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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-39181

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 July 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 24 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider reviewing and updating the cross-compliance requirements for semi-natural grasslands, in light of new cross-compliance requirements coming into effect for peatlands and wetlands under the Good Agricultural and Environmental Conditions standards.

There are no plans at this time to introduce new requirements for semi-natural grasslands. Semi-natural grasslands sit within the definition of ‘rough grazing or other semi-natural areas’ which are currently protected under Cross Compliance. Requirements under GAEC 6 prohibit farmers and crofters from ploughing or cultivating areas of rough grazing or other semi-natural areas unless approved as part of an Environmental Impact Assessment. Further guidance is available at: Maintenance of soil organic matter (GAEC 6)Maintenance of soil organic matter (GAEC 6)

Support remains available via the Agri-Environment Climate Scheme (AECS) to land managers to conserve semi-natural habitats. Relevant options include Moorland Management, and alongside this, Summer Hill Grazing Cattle and Away Wintering Sheep. Further detail is available on the AECS webpage.

Question reference: S6W-39232

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 July 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 24 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding any potential threat of the bluetongue virus in Scotland, in light of the whole of England being made a bluetongue restricted zone on 1 July 2025.

Scottish Government have been in regular communication with both Defra and Welsh Government, including regular discussions between CVO’s since disease was identified as circulating in England in 2024, with meetings taking place at least twice a week since then. Scottish Government policy and veterinary colleagues have attended twice weekly bluetongue meetings, and weekly bluetongue vaccine task force meetings with the other devolved administrations and industry representatives. There are also twice weekly licensing and policy calls between all the administrations.

Question reference: S6W-39159

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 04 July 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 24 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will accelerate the roll-out of at-home cervical cancer testing in order to reduce any health inequalities.

Question reference: S6W-39431

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 July 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 24 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to align the legal protections for aquatic farmed animals with those for terrestrial farmed animals, in line with the recommendations of the Scottish Animal Welfare Commission in May 2025.

Question reference: S6W-39190

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 07 July 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 24 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what consultation it held with auction markets before implementing the bluetongue virus (BTV-3) movement restrictions.

The Scottish Government has hosted regular meetings with representatives of livestock markets and other key stakeholders since the first cases of Bluetongue Serotype 3 (BTV-3) were identified in England in autumn 2024. This is in addition to attending regular meetings with industry stakeholders hosted by Defra at least twice a week, which includes market representatives. Scottish market representatives were also invited to meetings to directly feed into reports conducted by the Scottish Government’s centre of Expertise on Animal Disease Outbreaks (EPIC), which analyse the levels and value of cross border trade and the impacts on Scottish livestock movements in response to an extended all England- restricted zone. The Scottish Government continue to closely with markets, particularly those on the Scotland-England border, to seek innovative solutions to the disruptions from BTV-3 restrictions.

Question reference: S6W-39091

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 July 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 24 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-36002 by Jenni Minto on 1 April 2025, whether it or Public Health Scotland can provide an update on the timeline for the introduction and delivery of the Fracture Liaison Service audit.

Public Health Scotland (PHS), is responsible for implementing and delivering the Fracture Liaison Service (FLS) audit. While they identified some initial recruitment-related delays, these have been addressed and completed.

Scottish Government is satisfied that the FLS audit is on track as expected, and within the guidance set out by Scottish National Audit Programme (SNAP).

More details on the SNAP guidance and governance process can be found here - Scottish National Audit Programme (SNAP).

Question reference: S6W-39112

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 July 2025
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 24 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what mechanisms it has in place to monitor any potential impact of the Scottish National Investment Bank’s investments on housing supply, including the number of homes delivered as a result of those investments.

Question reference: S6W-39301

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 July 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 24 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the effectiveness of the enforcement of the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (Scotland) Regulations 2021.

Question reference: S6W-39300

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 July 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 24 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to review the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (Scotland) Regulations 2021.

Question reference: S6W-39278

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 July 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 24 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported calls from the RSPB for a moratorium on gamebird and Mallard releases in 2025 due to the risk of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in wild birds in Britain being formally classed as "high".

The SG has no plans to bring forward a moratorium on gamebird and Mallard releases in 2025.

Where release of gamebirds may adversely affect the natural features of a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) (and so is listed as an Operation Requiring Consent), the owners or the occupiers of the site must apply for consent from NatureScot. NatureScot can then give consent with or without conditions, refuse, modify or withdraw a consent as appropriate. The prevalence of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in the local area can be a reason for consent to be withheld/withdrawn.

Due to the frequency of wild bird findings in the current outbreak season, an Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) has been in place in Scotland (and across GB) since January 2025 to mitigate the risk of the disease spreading amongst poultry (which includes gamebirds) and other captive birds. This introduced a legal requirement for all bird keepers, including gamekeepers, to follow strict biosecurity measures to help protect their flocks from the threat of avian flu and protect the environment from onward spread.

The measures also include a requirement that that birds taken from the wild for the purpose of restocking supplies of game must not be moved from the premises into which they are taken until a period of 21 days from the date of taking of the last bird has elapsed, unless the movement is direct and licensed by a veterinary inspector or by an inspector under the direction of a veterinary inspector.

It is a legal requirement for suspicion of a notifiable avian disease to be reported to the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA).