The Scottish Parliament

Question reference: S6W-41274

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 30 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recent UK-Faroe Islands fisheries negotiations and regarding any impact on cetacean populations in Scottish waters, what assessment it has made of any potential merits of including animal welfare and wildlife protection clauses in future fisheries agreements with the Faroe Islands.

International negotiations and membership of organisations such as International Whaling Commission (IWC) are a reserved matter for the UK Government. However, the Scottish Government is fully committed to the protection of iconic marine wildlife such as whales, dolphins, and porpoise. We therefore fully support the UK Government and IWC in seeking to secure a permanent worldwide ban, and in continuing to call on all countries who practice any form of whaling, to cease these operations and enforce the worldwide ban.

As part of the annual UK-Faroe Islands fisheries negotiations, officials continue to work with the UK Government and raise this topic with Faroe Islands officials.

As outlined in the UK/ Faroe Islands Fisheries Framework Agreement ‘The Contracting Parties shall cooperate with a view to achieving the objective of ensuring the long-term conservation and sustainable use of marine living resources and, in doing so, safeguarding the ecosystems in which these resources occur’

As part of the annual fisheries agreement, when Faroese vessels fish in the UK waters they must comply with all relevant UK/Scottish legislation. This includes compliance with legislation governing Marine Protected Areas and Future Catching Policy, and the protection of cetacean populations.

Question reference: S6W-41323

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 30 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any rail track (a) repairs and (b) upgrades that may be needed in the future, broken down by section, as well as by the date each repair or update work (i) was first identified as required and (ii) is projected to be completed by.

Question reference: S6W-41289

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 13 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 30 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has undertaken any research into the commercial potential of community gardening, in light of the findings of the James Hutton Institute in its 2024 report, Rapid Evidence Review: Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture in Scotland.

The Scottish Government commissioned the James Hutton Institute 2024 report, Rapid Evidence Review: Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture in Scotland. The report notes that evidence of urban and peri-urban agriculture in Scotland is more focused on the social, community and environmental benefits of community growing (eg. allotments and community gardens) and that most community gardening in Scotland is currently not commercially viable.

The Scottish Government continue to fund on-going research as part of the 2022-27 ENRA Strategic Research Programme which explores the means, barriers and drivers for increasing the production and use of Scotland’s fruit and vegetables (Incentivising resilient and innovative food supply chains and sustainable consumer choices | SEFARI). Part of the focus of this research is to identify interventions for supporting the sustainable expansion of small-scale, agro-ecological producers as a contributor to Scotland’s food system’s resilience. Final research outputs are not yet available. Priorities for future research in the ENRA portfolio were consulted upon earlier this year in the research strategy (Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture (ENRA) research strategy 2027-2032: consultation - gov.scot)

Research outputs from the rapid evidence review and future outputs of research in this area provide a valuable resource in contributing to on-going policy making.

Question reference: S6W-41287

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 30 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-41119 by Jim Fairlie on 9 October 2025, regarding the delaying of the implementation of the muirburn provisions under the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Act 2024 until the start of the next muirburn season in Autumn 2026, for what reason it considers that its decision to permit intentional muirburn over a longer period than that agreed by the Parliament will help address wildfires, in light of Scottish Fire and Rescue Service data reportedly indicating that intentional muirburns that have got out of control have been the fourth biggest cause of primary wildfires in the Highlands and Islands over the last five years.

Wildfire, as we saw this summer, is very damaging to our precious peatland carbon stores and the Scottish Government is incredibly grateful to the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, gamekeepers, land managers, volunteers, partners, landowners, the extended local community, the wider land management sector and indeed to everyone who played a part in getting these under control.

Scottish Ministers held a wildfires summit on 14 October to consider how we can together to improve our preparedness for wildfires in the future. The increased wildfire risk in Scotland cannot be ignored and muirburn is a tool we cannot afford to lose.

Delaying the muirburn licensing scheme is a difficult but necessary decision to ensure there are no unintended consequences in regards to muirburns role in wildfire mitigation.

Question reference: S6W-41270

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 30 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-41119 by Jim Fairlie on 9 October 2025, regarding the delaying of the implementation of the muirburn provisions under the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Act 2024 until the start of the next muirburn season in autumn 2026, whether it remains committed to (a) the aims of the legislation and (a) an operational licensing scheme by autumn 2026.

The Scottish Government remains committed to the aims of the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Act 2024 which includes introducing a licensing scheme and associated training requirements for muirburn so that it can be undertaken in an environmentally sustainable manner.

We are hopeful that the delay to the implementation of the licensing scheme until Autumn 2026 will provide us with the time and opportunity to carefully consider the upcoming changes to muirburn practices and how these changes can be brought forward in a way which does not adversely affect our ability to prevent and respond to wildfires.

Question reference: S6W-41273

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 13 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 30 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the UK-Faroe Islands fisheries negotiations 2025 and regarding any impact on cetacean populations in Scottish waters, what recent discussions it has had with UK Government ministers regarding whale and dolphin hunts in the Faroe Islands.

The Scottish Government has not had any recent discussions with UK Ministers regarding whale and dolphin hunts in the Faroe Islands, although officials do have engagement on this and other matters.

International negotiations and membership of organisations such as IWC are a reserved matter for the UK Government. However we fully support the UK Government and International Whaling Commission (IWC) in seeking to secure a permanent worldwide ban, and in continuing to call on all countries who practice any form of whaling, to cease these operations and enforce the worldwide ban.

Question reference: S6O-05090

Asked by: Sue Webber, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 October 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill to determine whether there could be any unintended consequences.

Question reference: S6O-05097

Asked by: Davy Russell, MSP for Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 October 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to support new farmers and crofters in South Lanarkshire.

Question reference: S6O-05121

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 October 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what it anticipates to be the baseline figure for its ambition towards all-tenure housing delivery of a 10% increase in housebuilding each year over the next three years.

Question reference: S6O-05098

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 October 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to a recent poll that states that a majority of people in Scotland think the NHS is worse now than it was a decade ago.

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Question reference: S6W-41274

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