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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-25939

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 01 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 14 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any impact that piscivorous birds have on the wild salmon population.

Quantifying the impacts of piscivorous birds on wild salmon populations is challenging as it requires updated information on bird populations, distributions and diet, as well as information on the population dynamics processes of both the birds and fish.

Nevertheless several studies have been commissioned in order to build knowledge of the potential impact of piscivorous birds on wild salmon. Most recently a study to document the diet of fish eating birds on four Scottish rivers was conducted between 2019 and 2020. A final report on the study is available on the Scottish Government website - Bird stomach contents analysis - final report: Goosander and Cormorant diet on four Scottish rivers 2019 to 2020 - gov.scot ( www.gov.scot ).

A separate project funded by the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund has examined acoustic tracking methods that may be useful in identifying those stretches of Scottish rivers where salmon smolt losses occur. This pilot work included a study examining the feasibility of concurrently recording movements of piscivorous birds (goosanders) using Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) tags. A final report on the study will be published in due course.

Question reference: S6W-25938

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 01 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 14 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any impact that beavers have on (a) natural wild salmon habitats in Scotland’s rivers and (b) the population of salmon smolts.

NatureScot has carried out a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) that includes the identification of risks and constraints of beaver translocation and natural colonisation to other interests, including migratory fish such as Atlantic salmon. A comprehensive Environmental Report was prepared in 2017 focussed on two detailed zones; Tayside and Knapdale. An addendum to the 2017 Environment Report that brings up to date to our knowledge of beavers in Scotland, as well as their impacts and management was published in 2022. Furthermore, stand-alone assessments have been carried out on prioritised river catchments. To date this process has seen assessments for the River Leven (Loch Lomond), River Forth, River Beauly and River Spey catchments.

Question reference: S6W-25985

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 14 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how its Budget for 2024-25 will create opportunities for advanced scientific industries in Scotland.

While faced with one of the most difficult financial settlements since devolution, the Scottish Government is making the most of every resource available in the Scottish Budget 2024-2025 to continue to grow and transform the economy through investment of more than £5 billion across government.

Spending is targeted at measures that will support our long-term ambitions for a wellbeing economy that is fair, green and growing. The Scottish Government and its associated agencies are committed to creating opportunities for advanced scientific industries in Scotland, helping to deliver on our ambitions in the Innovation Strategy.

Question reference: S6O-03234

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 March 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to schools to facilitate the expansion of an outdoor learning-based curriculum.

Question reference: S6W-25936

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 01 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 8 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made on delivering the Wild Salmon Strategy Implementation Plan.

Question reference: S6W-25937

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 01 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 8 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what support it provides for the creation and expansion of wild salmon hatcheries.

Question reference: S6O-03186

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 March 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 13 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what support is available to farmers who have experienced damage to crops as a result of the activities of beavers.

Question reference: S6W-25901

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 4 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-07232 by Jenny Gilruth on 25 March 2022, when it plans to bring into force part 8 (Recovery of Unpaid Parking Charges) of the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019.

Question reference: S6O-03156

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 February 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how outcomes from the New Deal for Business will be measured.

Question reference: S6W-25506

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 28 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any further consideration that it has given to excluding home swapping from the short-term let licensing scheme.

I wrote to the Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee on 30 January to advise on progress with our work to monitor the implementation of short-term let licensing. This letter is available to view on the Scottish Parliament website at: https://www.parliament.scot/-/media/files/committees/local-gov/correspondence/2024/letterfromministershorttermletlicenceapplicationlevels.pdf .

I have outlined that I expect to provide a more comprehensive update on implementation in May/ June 2024.

My letter of 27 October 2023 to this Committee outlines the scope of this work, which explains that we will not be altering short-term let licence types including home letting (home exchanges are a form of home letting). A copy of the letter is available on the Scottish Parliament website at: https://www.parliament.scot/-/media/files/committees/local-gov/correspondence/2023/shorttermlets27oct.pdf