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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-34517

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 25 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish the (a) legal and (b) other advice obtained by NatureScot regarding which areas of land should be covered by a 16AA licence under the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Act 2024.

Question reference: S6W-34518

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 25 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the reported criticisms from members of the conservation sector regarding the changes made to grouse shooting licences by NatureScot and, in the light of this, what steps it plans to ensure that the operation of section 16AA licences fulfils the intentions of (a) it and (b) the Parliament.

The Scottish Government is aware of the concerns of some conservation organisations regarding section 16AA of the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Act 2024, where a grouse shooting licence area is determined solely by the applicant. It is considered that there is the potential for the area to be very tightly defined so that it excludes most of the area where relevant offences might take place.

NatureScot have added a condition to licences so that certain relevant offences committed anywhere on the landholding can be taken into consideration as to whether to revoke or suspend a licence.

We are considering whether any further steps need to be taken to address this issue.

Question reference: S6W-34520

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 25 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on (a) the comment by NatureScot on 19 July 2026 that “raptor persecution undertaken in connection with grouse moor management could take place anywhere on a property, not just on the grouse moor itself”, and (b) whether the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Act 2024 needs to be amended to ensure that the 16AA grouse shooting licence covers an applicant’s whole landholding and not the grouse moor only.

The Scottish Government agrees with the comment made by NatureScot that raptor persecution undertaken in connection with grouse moor management could take place anywhere on a property, not just on the grouse moor itself.

NatureScot introduced a new condition to enable them to revoke or suspend a licence where there is evidence of raptor persecution, connected to the grouse moor but outside of the licensed area. The condition added by NatureScot is an alternative to amending the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Act 2024. However, we will monitor the situation and, if necessary, consider amending the legislation.

Question reference: S6W-34519

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 25 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government on what dates NatureScot met (a) Police Scotland and (b) the National Wildlife Crime Unit before seeking approval for a new grouse licensing condition regarding raptor persecution from land and estates.

Question reference: S6W-34803

Asked by: John Mason, MSP for Glasgow Shettleston, Independent
Date lodged: Friday, 07 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 25 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when the NatureScot licensing review will report, and by what date a decision will be announced regarding the agency charging for its licensing services.

Question reference: S6W-35114

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 25 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what the survival rate of farmed salmon on marine farms was in 2024.

The Scottish Government does not collect data on fish survival by calendar year. Each October, Scottish Government publishes a Scottish Fish Farm Production Survey which presents data on survival to harvest within a year class; that is, the fish grown to harvest within a production cycle.

The member may be interested to know that industry trade body Salmon Scotland publishes monthly mortality data. In recent correspondence to the Rural Affairs and Islands Committee dated 3 February 2025, Salmon Scotland noted that their data indicated survival across all marine farms was 82.3% in 2024, up 10 percentage points from 72.3% in 2023.

Question reference: S6T-02380

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 24 February 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it will work with the UK Government on the recently announced £200 million investment in Grangemouth, as part of the National Wealth Fund.

Question reference: S6T-02370

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 24 February 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its role in ensuring that public bodies are meeting their legal obligations under the Equality Act 2010, following recent correspondence from the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

Question reference: S6F-03831

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 24 February 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 February 2025

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6F-03839

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 24 February 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 February 2025

To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking to support farmers responding to threats to livestock from disease.