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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-35903

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 28 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported challenges in the recruitment and retention of staff in remote, rural and island healthcare settings, what (a) incentives and (b) support programmes have been introduced in each year since 2018 to encourage healthcare professionals to work in such areas, and what the outcome of these has been.

A number of incentives and programmes are in place and have been prior to 2018 to encourage healthcare professionals to work in remote and island healthcare settings. These include the Scottish Government funded ‘Golden Hello’ scheme, administered by Health Boards, which provides up to £10,000 to every GP taking up an eligible post in a rural and island area.

To support GPs to develop the skills required to work in rural and island areas, NHS Education for Scotland (NES) offer a Rural GP Fellowship, which has been in place since 2002. The fellowship provides qualified GPs with direct experience of working in rural and island areas for a year.

The Scottish Government also provides the Remote Areas allowance, in place prior to 2018 which pays out up to £9,000 to dentists providing NHS dental services in qualifying areas. Additionally, the Recruitment and Retention Allowance is in place for certain areas where there is a particular and protracted issue with the recruitment of dentists. This pays dentists £25,000 over two years, and £12,500 paid over one year for dentists undertaking vocational training.

In addition to the Scottish Government funded incentives, staff being recruited to posts in rural and island areas may also be eligible for relocation expenses. The decision to offer relocation expenses lies solely with boards.

Question reference: S6W-35908

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 28 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment has been made of the cumulative impact of multiple wind farm and transmission developments on the (a) landscape, (b) ecology, (c) economy and (d) biodiversity of Skye and whether it will introduce guidelines to prevent excessive wind farm and pylon developments in areas such as Skye.

Where new energy developments come forward, applications are subject to site-specific assessments by the decision maker. Our Fourth National Planning Framework (NPF4) policy 11 (energy) requires that project design and mitigation demonstrate how impacts to communities, landscape, biodiversity and other receptors, including cumulative impacts, are addressed. It also encourages development to maximise net economic impact, including local and community socio-economic benefits. We have no current plans to introduce guidelines in addition to NPF4.

Question reference: S6O-04495

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 March 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what ongoing assessment it is undertaking regarding the impact of the visitor levy.

Question reference: S6O-04466

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 March 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it is ensuring that schools in the Highlands and Islands are safe learning environments for pupils and staff.

Question reference: S6O-04362

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 February 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it will reduce any administrative burdens on GPs across the Highlands and Islands to allow them to spend more time treating patients.

Question reference: S6O-04257

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 January 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture budget for 2024-25 was spent outside of the United Kingdom.

Question reference: S6W-30697

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 13 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has given the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) the statutory powers under the Wildlife and Countryside (Registration and Ringing of Certain Captive Birds) (Scotland) Regulations 2009 to collect registration fees for schedule 4 birds in Scotland, and, if so, whether it will state the statutory mechanism by which this is achieved.

The Scottish Government has given the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) the statutory powers under the Wildlife and Countryside (Registration and Ringing of Certain Captive Birds) (Scotland) Regulations 2009 to collect registration fees for schedule 4 birds in Scotland.

The statutory mechanism that enables this is the Scotland Act (Agency Agreements) (Specification) Order 2000 (S.I. 2000/745) which specifically allows the Scottish Ministers to enter into agency arrangements such as the function in section 7(2A) of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 Act for determining a charge, and charging, for registration.

Question reference: S6W-30696

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 12 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is complying with its duty under the Wildlife and Countryside (Registration and Ringing of Certain Captive Birds) (Scotland) Regulations 2009 to maintain a register of captive bred schedule 4 birds held by keepers in Scotland, and, if not, whether this means that keepers of schedule 4 birds in Scotland are acting unlawfully by not having their annex A birds registered with the Scottish Ministers.

Question reference: S6O-03952

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 November 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 13 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of the reduction in police numbers since 2010 on Police Scotland’s ability to respond to all incidents of crime, including antisocial behaviour, within its responsibilities.

Question reference: S6O-03877

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 October 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that the most accurate and up-to-date science and data is used when making decisions that impact Scotland's fishing sector.