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-10505

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 6 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many acres of Scotland’s land are currently in community ownership.

The area of land in community ownership was estimated to be 191,261 hectares as of 31 December 2020. This figure has been taken from the Official Statistics publication Community Ownership in Scotland 2020 which is available at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/community-ownership-scotland-2020/ . The next update to this publication will be published 27 September 2022 and will include information on any further assets brought into community ownership up to
‎ 31 December 2021.

Question reference: S6W-10506

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 2 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many farm holdings in Scotland are over (a) 3,000 ha, (b) 2,000 ha, (c) 1,000 ha and (d) 500 ha, also broken down by region and also given as a percentage of total farm holdings.

The June 2021 Agricultural Census reported 50,231 agricultural holdings in Scotland. Of these 285 holdings were over 3,000 hectares in size, 433 over 2,000 hectares in size, 874 over 1000 hectares in size and 1,794 over 500 hectares in size. Please see the following table for figures relating to number of holdings by area size and region.

Number of holdings by area size and region
June Agricultural Census 2021

	Number of holdings				Percentage of holdings				Total Holdings
	> 3,000 ha	> 2,000 ha	> 1,000 ha	> 500 ha	> 3,000 ha	> 2,000 ha	> 1,000 ha	> 500 ha
North West	169	219	350	547	0.9%	1.1%	1.8%	2.8%	19,518
North East	20	34	64	147	0.2%	0.4%	0.8%	1.7%	8,507
South East	40	84	200	493	0.4%	0.9%	2.2%	5.4%	9,069
South West	56	96	260	607	0.4%	0.7%	2.0%	4.6%	13,137
Total	285	433	874	1,794	0.6%	0.9%	1.7%	3.6%	50,231

Question reference: S6W-09411

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 25 July 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to a Low Emission Zone (LEZ) in Inverness, in light of its approval of LEZ plans for Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee.

The need for Low Emission Zones (LEZs) is for individual local authorities to consider based on specific air quality parameters within their respective areas. To date no LEZ proposals have been submitted for Ministerial approval by Highland Council.

Any local authority considering the introduction of a LEZ would undertake an assessment in accordance with the National Low Emission Framework (NLEF).

Highland Council carried out an NLEF assessment in 2020 and concluded that existing measures contained within their Air Quality Action Plan (AQAP), along with other local measures, would be sufficient to improve air quality within Inverness.

Question reference: S6O-01296

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 June 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that the future development of renewable energy involves communities meaningfully.

Question reference: S6W-08986

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 21 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to review the licensing process for mountain hare control.

Mountain hares are now a protected species following the passage of the Animals and Wildlife (Penalties, Protections and Powers) Act in June 2020. The protection came into force on 1 March 2021, meaning that the species can no longer be taken for sporting or recreational purposes.

NatureScot is currently reviewing the guidance on the licensing process for mountain hare control and has been consulting stakeholders including Scottish Environment LINK and Rural Environment Land Management (RELM) in order to inform this review. NatureScot intend to publish revised guidance later this summer.

Question reference: S6T-00803

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 June 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how avian flu is affecting bird populations.

Question reference: S6O-01253

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 June 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal's recent report on hate crime in Scotland, particularly the findings that in 2021-22 disability aggravated charges increased by 44% and transgender identity aggravated charges by 87% compared with 2020-21.

Question reference: S6W-08985

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 15 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider extending the Fair Fares review to include the Aberdeen-Inverness train line, in light of the public ownership of ScotRail and in order to tackle congestion on the A96 and reduce carbon emissions.

The Scottish Government is undertaking a Fair Fares Review to ensure a sustainable and integrated approach to public transport fares as the country recovers from the pandemic.

The Fair Fares Review will look at the range of discounts and concessionary schemes which are available on all modes including bus, rail and ferry across the whole of Scotland. The Fair Fares Review will also take into account the cost and availability of services, and will consider options that take cognisance of the relative changes to the overall cost of travel. Public transport services between Inverness and Aberdeen, including rail services, will therefore be considered as part of the wider review.

Question reference: S6F-01132

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 23 May 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 May 2022

To ask the First Minister how the Scottish Government is celebrating Scottish Bus Week.

Question reference: S6O-01112

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 May 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how it can support households with the cost of living crisis through a wellbeing economy approach.