Ariane Burgess

9 Jan 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what changes it plans to make to the (a) structure and (b) administration of the Just Transition Fund to ensure equitable, strategic and place-based distribution of funding in future rounds.

Answer · Gillian Martin: We have secured £15.9m capital and £1m resource for the JTF in the 2026-27 budget. We will announce plans for managing this spend in due course. We remain committed to making improvements in how the Fund is managed, to help ensure that it supports…

9 Jan 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how coordinated, place-based, regional just transition programmes are assessed by the Just Transition Fund, compared with individual project applications.

Answer · Gillian Martin: The JTF has funded projects based on competitive bidding rounds, focused on delivering jobs and growth for the whole region. As part of the assessment process, we examine each bid against the criteria for the scheme. The full criteria for the competitive roun…

9 Jan 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the role of revenue funding in enabling local authorities and community partners to develop and deliver complex, multi-year, just transition projects, and what proportion of the Just Transition Fund has been awarded for revenue purposes.

Answer · Gillian Martin: The JTF is primarily a capital fund, and to date we have run capital funding rounds in 2022 and 2025. We do have a smaller resource budget, and we have made much of this available to the Just Transition Participatory Budgeting fund, as detailed in the followi…

9 Jan 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what criteria it uses to assess whether the distribution of Just Transition Fund investment across local authority areas is fair and proportionate over time.

Answer · Gillian Martin: The JTF has funded projects based on competitive bidding rounds, focused on delivering jobs and growth for the whole region. The Scottish Government has not made a specific commitment to allocate the JTF on a population-share basis between the council areas i…

9 Jan 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much in Just Transition Fund awards, expressed in (a) cash terms and (b) as a percentage of the total fund, has been allocated to each eligible local authority area.

Answer · Gillian Martin: The following table provides a breakdown of the local authority areas that Just Transition Fund projects are located in – including projects from Financial Years 2022-23 to 2025-26. Some of the projects further distribute the funding to project partners…

7 Jan 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its current position is on modernising or replacing the 1491 Common Good legislation, in line with recommendations from the Scottish Land Commission.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government recognises the longstanding importance of Common Good assets and the need for a clear and effective framework for their governance. We note the Scottish Land Commission’s publications on Common Good which explore options for refo…

7 Jan 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what initiatives it supports to raise public awareness of Common Good assets, their registers and decision-making processes.

Answer · Shona Robison: Responsibility for raising public awareness of Common Good assets, their registers and decision-making processes lies with local authorities.Under the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015, councils have statutory duties to establish, and maintain a Commo…

7 Jan 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it will take to strengthen oversight of local authorities’ management of Common Good assets to ensure accountability and community benefit.

Answer · Shona Robison: Our current focus remains on supporting local authorities to meet their statutory duties, including under Part 8 of the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 and the associated statutory guidance.The Scottish Government will continue to keep under review …

7 Jan 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures consistency in the application of guidance and protocols on Common Good governance across all local authorities.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government is committed to supporting local authorities to ensure the proper management and governance of Common Good assets within the framework of their statutory responsibilities.Under the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015, councils mu…

7 Jan 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential cumulative impact of data centres on Scotland's (a) electricity grid, (b) water resources, (c) groundwater and (d) communities.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government is taking a whole system approach in its assessment of data centre infrastructure requirements and implications, including ensuring that the energy and water demands as well as community concerns are considered. The current key conside…

7 Jan 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it is monitoring the (a) number and (b) energy capacity of data centres that are currently in the Scottish planning system.

Answer · Ivan McKee: The Scottish Government does not hold a centrally maintained dataset specifically identifying developments as data centres within the planning system.Planning applications are submitted, assessed and determined by planning authorities, and information on the …

7 Jan 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding any implications for its energy strategy, what action it is taking to ensure that the grid connections for planned data centres reserved by National Energy System Operator are matched with the most preferential sites in Scotland, as set out in the report, Short …

Answer · Richard Lochhead: With the exception of the Scottish Government’s statutory consenting function, issues relating to the design and operation of the electricity networks, including the process to obtain a grid connection, are reserved matters.The Scottish Government regul…

7 Jan 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding any implications for its energy strategy, what assessment it has made of the maximum data centre energy demand that can be accommodated in Scotland while aligning with its climate change targets.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: There is an opportunity for Scotland to become a leader in green data centres given our capacity to generate energy from renewable sources.Scotland’s renewable energy capacity continues to grow, with a strong pipeline of future projects that will play a…

5 Jan 2026 · First Minister's Question

To ask the First Minister whether he will provide an update on the rollout of the £2 bus fare cap pilot agreed as part of the 2025-26 budget negotiations.

18 Dec 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports regarding poor housing standards experienced by seasonal farm workers, what consideration it has given to implementing section 315(6) of the Housing (Scotland) Act 1987.

Answer · Mairi McAllan: Section 315 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 1987 provisions are already in force which allows a local authority to take forward byelaws for the standard of accommodation for seasonal workers within its area should it decide it is the most appropriate route for …

17 Dec 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the outcome was of any investigation into the pollution incident reported at Loch Hourn in April 2025; what the (a) source and (b) nature of any pollution was determined to be; whether any enforcement action has been taken as a result, and what steps have been taken to prevent any r…

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: Elements of the investigation into the suspected incident at Loch Hourn and analysis of the evidence are ongoing and, as such, it would not be appropriate to comment further at this stage.

17 Dec 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the environmental and climate impacts associated with the importation of salmon feed used in the aquaculture sector, including on transport emissions and the sustainability of any wild-caught fish.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: The Scottish Government has not commissioned an assessment of the environmental and climate impacts associated with the importation of salmon feed, however the Scottish Government Rural Affairs and Environmental Portfolio Strategic Research Programme has supp…

17 Dec 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to its response to the Rural Affairs and Islands Committee 1st Report 2025,  Follow-up inquiry into salmon farming in Scotland (SP Paper 720), what specific "burden" it considers would arise from implementing the recommendation that all fish mortality data be made…

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: All mortality data collected by the Scottish Government and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency in relation to Scottish salmon farming is already made public on Scottish Government and Scotland’s Aquaculture websites, resulting in a high level of…

17 Dec 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its reported commitment to integrate skills strategies into sectoral strategies, when these skills strategies will be published and which (a) sectors and (b) regions each will cover.

Answer · Ben Macpherson: The budget invests over £2.4bn in post school education and skills and reinforces our steadfast commitment to free education. It includes a significant real terms increase in our investment in Scotland’s College and University sectors so that peop…

17 Dec 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of Scotland’s 2045 target to balance climate-warming pollution that is emitted with what can be removed from the atmosphere, whether it will provide an update on how it plans to scale up education and training provision for green jobs in order to deliver that target.

Answer · Gillian Martin: Our recently published draft Climate Change Plan sets out how we will seize the opportunities of net zero to secure new jobs and economic growth. The plan sets out the action we are taking to Scottish Government to plan for a multi-skilled workforce that can …

8 Dec 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many representations have been received (a) in supportof and (b) opposed to the proposed golf course on the wildlife site at CoulLinks near Embo in Sutherland, which NatureScot has described as"internationally important".

Answer · Ivan McKee: The Highland Council’s report of handling recorded 1,047 representations: 746 objections, 314 in support, and 9 neutral.Separately, the Scottish Government has received a total 411 individual written representations in relation to the proposed developme…

3 Dec 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will commit to a clear deadline for introducing new vessels on the Gourock-Dunoon route before the 2026 Scottish Parliament election.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-42300 on 11 December 2025.Programme costs and budgets as well as construction and delivery timelines are currently being reviewed alongside vessel and infrastructure options and will be included in the Outline …

3 Dec 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what instructions have been given to Transport Scotland regarding accelerating the procurement of new vessels for the Gourock-Dunoon route.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The Programme Working Group, comprised of representatives from CMAL, CalMac, Transport Scotland and Argyll and Bute Council, has been considering various replacement vessel and infrastructure options to ensure the optimum solution for ferry services to Dunoon…

2 Dec 2025 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government how the planning process monitors the delivery of any job creation figures included within planning applications, including applications for salmon farms, once they are built and operational.

2 Dec 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the UK Government's recent publication of the North Sea Future Plan, which includes the announcement of the introduction of Transitional Energy Certificates, what assessment it has made of any impacts that these certificates will have on the Marine Protected Areas recently p…

Answer · Gillian Martin: The regulatory regimes for offshore oil and gas licensing and consenting are matters reserved to the UK Government.The Scottish Government has noted the recent publication of the UK Government’s North Sea Future Plan, including its approach to future of…

26 Nov 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding any recent meetings held by the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Inter-ministerial Group on horticultural peat, what was discussed at these meetings, and what proposals are being considered regarding a pan-UK approach to ending peat sales.

Answer · Jim Fairlie: Communiqués summarising key points of discussion at Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Inter-Ministerial Group meetings are published on the Scottish Government website. Horticultural peat was most recently discussed at the June 2025 meeting. The Scot…

26 Nov 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the public consultation as part of Fisheries Management Plan measures, when it expects the management plans to come into force.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: The fisheries policy authorities intend to deliver the Fisheries Management Plans (FMPs) according to the timescales set out in Annex A of the Joint Fisheries Statement.The current public consultation on 11 draft FMPs for demersal fish stocks will run for 16 …

26 Nov 2025 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the education and skills secretary has had with the climate action and energy secretary regarding steps it is taking to expand education and training opportunities for green jobs, in light of Scotland’s 2045 target to balance climate-warming emissions with rem…

24 Nov 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S6W-41434 and S6W-41435 by Mairi McAllan on 18 November 2025 and S6W-41436 on 19 November 2025, whether it plans to introduce the bespoke statutory accommodation standards for all seasonal workers in the current parliamentary session; if so, by what d…

Answer · Mairi McAllan: The challenges faced by seasonal workers and their employers are complex, and therefore significant work is required in order to bring these bespoke standards into place. Whilst we will progress this work for the remainder of this parliamentary session, the g…

20 Nov 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the Less Favoured Area Support Scheme excludes farmers and crofters who do not have livestock but who meet all of the scheme's criteria, and what assessment it has made of any divergence from EU rules, as outlined in article 31 of the EU Rural Development Regulations, tha…

Answer · Jim Fairlie: LFASS is an area-based payment under article 31 of Regulation (EU) No 1305/2013 focuses on providing financial support to farmers operating in areas that face natural or other specific constraints.The eligibility is contained within The Less Favoured Area Sup…