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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-40873

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 24 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy, what (a) assessment it has made of the potential impact that increased nature restoration targets might have on domestic food production and (b) action it is taking to reduce Scotland’s reliance on food imports.

(a) The introduction of statutory nature restoration targets is key in delivering the vision of restoring and regenerating biodiversity in Scotland by 2045 as outlined in the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy. The Scottish Government is undertaking a 4-step process for the selection of nature restoration targets which includes engagement with expert groups using the best available scientific evidence and includes carrying out any necessary impact assessments. This process is being underpinned by stakeholder engagement with a range of stakeholders including land managers, farmers, ENGOs and other business. Any targets which are set much be adaptable to the unpredictability of ecological responses and climate impacts.

Within the Biodiversity Delivery Plan Biodiversity: delivery plan 2024 to 2030 - gov.scot it outlines the importance of the Vision for Scottish Agriculture for delivering the 2045 ambition and to transform how we support farming and food production in Scotland to become a global leader in sustainable and regenerative agriculture. The Delivery Plan includes actions which will be incorporated into the new agricultural support system to help farmers and crofters transition to practice generating substantial regeneration in biodiversity, ecosystem and soil health and significantly reduce carbon emissions while sustaining high quality food production.

(b) Scotland’s food and farming sectors have a critical role to play in Scotland’s food security, producing food for consumption in Scotland, and increasing our economic resilience through exports of food and drink worth £8 billion in March 2025. Our strong trade relationships are also vital. Our imports ensure the availability of a wide choice of food throughout the year and so we are not reliant on any one country of origin.

High quality food and sustainable production chains are an outcome of the Vision for Agriculture. The Proposed Good Food Nation Plan has outcomes which reflect both the need for Scotland’s food system to be sustainable and contribute to a flourishing natural environment and be food secure and food resilient. A suite of indicators for the Plan were published and can be viewed at: Proposed National Good Food Nation Plan - gov.scot.

Question reference: S6O-05075

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 October 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with NHS boards regarding their winter resilience plans.

Question reference: S6W-40895

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 21 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-40202 by Neil Gray on 25 September 2025, how long it gave NHS boards to submit bids for the newly announced recurrent funding for specialist support for long COVID, myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome and other similar conditions.

NHS boards were contacted on 10 January 2025 inviting feedback by 22 January on activities which could be delivered and supported by single-year funding of £4.5 million allocated on a non-recurring basis in the financial year 2025-26. A further opportunity to provide feedback was provided on 29 January with feedback invited by 4 February.

To enable a case for multi-year funding to be considered, on 2 May NHS boards were requested to provide by 16 May an indicative multi-year proposal covering the financial years 2025-26, 2026-27 and 2027-28. Responses beyond this date were accommodated in instances where NHS boards indicated that additional time was required.

On 6 August NHS boards were requested to provide finalised versions of the indicative proposals supplied in May. Boards were provided with the option of two deadlines for returns, 18 August and 11 September.

The Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care wrote to NHS Board Chief Executives on 18 September to confirm that NHS boards’ shares of the available 2025-26 funding would be allocated in full on a recurring basis. These shares were reflected in NHS boards’ allocation schedules for September 2025.

Question reference: S6W-41355

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Friday, 17 October 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 14 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on piloting a community-only deer management leasing scheme that prioritises residents with appropriate qualifications.

Question reference: S6W-41357

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Friday, 17 October 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 14 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration Forestry and Land Scotland gave to alternative lease models, such as a community-only stalking lease, before introducing the policy of exclusive use of paid contractors for deer management.

Question reference: S6W-41356

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Friday, 17 October 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 14 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason Forestry and Land Scotland has reportedly ceased offering sporting leases to the public, and what evidence supports the reported claim that previous leaseholders failed to reduce deer numbers effectively.

Question reference: S6W-41354

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 October 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 12 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what measures are in place to protect private water supplies when determining applications for energy infrastructure developments under sections 36 and 37 of the Electricity Act 1989.

Question reference: S6W-41028

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 06 October 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 3 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether all school staff receive training in recognising anaphylaxis and administering adrenaline auto-injectors.

Question reference: S6W-40872

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 September 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 28 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of recent reports of a 5.1% rise in food and drink prices in the year to August 2025, what its position is on whether Scotland is facing a cost of food crisis, and what action it can take to address food affordability.

Question reference: S6W-40606

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 26 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what training is provided for (a) police officers and (b) dog wardens to recognise the difference between dog breeds, such as the Cane Corso and XL Bully.

The two main pieces of dog control legislation are the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 (“the 1991 Act”) and the Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act 2010 (“the 2010 Act”). In general terms, Police Scotland will deal with offences under the 1991 Act, and local authority dog wardens will deal with matters under the 2010 Act.

The training of police officers in relation to the enforcement of the 1991 Act is an operational matter for Police Scotland to consider. Equally, the training of local authority dog wardens is an operational matter for local authorities.

The Scottish Government is committed to ongoing engagement with Police Scotland, local authorities and other relevant stakeholders, in order to consider any issues, concerns, or barriers to effective dog control enforcement including in relation to how best dogs can be identified.

Earlier this year the Scottish Government provided Police Scotland with funding to assist with the training of police officers who would be tasked with identifying prohibited dog breeds. Separately, the National Dog Warden Association also received funding from the Scottish Government to help improve how dog wardens are trained.

Please see the news release issued by the Scottish Government on 8 April 2025 for details: https://www.gov.scot/news/investing-in-community-safety/.