Parliamentary questions
Tim Eagle
1,487 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
4 Nov 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-41468 by Gillian Martin on 27 October 2025, whether it will confirm where the 10 pilot sites will be located.
Answer · Gillian Martin: The sites in the pilot scheme, including which local authority they are located in, are listed in the following table. This list can also be found on the Scottish Government website: Sharing the gains of clean energy - gov.scot.Scheme NameIndicative Repowerin…
4 Nov 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-41468 by Gillian Martin on 27 October 2025, for what reason the 10 pilot sites identified are all under 50 megawatts.
Answer · Gillian Martin: This new pilot scheme is a unique chance for communities to take ownership of renewable energy projects which need upgrading and extend their operational life, bringing long-term benefits to the local area.The 50-megawatt cap reflects the current size of comm…
4 Nov 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-41468 by Gillian Martin on 27 October 2025, for what reason communities will need to apply through the Community Asset Transfer Scheme (CATS), and not be paying a rent to Forestry and Land Scotland, similar to how a commercial developer would.
Answer · Gillian Martin: This new pilot scheme is a unique chance for communities to take ownership of renewable energy projects which need upgrading and to extend their operational life, bringing long-term benefits to the local area.The Community Asset Transfer Scheme (CATS) is well…
30 Oct 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will adhere to the seven-year timescale set out in the Planning (Scotland) Act 2019 to review local place plans, and report its findings to the Parliament.
Answer · Ivan McKee: As required by the legislation, we will embark on a review of local place plans and lay the report before the Scottish Parliament.The Act states the review is to be carried out as soon as practicable after the end of the seven-year period, which is seven year…
30 Oct 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what support it has provided to communities to help them develop local place plans.
Answer · Ivan McKee: Planning Circular 1/2022: Local Place Plans (LPPs), provides advice to community bodies on preparing Local Place Plans (LPPs). Our Local Development Plan Guidance (May 2023) clarifies the role and requirements of a LPP in the preparation of the local developm…
30 Oct 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on services to support the relocation of civil servants to international offices in each year since 2021, broken down by cost type.
Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government partners with a relocation company to assist staff who are assigned to Scottish Government offices overseas.The costs for the services provided, from financial year 2021-22 to date, are detailed in the following table:YearManagement Fe…
27 Oct 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many onshore wind turbines are (a) in active operation and (b) inactive across Scotland.
Answer · Gillian Martin: The Renewable Energy Planning Database (REPD) records the progress of renewable electricity projects over 150kW as they move through the planning system. According to this data there are currently 4216 onshore wind turbines in active operation across Scotland…
27 Oct 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government for what reasons the retired MV Hebridean Isles vessel is being dismantled at a facility in Denmark and not in Scotland.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: CMAL, as vessel owner, sought competitive quotes on the open market for the recycling of the MV Hebridean Isles. Quotes were received from UK based suppliers which would have seen CMAL pay significant costs for the vessel to be recycled domestically.Two notes…
27 Oct 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) onshore and (b) offshore wind turbines it anticipates will be decommissioned in each of the next five years.
Answer · Gillian Martin: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-41553 on 6 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-committe…
27 Oct 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) onshore and (b) offshore wind turbines have been decommissioned in each year since 2021.
Answer · Gillian Martin: While the Scottish Government holds some information in relation to the decommissioning of wind turbines it does not hold or collate an overall dataset for onshore and offshore turbines.It may be helpful to know, according to the UK Government’s Renewab…
27 Oct 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many ministerial directions it has issued in each year since 2021, broken down by the reason for each being issued.
Answer · Shona Robison: Since 2021 there have been two occasions where Accountable Officers for parts of the Scottish Administration have formally sought written authority (often referred to as ministerial direction). Both were regarding Fergusson Marine (Port Glasgow) and written a…
27 Oct 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government on how many occasions National Entitlement Cards have been (a) suspended and (b) rescinded in each year since 2021, also broken down by National Entitlement Card scheme.
Answer · Jim Fairlie: (a) The following table below shows the number of cardholders, who had their entitlement to free bus travel suspended, each year from 2021 to 2025 (as of 31 October 2025), broken down by Scheme.YearOlder and Disabled Persons’ SchemeYoung Persons’ …
27 Oct 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how many wind turbine blades have been sent to landfill in (a) Scotland and (b) elsewhere in the UK since 2021.
Answer · Gillian Martin: The Scottish Government does not hold or collate any information relating to how many wind turbine blades have been sent to landfill.However, we are committed to circularity, which is why the Onshore Wind Sector Deal includes an aspiration to make Scotland a …
27 Oct 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how many offshore wind turbines within the 12-mile limit are (a) in active operation and (b) inactive in Scottish waters.
Answer · Gillian Martin: The offshore wind projects within Scottish territorial waters which are operational are detailed in the following table alongside the number of turbines in each. The Scottish Government doesn’t hold further detail on the number of turbines which are act…
24 Oct 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government on how many occasions recipients of the Adult Disability Payment have been required to pay back (a) all or (b) some of the money that they have received from Social Security Scotland, broken down by (i) year and (ii) local authority area.
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: Social Security Scotland publishes benefit specific information on overpayments in their Annual Report and Accounts. It does not publish data on the number of occasions, or the amounts, where individual recipients of Adult Disability Payment have been require…
24 Oct 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) successful and (b) unsuccessful applications to the Hydrogen Innovation Scheme there have been in each year since 2023, broken down by local authority area.
Answer · Gillian Martin: The Hydrogen Innovation Scheme, part of the Scottish Government’s Emerging Energy Technology Fund, was launched for project funding applications in June 2022 and closed in August 2022 for Stream 1 projects and in September 2022 for Stream 2 projects.
24 Oct 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government on how many occasions recipients of the Child Disability Payment have been required to pay back (a) all or (b) some of the money that they have received from Social Security Scotland, broken down by (i) year and (ii) local authority area.
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: Social Security Scotland publishes benefit specific information on overpayments in their Annual Report and Accounts. It does not publish data on the number of occasions, or the amounts, where individual recipients of Child Disability Payment have been require…
24 Oct 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-33126 by Neil Gray on 17 January 2025, whether it will meet its target to achieve population-based coverage of access to rapid cancer diagnostic services by 2026.
Answer · Neil Gray: Our sixth Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Service for people with non-specific symptoms of cancer open in NHS Forth Valley in May.The Centre for Sustainable Delivery is now working with Boards across Scotland to embed learning and work on non-specific symptoms pathwa…
24 Oct 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government on how many occasions recipients of the Pension Age Disability Payment have been required to pay back (a) all or (b) some of the money that they have received from Social Security Scotland, broken down by (i) year and (ii) local authority area.
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: Social Security Scotland publishes benefit specific information on overpayments in their Annual Report and Accounts. It does not publish data on the number of occasions, or the amounts, where individual recipients of Pension Age Disability Payment have been r…
24 Oct 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government on how many occasions recipients of the Young Carer Grant have been required to pay back (a) all or (b) some of the money that they have received from Social Security Scotland, broken down by (i) year and (ii) local authority area.
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: Social Security Scotland publishes benefit specific information on overpayments in their Annual Report and Accounts. It does not publish data on the number of occasions, or the amounts, where individual recipients of Young Carer Grant have been required to re…
24 Oct 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of any additional in-year funding that it is currently providing to each NHS board in the Highlands and Islands region to reduce waiting lists.
Answer · Neil Gray: As announced by the First Minister of 3 November 2025, health boards have been allocated an additional £25.5 million this year to allow them to deliver more planned activity for the longest waiting patients.We have already allocated £110 million o…
24 Oct 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government on how many occasions recipients of the Job Start Payment have been required to pay back (a) all or (b) some of the money that they have received from Social Security Scotland, broken down by (i) year and (ii) local authority area.
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: Social Security Scotland publishes benefit specific information on overpayments in their Annual Report and Accounts. It does not publish data on the number of occasions, or the amounts, where individual recipients of Job Start Payment have been required to re…
24 Oct 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government on how many occasions recipients of Best Start Foods payments have been required to pay back (a) all or (b) some of the money that they have received from Social Security Scotland, broken down by (i) year and (ii) local authority area.
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: Social Security Scotland publishes benefit specific information on overpayments in their Annual Report and Accounts. It does not publish data on the number of occasions, or the amounts, where individual recipients of Best Start Foods have been required to rep…
24 Oct 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether any funding awarded to organisations from the Community Energy Generation Growth Fund has ever had to be paid back, and, if so, whether it will provide details of this.
Answer · Gillian Martin: The ‘Community Energy Generation Growth Fund’, administered through our Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES), was first launched in 2024 and supports community groups to develop their own renewable energy projects, including wind and sola…
24 Oct 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government on how many occasions recipients of the Best Start Grant Pregnancy and Baby Payment have been required to pay back (a) all or (b) some of the money that they have received from Social Security Scotland, broken down by (i) year and (ii) local authority area.
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: Social Security Scotland publishes benefit specific information on overpayments in their Annual Report and Accounts. It does not publish data on the number of occasions, or the amounts, where individual recipients of the Best Start Grant Pregnancy and Baby Pa…
24 Oct 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government on how many occasions recipients of the Child Winter Heating Payment have been required to pay back (a) all or (b) some of the money that they have received from Social Security Scotland, broken down by (i) year and (ii) local authority area.
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: Social Security Scotland publishes benefit specific information on overpayments in their Annual Report and Accounts. It does not publish data on the number of occasions, or the amounts, where individual recipients of Child Winter Heating Payment have been req…
24 Oct 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-18275 by Gillian Martin on 1 June 2023, on how many occasions the organisations that were awarded funding from the Hydrogen Innovation Scheme in the 2023 round failed to complete key project milestones.
Answer · Gillian Martin: Three projects supported through the Hydrogen Innovation Scheme have requested no cost time extensions in order to fulfil their project outcomes. These requests have been granted by the Scottish Government and those projects currently remain active. The Schem…
24 Oct 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28353 by Jenni Minto on 15 July 2024, whether it will provide an update on how many people have (a) been eligible for and (b) received a respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccination since the new programme was announced, broken down by NHS board ar…
Answer · Jenni Minto: Scotland’s Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) vaccination programme for older adults and an RSV vaccination programme for pregnant women, providing protection to newborn babies, launched on 12 August 2024.RSV Vaccination is currently offered every year t…
24 Oct 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many people have used the Hospital at Home service in each year since 2021, broken down by NHS board area.
Answer · Neil Gray: Published figures from Healthcare Improvement Scotland estimated that Hospital at Home services for Older and Acute Adults prevented 15,470 people being admitted to hospital in 2024-2025, reducing pressure on unscheduled care and delayed discharges.Board leve…
24 Oct 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) successful and (b) unsuccessful applications to the Community Energy Generation Growth Fund there have been in each year since 2024, broken down by local authority area.
Answer · Gillian Martin: The Community Energy Generation Growth Fund, administered through the Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES), was first launched in 2024 and supports community groups to develop their own renewable energy projects, including wind and solar PV projects.…