- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Independent
-
Date lodged: Monday, 01 December 2025
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jim Fairlie on 9 December 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-41921 by Jim Fairlie on 1 December 2025, whether it will provide the information that was requested regarding whether the pilot gull management for the city of Inverness has now been finalised, including whether it will be in place and ready to be implemented prior to the commencement of seagull breeding season in 2026, and for what reason it did not provide this detail in its response.
Answer
The Inverness Gull Management Plan Pilot is currently being developed by NatureScot in partnership with Highland Council. The first version of the plan is expected to be in place ahead of the 2026 breeding season. It is being designed as an adaptive framework—flexible, evidence-based, and subject to ongoing refinement through regular review.
The Scottish Government was unable to provide a definitive response to question S6W-41921, as the pilot plan will require continuous updates and adjustments. Consequently, it is not possible to confirm a date for when the plan will be fully finalised.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Independent
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 November 2025
-
Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 4 December 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the Good Food Nation key groups, for what reason each member of each group was included; what the application process for membership was, and what payment members are entitled to.
Answer
We have not set out any Good Food Nation key groups. We have established a Ministerial Working Group on Food, which consists of ministers whose portfolio touches on food policy, as well as an official level working group. Both of these groups are strictly for managing the internal workings of government and improving cross-portfolio collaboration. One of the main aims of the Good Food Nation (Scotland) Act 2022 is to ensure joined up and coherent policy making in relation to food. This will require extensive engagement with a wide range of stakeholders within and outwith the Scottish Government to ensure the views of those with an interest are taken into account. This will include agricultural stakeholders and food producers as they all have a key part to play in meeting the ambitious Outcomes set out in the national Good Food Nation Plan, particularly around ensuring our food and drink sector is prosperous, diverse, innovative and vital to national and local economic and social wellbeing.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Independent
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 November 2025
-
Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 4 December 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the Good Food Nation key groups, whether the remit of each group will include food security.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-42157 on 4 December 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: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Independent
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 November 2025
-
Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 4 December 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the Good Food Nation key groups, how each group will seek to advance the interests of food producers.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-42157 on 4 December 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: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Independent
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 November 2025
-
Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 4 December 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the Good Food Nation key groups, what the remit is of each group, and how often each shall meet.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-42157 on 4 December 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: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Independent
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 November 2025
-
Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 4 December 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the Good Food Nation key groups, what contact each group will have with industry producers.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-42157 on 4 December 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: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Independent
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 November 2025
-
Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 4 December 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the Good Food Nation key groups, which sectors each group will take evidence from, including whether they will hear from the (a) beef, (b) arable dairy and (c) aquaculture sector.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-42157 on 4 December 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: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Independent
-
Date lodged: Friday, 14 November 2025
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jim Fairlie on 1 December 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether the pilot gull management for the city of Inverness, announced by the Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity in his ministerial statement on 1 October 2025, has now been finalised, and, if not, what progress has been made since the statement was made, and whether the pilot will be in place and ready to be implemented prior to the commencement of seagull breeding season in 2026.
Answer
NatureScot continue to engage and further develop the existing management approaches for Inverness with officials from Highland Council.
Through this shared commitment to establish the City of Inverness as a leading example of adaptive urban gull management that protects public health and amenity while safeguarding the conservation status of gull species, their aims and objectives together, are to:
- Have a shared understanding of the impact that an urban Gull population has on the day to day living needs of City residents.
- Minimise conflict between gulls and people in key urban areas.
- Promote coexistence through education, deterrents, and habitat management.
- Ensure compliance with NatureScot guidance and wildlife legislation.
- Support declining gull populations through appropriate sanctuary provision.
This pilot builds on the existing gull management programme led by Inverness BID and funded by the Inverness Common Good Fund and Inverness BID. It will serve as a model for future management plans across other communities in the Highlands.
The aim is to have an area based approach to licensing available for the forthcoming gull breeding season.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Independent
-
Date lodged: Friday, 14 November 2025
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 1 December 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the data on the uptake of vaccinations provided by NHS Highland teams and not GPs, whether GPs will be provided with immediate access to said data at the time of administering a vaccine, and, if not, by what means they will be able to know whether their patients have been vaccinated.
Answer
Where vaccinations are administered by Health Board teams, GPs can establish whether a patient has been vaccinated by consulting the information held within their existing systems. Local variation also exists, with some Health Boards operating additional systems to meet local needs. The most accurate information on these arrangements should be sought directly from NHS Highland.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Independent
-
Date lodged: Friday, 14 November 2025
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jim Fairlie on 1 December 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether NatureScot has completed its work to develop a co-ordinated gull management plan with local authorities, as announced by the Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity in his ministerial statement on 1 October 2025, and, if not, when this work will be completed.
Answer
NatureScot has developed the aims, objectives and desired outcomes for the £100k funded initiative to be made available to Local Authorities. NatureScot intend to have a first engagement with Local Authorities before the end of December 2025.