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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-33930

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 24 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 6 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many people were prosecuted on the suspicion of committing an offence listed in the (a) Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries (Consolidation) (Scotland) Act 2003 and (b) Aquaculture and Fisheries (Scotland) Act 2007, in each year since 2021, broken down by offence.

The latest available information on convictions is for the financial year 2022-23.

(a)Number of people prosecuted under the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries (Consolidation)(Scotland) Act 2003, where main crime, 2021-22 to 2022-23.

	2021-22	2022-23
Total prosecuted	1	4

Source: Scottish Government Criminal Proceedings database.

Please note: data for 2021-22 and 2022-23 are affected by the pandemic, subsequent court closures, reduced court capacity due to physical distancing measures and delays to cases where key participants were forced to self-isolate after testing positive for COVID-19, and may not be considered indicative of long term trends.

(b)There were no prosecutions under the Aquaculture and Fisheries (Scotland) Act 2007, where main crime, between 2021-22 and 2022-23.

Question reference: S6W-33931

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 24 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 6 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many people were prosecuted on the suspicion of committing an offence listed in the Freshwater Fish Conservative (Prohibition on Fishing for Eels) (Scotland) Regulations 2008 in each year since 2021.

Question reference: S6W-33951

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 24 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 6 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many VisitScotland destination development directors were in post each December since 2018, and where each was located.

The following table captures current roles and locations and indicates whether the role has been in place since 2018:

Job Title	Contracted work base (current role-holder)	Role in place since 2018
Destination Development Director - Central/North-East – Including Tay Cities	Perth	Yes
Destination Development Director – Highlands & Islands	Inverness	Yes
Destination Development Director – South	Glasgow	Yes
Regional Director - Argyll & the Isles	Oban	Yes
Regional Director - Glasgow City	Glasgow	Yes
Regional Director - Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire & Moray Speyside	Aberdeen	Yes
Regional Director - Edinburgh & Lothians	Perth	Yes
Regional Director - Ayrshire & Forth Valley	Glasgow	Yes
Island Manager – Shetland	Lerwick	Yes
Island Manager - Orkney	Kirkwall	Yes
Island Manager – Outer Hebrides	Stornoway	Yes

Over time exact job titles and responsibilities have evolved. VisitScotland’s system does not allow point in time reporting required to share information for each December since 2018.

Question reference: S6W-33974

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 24 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 6 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how people in the NHS Highland area who are impacted by Huntington’s disease can access support from (a) general psychiatry and (b) community mental health teams.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that individuals impacted by Huntington’s disease, including those in the NHS Highland area, can access the mental health support they need.

This includes access to community mental health teams and psychiatry by referral through their GP or a Huntington’s specialist. Clinical leads and Huntington’s disease specialists, supported by the Scottish Huntington’s Association network, coordinate physical and mental health care and provide clear pathways to mental health services, including psychiatry.

We have published Core Mental Health Quality Standards which aim to ensure equitable access to mental health services, through clear referral processes, reduced barriers, and prioritisation of those most in need, which could include those with Huntington’s.

Question reference: S6W-33954

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 24 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 6 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many recreational visitors travelled to the Highlands and Islands in each year since 2018.

Number of overnight visitors to Highlands and Islands by year, 2018-2023 (000s)
	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023
Domestic Visitors	1,997	2,805	-	-	2,461	2,124
International Visitors	525	591	-	-	393	555
Total overnight	2,522	3,396	-	-	2,854	2,679

Highlands and Islands includes the following local authorities: Highland, Orkney Islands, Shetland Islands and Western Isles (aka Outer Hebrides / Eilean Siar).
There is a break in the time series in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID19 pandemic so there is no data available for these years.
The source for domestic overnight figures is the Great Britain Tourism Survey.
The source for international figures is the International Passenger Survey.

Question reference: S6W-34023

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 6 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has cost to maintain the national flags that it owns in each of the last 10 years.

Question reference: S6W-33952

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 24 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 6 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many VisitScotland development managers were in post each December since 2018, and where each was located.

The following table captures current roles and locations and indicates whether the role has been in place since 2018:

Job Title	Contracted work base (current role-holder)	Role in place since 2018
Destination Development Director - Central/North-East – Including Tay Cities	Perth	Yes
Destination Development Director – Highlands & Islands	Inverness	Yes
Destination Development Director – South	Glasgow	Yes
Regional Director - Argyll & the Isles	Oban	Yes
Regional Director - Glasgow City	Glasgow	Yes
Regional Director - Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire & Moray Speyside	Aberdeen	Yes
Regional Director - Edinburgh & Lothians	Perth	Yes
Regional Director - Ayrshire & Forth Valley	Glasgow	Yes
Island Manager – Shetland	Lerwick	Yes
Island Manager - Orkney	Kirkwall	Yes
Island Manager – Outer Hebrides	Stornoway	Yes

Over time exact job titles and responsibilities have evolved. VisitScotland’s system does not allow point in time reporting required to share information for each December since 2018.

Question reference: S6W-33968

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 24 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 6 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether mobile or other IT devices used by its ministers, that are not corporate devices, are covered by the revised policy on retention of information.

In accordance with the Scottish Ministerial Code paragraph 6.42, Ministers should use Government systems for all Government business. Any communication on Government business engages Ministers’ obligations to ensure accurate public records are kept.

The Scottish Government policy on use of mobile messaging apps can only be enforced using technical means on corporate devices connected to the Scottish Government.

Question reference: S6W-34033

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 6 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-33096 by Ivan McKee on 21 January 2025, what the cost of maintaining the fleet was in each of the last five years.

Question reference: S6W-34022

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 6 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government which national flags it owns.

Year	Total maintenance cost
2019-20	£171,492
2020-21	£134,749
2021-22	£186,317
2022-23	£162,212
2023-24	£162,349