Parliamentary questions
Emma Roddick
185 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
19 May 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-36400 by Mairi Gougeon on 22 April 2025, and in light of reports of significant welfare concerns, how it ensures that the enforcement of farmed fish welfare law is consistent and effective, and whether it considers the reported reliance on verb…
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: The Scottish Government takes the welfare of farmed fish very seriously and has committed to exploring options for how to best to set welfare standards for production.We are developing guidance for the welfare of farmed fish at the time of slaughter, which ha…
7 May 2025 · Inspired Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it will decide on the award of the next Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services contract (CHFS3).
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: I can announce today that Scottish Ministers have decided that a direct award should be made to CalMac Ferries Limited. The due diligence work has concluded there is no financial, operational or legal impediment to proceeding with a Teckal-compliant direct aw…
6 May 2025 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to recent reported figures indicating higher than average drug driving offences in the Highlands and Islands.
5 May 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to introduce statutory financial penalties for (a) large-scale salmon escapes and (b) environmental non-compliance within the salmon farming sector, in line with international standards
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: In our response to Rural Affairs and Islands Committee Salmon Farming in Scotland report, we committed to prioritising progress to introduce penalties for fish farm escapes in 2026-2027.In terms of environmental non-compliance, the Scottish Environment Protec…
5 May 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact of escaped farmed salmon on wild salmon populations in Scottish rivers and coastal waters.
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: The Scottish Government published its first national assessment of genetic introgression in wild salmon in 2021 using data collected under the National Electrofishing Programme for Scotland (NEPS) in 2018 and 2019, combined with targeted sampling in the vicin…
30 Apr 2025 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting and encouraging diversity in Scotland's businesses, including who leads, owns and works within them.
18 Apr 2025 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to support and raise awareness of the health passport scheme for people with a learning disability.
17 Apr 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many wind farms are located on land owned by it, and what the total installed capacity, in megawatts, of those wind farms is.
Answer · Gillian Martin: There are twenty-five operational windfarms on Scotland’s national forests and land, managed by Forestry and Land Scotland.WindfarmNumber of MWon Scotland’s National Forests and Land(*several projects are located largely on neighbouring private la…
17 Apr 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of the (a) number and (b) installed capacity of wind farms on Scottish Government owned land is community owned.
Answer · Gillian Martin: There are twenty-five operational windfarms on Scotland’s national forests and land, managed by Forestry and Land Scotland with an installed capacity of 1,386 MW. None of the windfarms are community owned in whole or part.
16 Apr 2025 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it is ensuring that its work to support and promote Scotland's arts and culture is geographically spread and representative.
28 Mar 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of (a) data from the Animal Law Foundation suggesting that there have been no prosecutions or care notices issued regarding welfare issues on fish farms and (b) the recommendation by the Rural Affairs and Islands Committee in its report, Follow-up inquiry into salmon farming in…
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: The Scottish Government, in its response to the Rural Affairs and Islands Committee (13 March 2025), committed to exploring options for how to best to set welfare standards for production going forward and will update the Committee in September 2025 on progre…
28 Mar 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of (a) concerns that relying only on the non-binding Code of Good Practice for Scottish Finfish Aquaculture has the potential to cause confusion among animal keepers and stakeholders regarding their legal obligations under the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006 and t…
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: The Code of Good Practice for Scottish Finfish Aquaculture is independent of Scottish Government which is not responsible for any review or updates made to the Code.The Scottish Government, in its response to the Rural Affairs and Islands Committee (13 March …
26 Mar 2025 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it is engaging with Highlands and Islands communities on the future of land reform policy.
17 Mar 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to the formation of a joint working group, consisting of government and aerospace industry representatives, to discuss the adoption of hybrid electric technology, particularly in regards to airline routes in the Highlands and Islands.
Answer · Jim Fairlie: The Scottish Government’s Aviation Statement explicitly calls for a more positive and constructive conversation about aviation and its many benefits, while committing to working with the sector on decarbonisation.The Minister for Agriculture and Connect…
17 Mar 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to complete phase 1 of the Aviemore to Carrbridge non-motorised user route as soon as possible, in light of a petition from the local community emphasising the need for the section to be finished in order to enable safer active travel.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The Scottish Government is committed to promoting active travel throughout Scotland and we are working with our partners in the Cairngorms National Park Authority and The Highland Council to progress the Aviemore to Carrbridge Non-Motorised User (ACNMU) schem…
17 Mar 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the findings and recommendations in the Shelter Scotland report, In Their Own Words: Children’s Experiences in Temporary Accommodation, whether it will improve guidance on Education Maintenance Allowance policies so that children experiencing homelessness do not lose t…
Answer · Graeme Dey: The Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) guidance is revised annually to set guidelines for local authorities and colleges to deliver the programme effectively and fairly; whilst using their own discretion in line with both local and national policy. It enco…
17 Mar 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the findings and recommendations in the Shelter Scotland report, In Their Own Words: Children’s Experiences in Temporary Accommodation, what steps it will take to ensure that families in temporary accommodation do not face additional financial penalties as a result of …
Answer · Paul McLennan: The Scottish Government is taking wide-ranging action to support low income families and to help those in temporary accommodation to live dignified lives.As part of over £3 billion of investment to tackle poverty and the cost of living for families in 2…
17 Mar 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recommendations in the Shelter Scotland report, In Their Own Words: Children’s Experiences in Temporary Accommodation, whether it will ensure that homelessness legislation is brought within the scope of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Answer · Paul McLennan: Section 6 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Incorporation) (Scotland) Act 2024 makes it unlawful for a public authority to act, or to fail to act, in a way that is incompatible with the UNCRC requirements. The section 6 compatibilit…
7 Mar 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the £750,000 that it provided for aid in Gaza, what its response is to the Israeli government's reported decision to block such aid for people in Gaza, and what information it has on whether any aid that it has provided or funded will be impacted.
Answer · Angus Robertson: Since the current escalation began, Scottish Government has provided £1m to support humanitarian response efforts in Gaza and the wider region. £750k of this was channelled through the UN Relief and Works Agency in November 2023. These funds have …
7 Feb 2025 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to its policies on land reform andland use, what discussions the rural affairs secretary has had withministerial colleagues regarding any action that can be taken totackle land banking investment scams in the Highlands and Islands, inlight of the reported impact th…
27 Jan 2025 · Inspired Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to bring forward legislation to change the close season for female deer.
Answer · Jim Fairlie: The Scottish Government consultation “Managing deer for Climate and Nature” proposed implementing the recommendation from the independent Deer Working Group’s report of January 2020, to make changes to the close season for female deer. These…
22 Jan 2025 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to the Scottish Prison Service to help give people in custody the best chance of reintegrating into the community at the end of their sentence.
Answer · Angela Constance: The Scottish Government provides funding to local authorities and third sector delivery partners to provide throughcare support to people leaving custody to help them transition back into the community.This includes over £3 million a year to support sho…
8 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether funding can be made available from its More Homes budget to support registered social landlords to bring Gypsy/Traveller sites up to standard.
Answer · Paul McLennan: The Scottish Government will take the necessary steps for funding for Gypsy/Traveller accommodation to be accessed alongside housing under the Affordable Housing Supply Programme (or a successor housing programme) from 2026-27 onwards.
8 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what funding is currently available for registered social landlords responsible for Gypsy/Traveller sites to bring sites up to standard.
Answer · Paul McLennan: Three Social Landlords, Clackmannanshire Council, Highland Council; and Perth and Kinross Council, have been allocated a total of £5,826,765 in 2024-25 from the Gypsy/Traveller Accommodation Fund to re-build their Gypsy/Traveller sites. Nearly £15…
7 Jan 2025 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it prioritised funding for affordable housing when drafting its Budget for 2025-26.
18 Dec 2024 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its assessment of the potential impact of the UK Government’s decision to increase employer national insurance contributions on the culture sector.
13 Dec 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the outcome of its review into its target to deliver 110,000 affordable homes by 2032.
Answer · Paul McLennan: Work to finalise the Affordable Housing Supply Programme (AHSP) Review is ongoing and at present no publication date has been set. The key purpose of the Review is to consider the responsiveness, impact, efficiency, value-for-money and deliverability of the A…
13 Dec 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-30510 by Gillian Martin on 18 October 2024, what specific scientific information will be provided to stakeholders in order for them to be able to meaningfully engage with the National Marine Plan 2 process.
Answer · Gillian Martin: The development of the National Marine Plan 2 (NMP2) is supported by an extensive programme of engagement as detailed in the Statement of Public Participation and Stakeholder Engagement Strategy. Consultation on a Planning Position Statement (PPS) for NMP2 is…
13 Dec 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-30508 by Gillian Martin on 18 October 2024, whether future regional marine plans, adopted under section 5 of the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010, will be required to set out detailed marine spatial plans for all economic and nature restoration activities…
Answer · Gillian Martin: The Marine (Scotland) Act 2010 requires that regional marine plans (RMPs) state policies for and in connection with the sustainable development of the area. RMPs must also set economic, social and marine ecosystem objectives and objectives relating to the mit…
3 Dec 2024 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it is tackling child poverty, including in the Highlands and Islands region.