Chamber and committees

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.

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Question reference: S6W-17325

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 4 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, with reference to its consultation on A New Deal for Tenants, what work it has done with animal welfare charities to promote the benefits of pet-friendly properties to landlords.

We recognise the health and wellbeing benefits having a pet can bring and our New Deal for Tenants sought views on proposals to give tenants greater rights to keep a pet.

Scottish Government officials engaged with Battersea Dogs & Cats Home to discuss their Pet Friendly Properties report and how these recommendations could work with tenants, landlords and pets. Officials also engaged with Cats Protection regarding their Purrfect Landlords campaign and to consider ways to encourage more landlords to allow pets in their properties.

We are currently considering responses to the consultation as we develop proposals for future reform and will continue to liaise with all stakeholders during this process.

Question reference: S6W-17246

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 4 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what the current level of woodland cover is on agricultural land.

The June 2021 Scottish Agricultural Census identified Scotland to have an agricultural land area of 5.64 million hectares. Scotland has created over 83,500 hectares of new woodland in the last ten years. For illustration purposes, if all of this had hypothetically been planted on agricultural land it would equate to 1.5% of the total agricultural land holding in Scotland.

Analysis of the Forestry Grant Scheme shows the applications for small woodland grants since 2015 covers 6,839 hectares, which equates to 0.1% of all agricultural land. Over the same period some 1,100 hectares of woodland creation has been on prime agricultural land, which represents 0.2% of total prime agricultural land.

Question reference: S6W-17324

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 4 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether any legislative proposals based on its consultation on A New Deal for Tenants will include greater flexibility for tenants to personalise their home, including the right to keep pets, in both the private and social housing sectors.

Question reference: S6O-02219

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 May 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 11 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with local authorities regarding any preparations for the potential impact of the proposed Illegal Migration Bill on asylum seekers currently accommodated in hotels in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-16896

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 24 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many beavers have been translocated to new river catchments since the announcement by the Minister for Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity, in November 2021, of new measures to expand beaver numbers and restore biodiversity.

Question reference: S6W-16897

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 24 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to make the process for obtaining a licence for a conservation translocation of a beaver within existing range attractive and achievable for landowners, in line with Goal 3, Action II of Scotland's Beaver Strategy 2022-2045, Part 2: Implementation Plan.

NatureScot have already taken a number of actions to make the process for obtaining a licence for a conservation translocation of a beaver within existing range attractive and achievable for landowners.

NatureScot has produced guidance on beaver translocation for applicants, consultees and interested parties which sets out the expectations for engagement with those most likely to be affected. The extent of stakeholder engagement should be proportionate to the proposals.

There are existing environmental appraisals for beaver translocations in the Tay, Forth, Knapdale and Loch Lomond catchments. Proposals that are within range and genuinely low risk are not expected to demonstrate the same level of engagement as proposals in new catchments where there may be new risks and benefits to consider.

A translocation licence application should contain project details as set out in the Scottish Code for Conservation Translocations. This includes an assessment of release site suitability, a summary of what stakeholder engagement has been carried out and evidence of landowner permission. NatureScot staff can advise land managers with an interest in receiving beavers within range, and are working with public bodies to identify suitable opportunities on public land.

The application process should not be a barrier for those seeking to release beavers within range. Further information can be found in the following link: https://www.nature.scot/doc/beavers-scotland-conservation-translocation-guidance-applicants-consultees-and-interested-parties

Following the publication of the Scotland’s Beaver Strategy NatureScot will be discussing with the Scottish Beaver Advisory Group what further action might be required to achieve this goal.

Question reference: S6W-16119

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 6 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address the reported record-high mortality rates in the Scottish salmon farming industry in 2022.

The recent increase in mortality should be considered in the context of the trend seen since 2002, which indicates average mortality levels are relatively stable with peaks and troughs in different years. This is demonstrated by comparison of the number of fish surviving to harvest within a production cycle, which provides for a better comparison between years than mortality figures alone, and which is presented in our published production survey Scottish Fish Farm Production Survey 2021 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

The Scottish Government expects producers to drive mortality to lowest possible levels. We continue to work with the sector, regulators, fish vets and the Sustainable Aquaculture Innovation Centre to better understand causes of mortality, improve access to treatments and address the impacts of climate change.

Question reference: S6F-01967

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 March 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 March 2023

To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government will take to tackle the climate and nature emergencies.

Question reference: S6W-14882

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 20 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the letter from the Minister for Environment and Land Reform to the Member on 11 January 2023, how it determines whether any given incident or pattern of wildlife mortality is a "major conservation concern".

Further to my letter to you dated 11 January 2023, an incident or pattern of wildlife mortality can be determined to be a “major conservation concern” where it might have an impact on the conservation status of the species concerned. This could be because of the scale of the impact, or because of the vulnerability of the species in question.

The conservation status relating to species can be found in the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species determines the listings on the UK Birds of Conservation Concern, and Species of European Conservation Concern.

Question reference: S6W-15189

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 17 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 16 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason its National Rail Conversation does not seek the views of people in Scotland regarding the passenger rail services provided by West Coast Railways, in light of the reported views of local communities that are keen to see the company deliver a service that is run for the benefit of local residents as well as visitors.

The Scottish Government’s National Rail Conversation is focussed on the publicly owned railway, therefore concerns the provision of services by ScotRail. The National Rail Conversation will engage the views of rail users, regional transport partnerships, rail unions, local authorities, equalities groups, businesses, emergency services and rail industry organisations – as well as non-rail users – for their input in to the vision for rail services in Scotland. The Conversation will listen to feedback from passengers and stakeholders and shape a vision for ScotRail which best meets the needs of the people of Scotland.

Charter train operators such as West Coast Railways will be invited to provide input and insight as part of the wider stakeholder engagement process but are not within the scope of the Conversation itself.