- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 June 2025
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 11 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what support it will provide to businesses to redevelop and use former mills and other disused buildings, in order to support regeneration and economic development.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 11 June 2025
- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 June 2025
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 12 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what the implications and consequences of not achieving net zero by 2045 would be for Scotland, including the economy.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 12 June 2025
- Asked by: Emma Roddick, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 June 2025
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Current Status:
Initiated by the Scottish Government.
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 4 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the procurement of replacement freight vessels for the Northern Isles Ferry Service routes from Aberdeen to Orkney and Shetland.
Answer
The Scottish Government is absolutely committed to maintaining and improving the ferry links to Orkney and Shetland and better meeting the needs of island residents, businesses and communities. After careful consideration of the outline business case, I can confirm that a competitive process will begin shortly to secure delivery of two new 140m Freight Flex vessels. These vessels will replace the two existing vessels and provide additional freight capacity, higher operating speeds, and provide the ability to carry up to 200 passengers when required.
This procurement will be progressed by Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited as the procuring authority. It is expected that the relevant processes will be completed by early 2026, at which point contracts can then be awarded, subject to approval. I will provide further updates to Parliament at key stages of the procurement process.
- Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 May 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Ivan McKee on 4 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how many staff are currently employed in local authority planning services, and how many staff were employed in 2015.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not hold information on the number of staff currently employed in local authority planning services.
However, each planning authority in Scotland has recently participated in the new National Planning Improvement Framework (NPIF), which is being led by the National Planning Improvement Champion. The performance assessments for 22 authorities are available at: https://www.improvementservice.org.uk/products-and-services/planning-and-place-based-approaches/national-planning-improvement/national-planning-improvement-framework/improvement-action-plans-and-performance-assessments. The reports include information on the number of staff in individual authorities.
The Scottish Government recognises the financial and capacity pressures on the planning system and is taking forward a package of changes to provide authorities with additional resources. Planning fees were increased in line with inflation last December, and further changes are due to come into force this month. Through the National Planning Skills Commitment Plan, we are coordinating skills development across the planning sector in Scotland.
In addition, Scotland’s National Planning Hub is providing additional surge capacity and resource to help authorities to respond to current challenges, and to enable them to accelerate their activities this financial year.
We are also supporting an increase in planners coming into the profession, particularly through direct recruitment and training in our Future Planners programme, and a trebling of the planning bursaries we are offering this year.
- Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 May 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 4 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how many early learning settings have operated from (a) temporary and (b) modular buildings, since 2015
Answer
The information requested is not held centrally. Decisions about where to locate an early learning and childcare (ELC) setting are the responsibility of the service provider. The Scottish Government does not routinely collect or hold information about the characteristics of buildings from which ELC services are provided. Statutory requirements for the fitness of premises to be used for the provision of ELC are set out in Section 10 of The Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland (Requirements for Care Services) Regulations 2011.
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 May 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 4 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the Care Inspectorate's Guidance for children and young people’s services on the inclusion of transgender including non-binary young people is compatible with the value of free speech.
Answer
As the Care Inspectorate is an independent non-departmental body, it operates at arm’s length from Government. The Care Inspectorate issues its own guidance independently from the Scottish Government to maintain its role as an impartial and objective regulator.
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 May 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Ivan McKee on 4 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-37224 by Ivan McKee on 13 May 2025, what the average occupancy rate has been over the last five years for its offices at (a) 10 Commerce Street (Fraserburgh Fishery Office), (b) 28 Cunzie Street (Anstruther Fishery Office), (c) 40 Hall Street (Campbeltown Fishery Office), (d) 5 Atlantic Quay, (e) 7 Ferry Terminal Building (Kirkwall Fishery Office), (f) AB1 Building, (g) Alexander Fleming House, (h) Alexandra Buildings (Lerwick Fishery Office), (i) Bothwell House (Ground and First Floors), (j) Brooms Road - Dumfries, (k) Bute House, (l) Caley Building (Peterhead Fishery Office), (m) Charlotte House, (n) Compass House, (o) Culag Pier (Lochinver Fishery Office), (p) Custom House (Stornoway Fishery Office), (q) Denholm House, (r) Fishmarket Building (Eyemouth Fishery Office), (s) Garage No.2 Lockup, North St, Fraserburgh, (t) Hadrian House, (u) Harbour Buildings (Mallaig Fishery Office), (v) Inchbraoch House, (w) James Street, (x) Kinlochbervie Fishery Office - Number 7, (y) Ocean Trade Centre, (z) Office at Tarbert Fish Market, (aa) Russell House, (ab) Kinlochbervie Fishery Office - Number 5, (ac) Saughton House - land, (ad) Scotland House - Brussels, (ae) Scotland House - London, (af) St Ola House (Scrabster Fishery Office), (ag) Strathearn House, (ah) The Douglas Centre (Buckie Fishery Office), (ai) The Island Centre, Crossapol, (aj) The Links, Golspie, (ak) The Zoology Building, (al) Unit 4, Seagate, Peterhead, (am) Unit 4B Kinlochleven Business Park, (an) Unit 5, Old Quay - Campbeltown and (ao) West Shore Street (Ullapool Fishery Office).
Answer
The Scottish Government does not have all the information requested because it does not retain data in relation to office usage for a period of time greater than 24 months. Furthermore, the Scottish Government can only provide data on those buildings where its own data systems are in place. Some locations have landlord data systems in place and the Scottish Government does not have access to that data.
Average occupancy levels are shown in the following table for the buildings where we hold this data, these are taken as an average of attendance levels for a full day every second Tuesday. Bothwell House closed for use by SG core staff in April 2025.
Building Name Average Occupancy rate |
| | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
Atlantic Quay 5 (Glasgow) | 36.89% | 48.25% | 77.72% |
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Bute House (Edinburgh) | 39.82% | 63.71% | 50.59% |
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Bothwell House (Hamilton) | 9.25% | 6.25% | 8.33% |
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Compass House (Dundee) | 38.36% | 61.73% | 36.36% |
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Denholm House (Livingston) | 30.37% | 27.82% | 22.10% |
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Alexander Fleming House (Elgin) | 28.48% | 26.09% | 41.74% |
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Hadrian House (Falkirk) | 37.94% | 36.56% | 28.33% |
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Marine Scotland (Eyemouth) | 77.50% | 62.50% | 90.00% |
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Marine Scotland (Peterhead) | 16.65% | 26.25% | 7.00% |
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Saughton House (Edinburgh) | 16.97% | 21.42% | 23.84% |
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Scotland House (Brussels) | 54.84% | 55.72% | 55.00% |
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Scotland House (London) | 46.03% | 36.17% | 37.71% |
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Strathearn House (Perth) | 30.54% | 29.05% | 24.58% |
- Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 May 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 4 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to support rural employment through land-based climate action.
Answer
The Scottish Government is committed to supporting rural employment and providing ongoing opportunities for those involved or wanting to be involved in our land-based sectors, which each contribute to climate action. We do this through many different initiatives.
As set out in the Land Based Learning Review Implementation plan, which was published on 29 January 2025, acting on the recommendations of the independent review will contribute to attracting and equipping more people with the right skills and knowledge that are vital for economic growth, building sustainable communities and addressing the nature and climate crises.
We fund LANTRA Scotland, to contribute to increasing the number and diversity of skilled employees in the land-based, aquaculture and environment sectors by promoting the diverse and rewarding careers available and the economic and environmental benefits of investing in skills.
We support initiatives such as the Farm Advisory Service, the Knowledge Transfer and Innovation Fund, the New Entrants programme, the Next Generation Practical Training Fund, and the Land-based Pre-apprentice Programme.
Within the forestry sector, examples include: supporting the Industry Leadership Skills Group to establish Forestry Training Services (UK); the delivery of the Women in Forestry and Future Foresters practical training funds; and the Working Woods Scotland course available through the Association of Scottish Hardwood Sawmillers.
Through the publication of our upcoming Land use and Agriculture Just Transition Plan and Rural Delivery Plan, we also seek to cover a wider range of key areas that impact on rural employment, such as agriculture, marine, land reform, transport, housing, skills, digital connectivity, economic development, and health and social care.
As the way we use our land evolves and adapts to meet the climate challenge, these activities will ensure the people who work in our agricultural industry and other land-based sectors are supported to continue to deliver both sustainable food production and improved integrated land use.
- Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 May 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Fairlie on 4 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that any reduction in livestock production does not lead to increased imports of high-emission meat and dairy.
Answer
The Scottish Government is committed to supporting a sustainable future for our livestock sector - one that reduces emissions while maintaining high-quality food production and rural livelihoods. We are investing in a just transition that helps farmers adopt low-emission practices without simply offshoring our environmental responsibilities through increased imports of high-emission meat and dairy.
However, trade is reserved to the UK Government, and recent UK trade deals risk seriously undermining Scottish producers by allowing imports of food produced to different environmental, animal welfare and food safety standards. These agreements threaten to undercut our farmers and increase the consumption of products with a higher carbon footprint. It is deeply disappointing that neither the current nor previous UK Governments consulted the Scottish Government or undertook any impact assessment that reflected Scotland’s specific circumstances - despite our repeated calls for this. Scotland’s agriculture sector faces unique challenges and must be fully considered when trade deals are negotiated. We will continue to press the UK Government to properly consider the needs of Scottish agriculture and to protect the high standards our farmers and consumers expect.
- Asked by: Emma Roddick, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 May 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 4 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-36400 by Mairi Gougeon on 22 April 2025, and in light of reports of significant welfare concerns, how it ensures that the enforcement of farmed fish welfare law is consistent and effective, and whether it considers the reported reliance on verbal advice, written advice and follow-on visits to be adequate to uphold the legal protections under the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006.
Answer
The Scottish Government takes the welfare of farmed fish very seriously and has committed to exploring options for how to best to set welfare standards for production.
We are developing guidance for the welfare of farmed fish at the time of slaughter, which has been developed with the industry and animal welfare bodies.
As stated in my previous response the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) are responsible for considering welfare complaints and investigating potential breaches in welfare legislation, and will continue to apply their professional knowledge and training to assess fish welfare against the provisions set out in The Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006.
