Ariane Burgess

22 May 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with the Highland Council regarding reports of unsafe toilet facilities and class cancellations at Rosebank Primary School, and what support is available to local authorities to ensure that school buildings are fit for purpose.

Answer · Mairi McAllan: While statutory responsibility for managing and maintaining school estates rests with local authorities, the Scottish Government has engaged with the Highland Council on the issues at Rosebank Primary School. The Council has confirmed that no further class ca…

21 May 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports of serious bullying allegations at Ben Wyvis Primary School, what action it can take, including through engagement with the Highland Council and/or Education Scotland, to ensure that concerns regarding safeguarding and support for pupils are appropriately addressed.

Answer · Mairi McAllan: Bullying of any kind is unacceptable and all children and young people have the right to learn in a safe, supportive and inclusive environment.Responsibility for the operational management of schools, including responding to bullying incidents and safeguardin…

20 May 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support households in installing electric vehicle charging points at home.

Answer · Stephen Flynn: The Scottish Government recognises the importance of supporting access to home electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure.To date, over £6.7 million has supported the installation of more than 21,600 home charge points across Scotland.A further &poun…

19 May 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding reports that Scottish residents participating in humanitarian flotillas to Gaza have been detained by Israeli forces in international waters, what (a) representations it has made to the UK Government, and (b) discussions it has had with the UK Government to ensure th…

Answer · Stephen Gethins: The Scottish Government has raised this issue with the UK Government’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) at both Ministerial and official level.I recently wrote to the Foreign Secretary, welcoming the release of detainees and pressing …

14 May 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made towards setting up a dedicated service for people in the Highlands and Islands with myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).

Answer · Maree Todd: We have allocated funding to all territorial NHS boards in the Highlands and Islands region as part of the recurring £4.5 million investment to support the development of specialist support for people with long COVID, myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME)/chro…

14 May 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support the diagnosis, guidance and care for people living with Ehlers-Danlos syndromes and hypermobility spectrum disorders in the Highlands and Islands.

Answer · Maree Todd: Through Scotland’s Rare Disease Action Plan, we are taking forward actions to improve support for people with Ehlers-Danlos syndromes (EDS) and related conditions, including hypermobility spectrum disorders (HSD). This includes work to support earlier d…

12 Mar 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of information obtained by Animal Equality UK through a Freedom of Information request, which reportedly indicates that SEPA recorded 103 non-compliances at Scottish salmon farms in 2025, representing a 243% increase on the figure recorded in 2024, including 47 classified as ma…

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: The Scottish Government has no plans to review the Scottish Environment Protection Agency’s (SEPA) enforcement powers in relation to aquaculture.SEPA already has a number of options in its enforcement toolkit, ranging from informal advice and guidance t…

12 Mar 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that, after the Fish Health Inspectorate (FHI) was informed that the Aird salmon farm had been declared fallow while fish were still present, several weeks of sea-lice count data were retrospectively reclassified by FHI as a “withdrawal period prior to harvesti…

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: Aquaculture Production Business(APBs)may notify the Fish Health Inspectorate(FHI)of any corrections to sea lice counts which can legitimately occur and information in the public domain states that the publicly available sea lice count record may be subject to…

12 Mar 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the September 2025 update to the fisheries persistent high mortality analysis confirming that the scope of that work is limited to marine sites, and in light of reports that the Applecross hatchery has recorded approximately 10 million fish deaths over the last four years, i…

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: There are significantly fewer fresh water salmon production sites compared to marine sites, and associated available datasets on fresh water mortality are less extensive with higher variation within the data. Therefore, different analytical approaches are req…

12 Mar 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of footage published on 10 March 2026 by Animal Equality UK via The Ferret depicting salmon at a Bakkafrost facility with severe sea-lice infestations resulting in significant facial tissue damage, and reports that the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) carried out an invest…

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: The Scottish Government takes the welfare of farmed fish seriously and expects all aquaculture operators to comply with animal welfare legislation and industry standards. Where welfare concerns are raised, the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) are respons…

10 Mar 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in the interest of helping to ensure the sustainability of fishing activity in Scottish waters, whether it has any plans to call on other fisheries administrations that are responsible in adjacent waters to align with Scotland’s remote electronic monitoring requirements for releva…

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: Since 7 March 2026, all relevant pelagic vessels wishing to operate in Scottish waters have been required to carry and operate a fully validated REM system onboard. All applicable pelagic vessels in Scottish waters, regardless of national origin, are required…

10 Mar 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it can confirm that all EU-flagged pelagic freezer trawlers that have operated in Scottish waters in the last year are now compliant with Scotland’s remote electronic monitoring requirements for relevant pelagic boats.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: The remote electronic monitoring (REM) requirements for pelagic vessels came into force on 7 March 2026. All applicable pelagic vessels in Scottish waters, regardless of national origin, are required to adhere to the REM requirements as set out in the Sea Fis…

10 Mar 2026 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding its environmental strategy and responsibilities, what evaluation it has made of the UK Government’s National security assessment on global biodiversity loss, ecosystem collapse and national security, published in January 2026.

9 Mar 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to improve evidence gathering and support for Police Scotland in wildlife crime cases, in light of reports that 22% of received cases resulted in no action being taken, primarily due to insufficient evidence.

Answer · Jim Fairlie: Wildlife Crime is unacceptable and the Scottish Government has taken numerous actions to tackle wildlife crime in recent years. This includes increasing the penalties for the most serious offences and increasing powers for Scottish SPCA inspectors under the W…

9 Mar 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what evaluation has been done on the reoffending rates of individuals who have been issued warning letters or fiscal fines for wildlife crime offences.

Answer · Angela Constance: Data about previous convictions of individuals who have been convicted of wildlife crime is detailed in the most recent Wildlife Crime in Scotland publication which can be found here: https://www.gov.scot/publications/wildlife-crime-in-scotland-2024/. Althoug…

4 Mar 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that civil servants based in rural, island and remote communities are not placed at a structural disadvantage in career progression compared with staff based in Edinburgh and the central belt.

Answer · Ivan McKee: The Permanent Secretary to the Scottish Government has responsibility for the operational running of the organisation, including the workforce related hybrid working policy.Work to clarify a location policy for Scottish Government core staff will consider a r…

4 Mar 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of the minimum 40% office attendance requirement on staff living in rural, island and remote communities.

Answer · Ivan McKee: The Permanent Secretary to the Scottish Government has responsibility for the operational running of the organisation, including the workforce related hybrid working policy.The Equality Impact Assessment (EQIA) for the Scottish Government’s hybrid worki…

4 Mar 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has carried out an Island Communities Impact Assessment (ICIA) on the hybrid working and location policy, and, if not, for what reason.

Answer · Ivan McKee: The Permanent Secretary has responsibility for the operational running of the Scottish Government, including workforce-related policies such as hybrid working.As the hybrid working policy is an internal operational matter and does not alter staff contractual …

4 Mar 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how its hybrid working policies align with the commitments in its Action Plan to Address Depopulation and its National Islands Plan, regarding access to secure, skilled employment in rural and island areas.

Answer · Ivan McKee: The Permanent Secretary to the Scottish Government has responsibility for the operational running of the organisation, including the workforce related hybrid working policy.The new National Islands Plan prioritises retaining and attracting population, and whi…

4 Mar 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many civil service roles have been reclassified as “Edinburgh-based” or “central belt-based” since changes to the hybrid working policy were introduced in October 2025.

Answer · Ivan McKee: The Permanent Secretary to the Scottish Government has responsibility for the operational running of the organisation, including the workforce related hybrid working policy.No civil service roles have been reclassified as “Edinburgh based” or &ldq…

4 Mar 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that the forthcoming long-term location policy supports, rather than disadvantages, rural and island communities, and whether it will consult with affected staff and trade unions, including the PCS Highlands and Islands Branch, before finalising the long-term location …

Answer · Ivan McKee: The Permanent Secretary to the Scottish Government has responsibility for the operational running of the organisation, including matters relating to workforce location policy.The Scottish Government is committed to working in partnership with our recognised t…

26 Feb 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding bioaerosols in the salmon sector, what assessment it has made of their prevalence or impact in the farming industry, including any implications for workers’ health and safety, and what discussions it has had with the Health and Safety Executive regarding the monitor…

Answer · Richard Lochhead: I recognise the seriousness of the issue of workplace health and safety, and the Scottish Government fully expects employers to maintain workplaces that are safe for workers in line with health and safety legislation.The Scottish Government has not made any a…

25 Feb 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to provide access to NHS dentists across the Highlands and Islands.

Answer · Jenni Minto: Our Operational Improvement Plan commits to reviewing and refreshing the existing financial incentives available to the dental sector, to better support patient access in rural and island areas.This work is currently underway and we anticipate revised incenti…

18 Feb 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking in response to reports that the Scottish salmon industry recorded 1,274 weekly sea lice counts exceeding the industry’s Code of Good Practice guidelines in the last year, and whether it considers that the current regulatory framework for sea lice management…

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: The sea lice levels referred to in the Code of Good Practice are suggested criteria at which producers should consider treatment to prevent build up of gravid female sea lice They are not a regulatory standard and have no bearing in the regulation of sea lice…

18 Feb 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether people can raise objections to the Energy Consents Unit by email, and, if not, what consideration it has given to the accessibility of the Energy Consents Unit online submission portal for people in rural and island communities with slow or unreliable broadband, and what alternat…

Answer · Gillian Martin: Since the new representations process was introduced on 16 January 2026, members of the public are expected to send representations about applications for energy consent via the Energy Consents Unit portal. This process replaces emailed representations for al…

13 Feb 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what data it holds regarding the presence of contaminants in farmed salmon produced in Scotland, including (a) microplastics, (b) heavy metals, (c) per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and (d) antibiotic residues.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: Local authorities are responsible for food safety sampling to ensure food producers comply with food safety legislation, however, it is the responsibility of food businesses to demonstrate the safety of their products. Sampling data is recorded centrally by F…

11 Feb 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any potential impact that the reported proposed reduction to the telecare emergency response team in Argyll and Bute will have on residents.

Answer · Neil Gray: The responsibility for telecare provisions lies with local authority responder services. The Scottish Government therefore does not hold this information. However, the Scottish Government recognises the value of telecare services in supporting some of the mos…

11 Feb 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it proposes to delete its superseded guidance on its webpage, Implementation of Scottish Government policy on protecting Ramsar sites, dated 22 January 2019, and, if so, when.  

Answer · Gillian Martin: The former Ramsar protection policy dated 22 January 2019 will be archived when the updated web-pages, including information relating to Ramsar sites and the updated Ramsar policy protection statement dated 9th July 2025, is published in March 2026.

11 Feb 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it proposes to update its Ramsar sites and nature reserves webpage by substituting a link to its updated policy, dated 9 July 2025, on the protection of Ramsar sites, and, if so, when. 

Answer · Gillian Martin: Officials are currently reviewing and updating Scottish Government web pages relating to biodiversity policy, including that relating to Ramsar sites, nature reserves, and other protected areas. This will include the updating/replacement of redundant web-link…

11 Feb 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to ensure that publicly available guidance and policy statements on Ramsar site protections are up to date.

Answer · Gillian Martin: As outlined in the response to Parliamentary Question S6W-43661 on 23 February 2026, the review and update of the Scottish Government web content relating to Ramsar sites is underway and will be published in March 2026.All answers to written Parliamentary Que…