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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-40746

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 7 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what (a) percentage and (b) area in km2 of (i) inshore Marine Protected Areas and (ii) other inshore waters have year-round spatial restrictions on (A) scallop dredging, (B) nephrops trawling, (C) both scallop dredging and nephrops trawling, (D) creeling and (E) all commercial fishing.

The area calculated for restrictions is based on where there is a limit on the fishing activity all year round dependent on, for example, vessel size and power usage as well as where there is a complete ban on that type of fishing activity in a designated site as part of the MPA network and other inshore waters. The Scottish Government are currently developing fisheries management measures for MPAs where they are required, but not already in place, and for Priority Marine Feature (PMF) management areas outside of MPAs and aim to launch a public consultation in November.

The presumption for MPAs is that their use will be sustainable use, therefore fishing gears restricted in MPAs is based on their potential impact on the protected features of the site, usually allowing some fishing to continue. In other inshore waters not all areas are suitable for trawling and dredging therefore there will be areas that have never been considered for restrictions.

(a) The area of Marine Protected Areas where scallop dredging is currently restricted is 4,753 square kilometres. This is 13% of waters in the inshore MPA network.

The area of other inshore waters where scallop dredging is currently restricted is 3,315 square kilometres. This is approximately 6.3% of the inshore area outwith the MPA network.

(b) Nephrops trawling is included in measures restricting trawl, bottom trawl or mobile gear. The numbers presented below reflect this. The area of Marine Protected Areas where nephrops trawling is currently restricted is 5,084 square kilometres. This is 13% of waters in the inshore MPA network.

The area of other inshore waters where nephrops trawling is currently restricted is 3,313 square kilometres. This is approximately 6.3% of the inshore area outwith the MPA network.

(c) The area of Marine Protected Areas where both scallop dredging and nephrops trawling is currently restricted is 4,665 square kilometres. This is 12% of waters in the inshore MPA network. This was calculated in areas where there are overlapping restrictions on both scallop dredging and nephrops trawling not the individual percentage and area for each gear type added together.

The area of other inshore waters where both scallop dredging and nephrops trawling is currently restricted is 3307 square kilometres. This is approximately 6.2% of the inshore area outwith the MPA network.

(d) The area of Marine Protected Areas where creeling is currently restricted is 2,659 square kilometres. This is 7% of waters in the inshore MPA network.

The area of other inshore waters where creeling is currently restricted is 3001 square kilometres. This is approximately 5.7% of the inshore area outwith the MPA network.

(e) The area of Marine Protected Areas where all commercial fishing is currently restricted is 60 square kilometres. This is less than 1% of waters in the inshore MPA network. The presumption for MPAs is that their use will be sustainable use, therefore fishing gears prohibited in MPAs is based on their potential impact on the protected features of the site, usually allowing some fishing to continue.

The area of other inshore waters where all commercial fishing is currently restricted is 6 square kilometres. This is less than 1% of the inshore area outwith the MPA network.

Question reference: S6W-40618

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 7 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what the uptake of the Energy Skills Passport has been among offshore workers since the pilot scheme was launched on 22 January 2025.

Question reference: S6W-40777

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 7 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what role the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy has at the Had-Fab Ltd transmission contracts award event on 28 August 2025, and which companies were represented at ministerial-level meetings held on the margins of that event.

I was invited to attend the event at the Had Fab factory to celebrate the awarding of a non-government contract by SSEN to partner companies to manufacture pylons. I gave a short speech followed by the Secretary of State for Scotland, followed by a tour of the workshops in which she spoke to members of the Had Fab workforce before leaving.

The event was also attended by SSEN, Wood Group and Murphy. There were no ministerial level meetings in the margins.

Question reference: S6W-40776

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 7 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what planning applications were live at the time of the Had-Fab Ltd transmission contracts award event on 28 August 2025 involving Had-Fab Ltd, SSEN Transmission, Murphy, and Wood Transmission and Distribution Ltd, and what information it holds regarding whether any of these companies have indicated an intention to submit further applications in the next 12 months.

Responsibility for dealing with day-to-day land use planning matters generally rests, in the first instance, at the most local level. The Scottish Government does not hold information on applications which are being or may be considered by planning authorities.

On 28 August 2025, 22 applications from SSEN Transmission to the Scottish Government’s Energy Consents Unit were live. We expect further applications to be submitted over the next 12 months.

Planning applications did not form any part of the joint visit by the then UK Secretary of State and Cabinet Secretary to HAD Fab.

Question reference: S6W-40781

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 7 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether (a) legal and (b) propriety advice was sought in advance of the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy’s meeting with the Chief Financial Officer of SSEN Transmission on 17 March 2025 regarding the handling of live or prospective transmission consent applications, and what its policy is on recording such advice.

Question reference: S6W-40915

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 7 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many modern language teachers, broken down by language taught, each local authority has employed in each year since 2007.

Question reference: S6W-40553

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 7 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how much (a) it and (b) its agencies has spent on promotion through social media influencers in each year since 2021.

(a) Details of Scottish Government spend on promotion through social media influencers in each year since 2021 to date are as follows.

Year	Spend (£)
2021	63,746.20
2022	30,930.00
2023	19,900.00
2024	13,640.00
2025	52,800.00

These services are procured by the Scottish Government marketing team via the Scottish Government Marketing Services Framework.

All marketing agencies Scottish Government work with, including those which provide influencer services, must successfully tender through the Scottish Government's Marketing Services Framework. This comprehensive process evaluates their capability, experience and value for money before they can be approved as suppliers. The framework ensures Scottish Government only works with established agencies that meet Scottish Government’s procurement standards and legal requirements.

Scottish Government’s approved framework agencies manage influencer relationships on our behalf. They conduct thorough due diligence checks on potential influencers, including comprehensive reviews of their social media history to identify any content that could constitute hate crimes or bring the Scottish Government into disrepute. This vetting process follows the same rigorous standards used across UK Government communications, as outlined in the GCS guidelines for influencer marketing.

This process ensures anyone who is used as an influencer within a marketing campaign is appropriate to that campaign’s strategy, audience, message and objectives.

b) Scottish Government does not have access to wider agency spend on influencers and is therefore unable to confirm how much its agencies have spent on promotion through social media influencers in each year since 2021.

Question reference: S6W-40848

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 29 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 7 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to develop best scientific practice in marine and coastal restoration activity.

Many restoration projects around Scotland are already working with universities and researchers to pioneer new methods and develop best practice in data collection and monitoring. We are currently consulting on a draft marine and coastal restoration plan which sets out key objectives to help us understand restoration opportunities and priorities. The draft plan also proposes actions to stimulate innovation, standardise monitoring, and encourage knowledge exchange. The draft plan was developed with advice from NatureScot and Marine Directorate scientists, as well as input from a range of stakeholders including research institutions. Best practice guidance for restoration activities is already available on the websites of NatureScot and the Scottish Marine Environmental Enhancement Fund, among others.

Question reference: S6W-40727

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 7 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the guidance suggesting that such a survey should be carried out every five years, for what reason a reported 120 schools are not recorded as having a suitability survey since 2009 or earlier in its School Estate Statistics 2025.

Question reference: S6W-40726

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 7 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the guidance suggesting that schools should have such a survey every five years, for what reason a reported 34 schools are recorded as not having had a condition survey since 2015 or earlier in its School Estate Statistics 2025.

It is the statutory responsibility of local authorities to manage their school estate, and we expect them to undertake condition surveys at least every 5 years, in line with the condition reporting core facts guidance which the Scottish Government co-produced with local authorities.

In situations where schools were built under PPP (Public-Private Partnerships), PFI (Private finance initiative) or similar arrangements which included school maintenance contracts, local authorities report that the buildings are monitored and maintained by a third party.

It is local authorities’ responsibility to ensure schools built under such arrangements continue to be maintained to a sufficiently high standard, given the maintenance contract that will be in place.