- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 16 January 2026
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Current Status:
Answered by Ivan McKee on 27 January 2026
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-42660 by Angus Robertson on 13 January 2026, what the reasons are for its Travel Management system not recording the use of frequent flyer or other travel loyalty scheme account numbers for ministerial air travel, and whether it will provide this information to Parliament.
Answer
Frequent flyer mileage or other loyalty schemes are managed by airlines themselves and not by the Scottish Government's travel agent nor its Travel Management systems. Any membership of such schemes, and use of any accrued benefits is a personal matter for the traveller, and in line with the Scottish Government's travel policy, should be used for Scottish Government business travel only, and not for the travellers' personal gain. Air miles may be donated to a charity of the travel operator's choice.
Where a business journey is justified, Scottish Government Ministers and officials are required to travel in the most cost effective and time efficient manner available at the time of travelling.
- Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Submitting member has a registered interest.
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Date lodged: Thursday, 15 January 2026
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Fairlie on 27 January 2026
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-33135 by Jim Fairlie on 22 January 2025, when it will provide an update on when it will launch its planned bracken mapping layer for Scotland.
Answer
The Scottish Government has provided funding for the creation of a Scottish mapping layer, this work went out to tender in 2025. Creation and validation of a map, with a spatial resolution of 10m, is currently underway with a scheduled finalisation date of end May 2026. This mapping layer will allow current Scottish bracken extent to be assessed, and the code and methodology will be transferred to Scottish Government geo-spatial analysts to allow future remapping of changes to bracken area. The Scottish LiDAR programme may also inform future iterations of the map. The intention is that the mapping layer will be available for general use and dissemination to stakeholders by summer 2026.
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 15 January 2026
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 27 January 2026
To ask the Scottish Government whether the Minister for Public Finance has any role in decisions on funding, financing or financial guarantees for electricity transmission infrastructure projects that are also subject to Electricity Act 1989 consents.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-43113 on 27 January 2026. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at: https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 16 January 2026
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 27 January 2026
To ask the Scottish Government whether the weighting given to cost considerations in Electricity Act 1989 consent decisions has changed following the transfer of responsibility to the Minister for Public Finance.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-43118 on 27 January 2026. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at: https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 16 January 2026
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 27 January 2026
To ask the Scottish Government how accountability for Electricity Act 1989 consent decisions will be assigned where responsibilities span over more than one ministerial portfolio.
Answer
Paragraph 1.4(d) of the Scottish Ministerial Code makes clear that holders of public office are accountable for their decisions and actions. This operates alongside the principle of collective responsibility, set out at paragraph 2.1, whereby decisions reached by the Scottish Ministers, individually or collectively, are binding on all members of the Government.
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 16 January 2026
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 27 January 2026
To ask the Scottish Government whether the remuneration of the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy changed following the transfer of responsibility for Electricity Act 1989 consents to the Minister for Public Finance on 18 December 2025 and, if so, in what way.
Answer
The Scottish Parliament is responsible for the payment of salaries for MSPs and members of the Scottish Government.
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 15 January 2026
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 27 January 2026
To ask the Scottish Government whether the transfer of responsibility to the Minister for Public Finance for consents under the Electricity Act 1989 is intended to be a permanent arrangement.
Answer
The current allocation of responsibility for consents under the Electricity Act 1989 is expected to continue for the remainder of this parliamentary term, unless a future change in portfolio responsibility is made.
- Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 January 2026
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom Arthur on 27 January 2026
To ask the Scottish Government which NHS boards are implementing the pathway for eating disorders and autism developed from clinical experience (PEACE) to make eating disorder services more accessible for neurodivergent people.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not collect data on the implementation of the PEACE pathway.
We are aware that several NHS Boards are implementing the pathway across both CAMHS and adult services, and that others are interested in progressing this work.
To support Boards wanting to implement the PEACE pathway, the Eating Disorders National Network previously organised a webinar, where over 100 attendees heard from experts, and one of the Boards currently implementing the pathway locally.
The Scottish Government’s grant funding to Beat provides places for Continuing Professional Development (CPD) training for those in Scotland, and a recent webinar on eating disorders and autism included content on the PEACE pathway.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 January 2026
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 27 January 2026
To ask the Scottish Government, regarding its draft Budget 2026-27 and the associated level 4 tables, whether it will provide a detailed breakdown of the £125.920 million committed to digital health and care.
Answer
The 2026-27 Budget provides almost £22.5 billion investment in health and social care services exceeding consequentials and providing a real terms uplift to enable more sustainable and resilient services.
In line with our Digital and Data Health and Care Strategies, and our Service Renewal Framework, we are continuing to invest in technology to improve health outcomes, enhance patient experience, and deliver more efficient services across Scotland. The draft 2026-27 Scottish Budget includes an allocation of £125.920 million to support a range of initiatives, including:
- Digital and Data Infrastructure – For example, expansion of the National Digital Platform and continued development and rollout of systems such as the Digital Front Door, enabling better access to health and care information for citizens and professionals.
- Cyber Security and Core Infrastructure – strengthening resilience and ensuring secure, reliable digital services across NHS Scotland.
- Innovation and Data – enabling improved use of health data through AI-driven solutions, research partnerships, and projects that advance digital innovation.
- Service Transformation – investment in remote monitoring, telehealth, and virtual consultations to improve access and reduce pressure on frontline services.
- Workforce and Skills Development – building digital capability within the health and care workforce to support the effective adoption of new technologies.
The uplift in the digital health and care budget reflects increased funding to accelerate digital transformation focusing on Digital Front Door, and strengthen our underlying data infrastructure. These investments will help deliver person-centred care, improve efficiency, and support Scotland’s ambition to be a leader in digital health innovation.
- Asked by: Maggie Chapman, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 January 2026
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Fairlie on 27 January 2026
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the requirement to provide evidence of the qualifying benefit award that is dated within the last 18 months, regardless of the length of the award, is a barrier to applying and renewing a disabled person’s bus pass.
Answer
The Older and Disabled Persons’ National Concessionary Travel Scheme is administered locally by Local Authorities and the National Entitlement Card Programme Office (NECPO) on behalf of Transport Scotland.
As part of the verification process, applicants for disabled concessionary travel are asked to provide proof of eligibility dated within the last 18 months. This requirement helps ensure that an individual’s qualifying benefit and personal details are up-to-date at the point of application or renewal.
The Scottish Government does not consider this requirement to be a barrier to applying for or renewing a disabled person’s bus pass. Local authorities also have access to the Social Security Scotland Data Sharing Portal, which allows them to confirm an applicant’s qualifying benefit even where evidence is incomplete or out-of-date, reducing the need for applicants to provide further documentation.
These measures are intended to support a smooth and timely application or renewal process, while ensuring that the correct entitlement is awarded.