Ariane Burgess

20 Nov 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the University of Stirling's recently published research on the positive benefits of beaver-created wetlands on pollinator numbers, what financial incentives it provides for landowners to accommodate beaver wetlands.

Answer · Gillian Martin: Whilst the Scottish Government does not have any specific options that provide financial incentives for landowners to accommodate beaver wetlands, there are grant schemes that could be used to support complimentary and positive beaver management.Agri-Environm…

19 Nov 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many completed peatland restoration projects funded by the Peatland Action Fund have subsequently been damaged by deer populations, and what steps have been taken by NatureScot to prevent such damage from re-occurring.

Answer · Jim Fairlie: NatureScot Peatland ACTION undertakes compliance checks of peatland restoration projects post completion on a sample basis each year. The latest check of 24 sites identified herbivore impacts (from low to high) linked to deer populations on 5 of these sites w…

19 Nov 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the financial cost has been of damage by deer populations to areas of peatlands that have been restored under the Peatland Action Fund.

Answer · Jim Fairlie: NatureScot Peatland ACTION does not hold this information. Any costs incurred are funded by landowners not the public purse. As part of all Peatland ACTION contractual agreements, landowners accept the responsibility to repair damage caused by herbivores acro…

19 Nov 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how the Deer Code was used to inform action under section 8 of the Deer (Scotland) Act 1996 at Loch Choire Estate in Sutherland.

Answer · Jim Fairlie: As required by the Deer (Scotland) Act 1996 (the Act) NatureScot must have regard to Deer Code of Practice when exercising their functions under the Act, including when exercising functions under section 7(1) (control agreements) and section 8(1) (control sch…

19 Nov 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many times the Deer Code has been used to inform action of the ground by NatureScot to reduce deer (a) numbers and (b) damage.

Answer · Jim Fairlie: NatureScot have been informed by the Deer Code in every section 7 (control agreement) intervention it has taken since the publication of the Code in 2011, as required under the Deer (Scotland) Act 1996.NatureScot has also had due regard to the Code in underta…

19 Nov 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether NatureScot will carry out a review of the current Deer Code and how effective its implementation has been by the agency before a new Deer Code is produced, as proposed by part 4 of the Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill.

Answer · Jim Fairlie: NatureScot has begun work to carry out a review of the Deer Code and has set up Steering Group to help with this task, the Group began meeting in November 2025. Membership of this group is taken from a wide range of deer experts in Scotland and reflects the s…

17 Nov 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to any future policy changes that would ensure that solar thermal installations are treated comparably to other clean heating solutions, both for the purposes of grant support schemes and EPC assessments.

Answer · Mairi McAllan: The 2021 Heat in Buildings Strategy sets out the role of solar thermal technology, which can help to supplement the supply of hot water.Our Heat in Buildings Programme offers a wide variety of schemes that provide funding to reduce heat demand and decarbonise…

17 Nov 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any impact of solar thermal installations on a building's Energy Performance Certificate (EPC).

Answer · Mairi McAllan: Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) are calculated in Scotland and the rest of the UK by an approved methodology for both new and existing buildings. The current methodology for assessing new domestic buildings is the Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) an…

17 Nov 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how the revised Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) methodology will recognise the contribution of solar thermal installations to energy efficiency.

Answer · Mairi McAllan: Our updated response to the 2023 Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) reform consultation and 2025 technical consultation sets out the timeline for introducing a new calculation methodology called the Home Energy Model (HEM) which is under development by the …

17 Nov 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to review the level of grant support available for solar thermal installations, with a view to bringing it in line with that for solar photovoltaic (PV) systems.

Answer · Mairi McAllan: Our Heat in Buildings Programme offers a wide variety of schemes that provide funding to reduce heat demand and decarbonise heat in our homes and buildings.The Scottish Government currently offers loan funding of up to £5,000 for solar thermal installat…

17 Nov 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason solar thermal installations do not currently receive the same level of grant support as solar photovoltaic (PV) systems.

Answer · Mairi McAllan: Our Heat in Buildings Programme offers a wide variety of schemes that provide funding to reduce heat demand and decarbonise heat in our homes and buildings.The most common use for solar thermal technology is in providing domestic hot water heating only. Whils…

17 Nov 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what policy it plans to implement to classify battery storage as energy generation.

Answer · Gillian Martin: As in the Chief Planner letter dated 27 August 2020, the Scottish Government considers that a battery storage installation generates electricity and is therefore to be treated as a generating station for the purposes of deciding whether Section 36 consent is …

17 Nov 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration has been given to funding schemes for battery backup units or alternative technologies for households in areas prone to long power cuts, in light of the planned switch-off of the Public Switched Telephone Network in January 2027. 

Answer · Richard Lochhead: As you will already be aware, responsibility for the UK’s telecommunications network is reserved to the UK Government, with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology being the lead government department.The move to digital-based services is …

17 Nov 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of the planned switch-off of the Public Switched Telephone Network on rural and island communities, particularly those with poor mobile coverage and frequent power cuts. 

Answer · Richard Lochhead: As you will already be aware, responsibility for the UK’s telecommunications network is reserved to the UK Government, with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology being the lead government department.The move to digital-based services is …

17 Nov 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken to improve broadband reliability in rural Scotland ahead of the switch-off of the Public Switched Telephone Network, in light of the fact that digital landlines depend on internet connectivity.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: In the past decade, Scottish public sector-led digital infrastructure programmes have enabled over one million faster broadband connections. Through the Reaching 100% (R100) and Project Gigabit in Scotland (PGiS) programmes, we are continuing to accelerate ac…

17 Nov 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that telecare and other safety-critical systems connected to landlines are upgraded or adapted before the Public Switched Telephone Network ceases in January 2027. 

Answer · Richard Lochhead: As you will already be aware, responsibility for the UK’s telecommunications network is reserved to the UK Government, with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology being the lead government department.The move to digital-based services is …

13 Nov 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what (a) scientific and (b) other advice led to the decision to license at least 26 vessels in each of the last five razor clam electro-fishery trial seasons.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: Scientific advice has underpinned the decision to authorise derogations permitting licensed fishing vessels to catch, land and sell razor clams while participating in the trial.The biological and ecological goals describe the areas in which the scientific tri…

10 Nov 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of Oceana UK's recently published research into the impact of offshore oil and gas projects on marine life, whether it plans to oppose any proposed new oil and gas developments in Scotland's seas.

Answer · Gillian Martin: The regulatory regimes for offshore oil and gas licensing and consenting are matters currently reserved to the UK Government. The Scottish Government continues to call on the UK Government to approach decisions for North Sea oil and gas projects on a rigorous…

10 Nov 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of Oceana UK's recently published research into the impact of offshore oil and gas projects on marine life, what steps it is undertaking to ensure that Scotland's Marine Protected Areas network is protected from any future disturbances by new oil and gas developments.

Answer · Gillian Martin: The regulatory regimes for offshore oil and gas licensing and consenting are matters currently reserved to the UK Government. As part of these arrangements, the UK Offshore Petroleum Regulator for Environment and Decommissioning (OPRED) has responsibility for…

10 Nov 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Scottish Sea Fisheries Statistics for 2024, which showed an increasing trend of job losses across the fishing industry, and in light of reports of collapsing stocks of Northern Shelf cod and mackerel, how it will ensure that money coming into the sector through the Fishi…

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: I refer the member to the answers to the related questions S6W-41798 on 24 November 2025 and S6W-41726 on 13 November 2025.The Scottish Government will make funding decisions for 2026-27 and future years in the upcoming Scottish Budget and Spending Review. Wh…

10 Nov 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to use the Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund to drive growth and sustainability in coastal communities and the fishing sector, and how it expects the fund will halt or reverse the decline in the number of (a) fishers and (b) fishing vessels, as outlined in the recent Scottish …

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: The allocation of just £28m of the £360 million Fishing and Coastal Fund is a hammer blow for our fishing sector. Scotland accounts for over 60% of the UK’s fishing capacity and seafood exports, with Scottish vessels landing over 75% of UK q…

10 Nov 2025 · First Minister's Question

To ask the First Minister whether the Scottish Government is still on track to restore 250,000 hectares of peatland by 2030.

6 Nov 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the guidance accompanying the Fireworks and Pyrotechnic Articles (Scotland) Act 2022 stating that it did not "set out any minimum or maximum geographic size or area that can be covered by a firework control zone, or the cumulative area that a local authority may…

Answer · Siobhian Brown: The statutory guidance to local authorities sets out how they should exercise their powers under the Act to implement Firework Control Zones lawfully. It takes into consideration wider legal requirements than just the Firework Control Zone provisions in the A…

3 Nov 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Rural Support Plan will explicitly address thetopics included under Section 2(3) of the Agriculture and Rural Communities Act.

Answer · Jim Fairlie: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-41655 on 18 November 2025. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committ…

3 Nov 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it has considered climate adaptation in the developmentof the Rural Support Plan.

Answer · Jim Fairlie: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-41655 on 18 November 2025. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committ…

3 Nov 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how the Rural Support Plan will provide clarity on support availableto farmers and crofters to transition to sustainable and regenerativeagriculture.

Answer · Jim Fairlie: The Rural Support Plan will launch the new four-tier framework and in the first instance will map legacy CAP support and existing support into it to provide an overview of the available support.It will set out, through the Agricultural Reform Programme (ARP) …

20 Oct 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to review its compliance with, including ministerial performance, section 315 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 1987, which refers to byelaws with respect to accommodation for seasonal workers.

Answer · Mairi McAllan: We know that there is a gap in protection for seasonal workers and it is something we are very keen to address as urgently as we can.As I stated during the Housing Bill debate, I do not think that it is appropriate to require ministers to make byelaws and the…

20 Oct 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what ministerial meetings have been held with (a) local authorities, (b) representatives of the agricultural sector, including farmers and (c) regulatory bodies, including the (i) Health and Safety Executive and (ii) Gangmasters Labour Abuse Authority, regarding caravan and mobile accomm…

Answer · Mairi McAllan: Initial meetings with stakeholders took place between 20 November 2024 and 16 January 2025 including with local authorities, farmer representatives, farm employers and regulatory bodies.Further meetings will be held with the wider sector when officials are in…

20 Oct 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made with the scoping review of caravan and mobile accommodation for seasonal workers, and by what date its findings will be made public.

Answer · Mairi McAllan: As part of the scoping exercise, officials reviewed existing evidence on: accommodation conditions; results of engagement with farm employers, local authorities, Scotland’s Rural College, the Workers Support Centre and the National Farmers Union of Scot…

16 Oct 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made by the Scottish Public Pensions Agency in determining whether retained firefighters serving at non-designated retained stations are eligible under the Matthews Second Options Exercise pension remedy.

Answer · Ivan McKee: Under the rules of the Firefighters’ Pension Scheme (Scotland) Order 2007, firefighters who did not serve under the specific terms for eligibility at the relevant time do not qualify for the Matthews Second Option exercise.