5 | 10 | 18 | 32 | 73 |
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Route | Year | Fatal | Very Serious | Moderately Serious | Less Serious | Slight | Total |
A887 | 2021 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
2022 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
2023 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2024 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
2025 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
Total | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 8 |
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Route | Year | Fatal | Very Serious | Moderately Serious | Less Serious | Slight | Total |
A889 | 2021 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
2022 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2023 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
2024 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2025 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
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Route | Year | Fatal | Very Serious | Moderately Serious | Less Serious | Slight | Total |
A9 | 2021 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 14 | 29 |
2022 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 16 | 33 |
2023 | 2 | 9 | 6 | 7 | 16 | 40 |
2024 | 7 | 12 | 7 | 7 | 16 | 49 |
2025 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 19 |
Total | 23 | 35 | 23 | 20 | 69 | 170 |
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Route | Year | Fatal | Very Serious | Moderately Serious | Less Serious | Slight | Total |
A95 | 2021 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
2022 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
2023 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 6 |
2024 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 |
2025 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Total | 1 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 16 |
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Route | Year | Fatal | Very Serious | Moderately Serious | Less Serious | Slight | Total |
A96 | 2021 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 5 |
2022 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 11 |
2023 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 17 |
2024 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 10 |
2025 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6 |
Total | 6 | 4 | 9 | 10 | 20 | 49 |
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Route | Year | Fatal | Very Serious | Moderately Serious | Less Serious | Slight | Total |
A99 | 2021 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
2022 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2023 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 5 |
2024 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
2025 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Total | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
*Data up to 5-1-2025 for serious and slight accidents provided from Transport Statistics Injury Road Collision database and fatal accidents up to 12/11/2025 provided from Transport Statistics Injury Road Collision database and Transport Scotland Fatal Accident Register.
Source: Transport Statistics Injury Road Collision database /Transport Scotland’s Fatal Accident Register
Notes:
Statistics for Parliamentary Question
Date Period: 01-01-2021 – 5-10-2025 (for slight and serious) 31-8-25 (for fatal)
Date Extracted – 12-11-2025
Please note that the personal injury accident information provided above is based on the current figures available. The following are potential reasons for an accident not appearing on our system:
Transport Scotland only holds accident information which is provided to us by Police Scotland. Transport Scotland does not hold information relating to damage only accidents (i.e. not involving an injury).
Transport Scotland only holds accident information for the trunk road network. The accident information Transport Scotland holds is subject to change. For example, we receive late returns from Police Scotland, who are responsible for recording details of injury accidents.
Annual Scottish accident figures are published by Transport Scotland on a yearly basis and can be found by entering Reported Road Casualties Scotland into your search engine.
From summer 2019, Police Scotland introduced a new system for recording traffic collisions. Due to improved recording and categorisation processes, it is expected that there will be an increase in the number of casualties and accidents on Scottish roads that are classified as serious.
Statisticians within the Department for Transport have devised a method for adjusting the road casualty figures to ensure that they can be compared over time on a consistent basis. Transport Scotland’s Key Reported Road Casualties and Reported Road Casualties statistics publications will present both adjusted and unadjusted figures.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 November 2025
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Current Status:
Answer expected on 3 December 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether a risk assessment has been undertaken on the effects on existing chronic pain patients of stopping (a) lidocaine infusions, (b) pain relief injections and (c) radio-frequency denervation treatments.
Answer
Answer expected on 3 December 2025
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 November 2025
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Current Status:
Answer expected on 3 December 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether any extra funding has been ringfenced and will be made available to aid NHS chronic pain specialist clinics, in light of chronic pain being a priority concern of the Scottish Government.
Answer
Answer expected on 3 December 2025
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 November 2025
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Current Status:
Answer expected on 3 December 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) lidocaine infusions, (b) pain relief injections and (c) radio-frequency denervation treatments have been performed in outpatient departments or as day cases annually for chronic pain relief in each of the last five years.
Answer
Answer expected on 3 December 2025
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 November 2025
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Current Status:
Answer expected on 3 December 2025
To ask the Scottish Government when the National Framework for Pain Management in Scotland’s Workforce Short-Life Working Group will report on service provision and staffing recommendations.
Answer
Answer expected on 3 December 2025
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 November 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 18 November 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-41468 by Gillian Martin on 27 October 2025, what the locations are of the 10 Forestry and Land Scotland onshore wind sites under 50 megawatts that have been identified as pilot sites.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-41650 on 18 November 2025. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 November 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 18 November 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-41468 by Gillian Martin on 27 October 2025, for what reason the 50 megawatt cap was set, and what the processes are for reconsidering this cap, including how the cap could be removed.
Answer
Repowering involves a new windfarm being developed following the decommissioning and removal of the existing operational site. This new pilot scheme is a unique chance for communities to take ownership of a second phase of generation, bringing long-term benefits to the local area.
The 50-megawatt cap reflects the current size of community energy projects in Scotland – offering significant scope for larger-scale projects to be developed on the FLS sites. This cap will be kept under review throughout the pilot, as part of ensuring successful delivery.
The sites in the pilot scheme, including which local authority they are located in, are the following table. This list can also be found on the Scottish Government website: Sharing the gains of clean energy - gov.scot.
| Indicative Repowering year | |
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- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 November 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 18 November 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-41468 by Gillian Martin on 27 October 2025, for what reason the Community Asset Transfer Scheme (CATS) is being used for an asset to be transferred to the community, and what consideration it has given to setting a rent to be paid, similar to commercial developers.
Answer
This new pilot scheme is a unique chance for communities to take ownership of renewable energy projects which need upgrading and extend their operational life, bringing long-term benefits to the local area.
The Community Asset Transfer Scheme (CATS) is well-established, utilising an existing legislative framework that provides consistency of approach, a structured time bound route, and a defined appeals mechanism, if required.
Community bodies applying through FLS’ CAT Scheme will not be subject to a competitive tender. However, communities will still be required to pay rent, just as any business or community body would need to if operating a commercial wind farm on public land. FLS is responsible for undertaking due diligence and evaluation of the community proposal before agreeing a long-term lease of public land and a commercial rent.
FLS will engage with communities at an early stage on the criteria and options available to them, and signpost them to support available from the Scottish Government’s Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES) managed by Local Energy Scotland. Further information on the CATS notification, evaluation and decision process for repowering will be available by Spring 2026, before the first sites are notified.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 30 October 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Fairlie on 6 November 2025
To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish its guidance on the proposed phasing out of cages for laying hens.
Answer
The Scottish Government consulted in 2024 on proposals to phase out the use of cages for laying hens. It is still considering the responses to that consultation and will confirm next steps in due course.
