Parliamentary questions
Tim Eagle
1,487 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
15 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the priority to "maintain cabinet secretary and ministerial engagement with the FONE group" as set out by the council members of its Farming Opportunities for New Entrants (FONE) group for 2024-25 has been achieved and, if so, by what method.
Answer · Jim Fairlie: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-33363 on 28 January 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…
15 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government on what dates the (a) Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Islands and Land Reform and (b) Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity has met the Farming Opportunities for New Entrants (FONE) group.
Answer · Jim Fairlie: The Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Land Reform last met the FONE group on 14 March 2024 and I met the FONE group on 12 September 2024.In addition, both the Cabinet Secretary and I regularly meet with the FONE chair and members on a number of occasion…
15 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the priority to "continue beyond the public sector and engage with private estates and owner occupiers in Scotland to explore further new entrant opportunities" as set out by the permanent members of its Farming Opportunities for New Entrants (FONE) group for 2024-25 ha…
Answer · Jim Fairlie: Yes. All FONE group members have the responsibility to report opportunities for new entrants. This includes the Scottish Land Matching Service (SLMS), which actively engages with public and private estates to explore what land opportunities they have availabl…
15 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the priority to "provide complementary governance of new entrant support provided by the Scottish Government [including for the] Scottish Land Matching Service, Next Generation Practical Training Fund, Machinery Ring Pre-apprenticeship Programme and emerging New Entrants Support"…
Answer · Jim Fairlie: Yes. FONE has provided considerable and ongoing governance support to each of these Scottish Government funded programmes. FONE group members discuss the SLMS’ progress against its objectives and highlight opportunities for succession that are relevant …
15 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the priority to "advocate the importance and prominence of new entrants in the sector [including] ensuring new entrants’ and the next generations’ interests are represented in future governmental and non-governmental policy" as set out by the council members of i…
Answer · Jim Fairlie: The FONE is a collaborative group dedicated to supporting agricultural new entrants and the next generation of Scottish farmers and crofters. Each of the members looks to ensure that their organisation is giving due consideration to new entrant opportunities …
15 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the priority to "work with stakeholders to develop a consistent narrative of what is possible in terms of making best use of crofts and attracting new entrants" as set out by the council members of its Farming Opportunities for New Entrants (FONE) group for 2024-25 has been …
Answer · Jim Fairlie: Yes. The FONE group’s membership comprises of crofting stakeholders who regularly discuss and consider what further efforts can be made to make the best use of crofts and attract new entrants to crofting.
15 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the priority to "highlight promotional material to include guidance, support, case studies, and signposting for new entrants and the next generation" as set out by the council members of its Farming Opportunities for New Entrants (FONE) group for 2024-25 has been achiev…
Answer · Jim Fairlie: Yes. The FONE group meets on a quarterly basis and members are routinely provided the opportunity to share what promotional material, including guidance, support, case studies and signposting for new entrants and the next generation is being offered. Addition…
15 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has finalised the list of the (a) permanent and (b) council members of its Farming Opportunities for New Entrants (FONE) group, and, if so, who they are.
Answer · Jim Fairlie: Permanent FONE Group MembershipOrganisationNational Farmers Union ScotlandScottish Land & EstatesScottish Land Matching ServiceScottish Association of Young Farmers ClubsJames Hutton InstituteScottish Government, New Entrant PolicyCouncil FONE Group…
15 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has allocated to support the work of its Farming Opportunities for New Entrants (FONE) group in each year since 2016-17.
Answer · Jim Fairlie: Each financial year, £10,000 is budgeted for the chair’s remuneration. No further funding is provided to the FONE group directly.
15 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the priority to "provide a council to share progress, challenges, and opportunities across a range of government and non-governmental support for agricultural New Entrants in Scotland" as set out by the council members of its Farming Opportunities for New Entrants (FONE) gro…
Answer · Jim Fairlie: Yes. The FONE group’s membership comprises a diverse group of stakeholders with an interest in new entrants to agriculture and next generation policy development. The group has met three times so far in 2024-25 to share information on progress, challeng…
15 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how its Farming Opportunities for New Entrants (FONE) group engages with agricultural stakeholders.
Answer · Jim Fairlie: Through the FONE membership itself, which comprises a range of stakeholder membership organisations, and by routinely engaging with individuals who can add value to discussions.
15 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government who the chairperson is of its Farming Opportunities for New Entrants (FONE) group.
Answer · Jim Fairlie: Henry Graham.
15 Jan 2025 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its plans for future agricultural support.
8 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28686 by Jim Fairlie on 19 August 2024, whether it will provide an update on when NatureScot will make a bracken map available.
Answer · Jim Fairlie: As noted in the response to question S6W-28686, the Scottish Government is progressing work to develop a bracken mapping layer for Scotland. Officials are liaising with NatureScot and Natural England. The intention is that the map will complement a wider Brac…
8 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it (a) monitors and (b) evaluates the efficacy of the funding that has been provided to local authorities through its Coastal Change Adaptation Fund.
Answer · Gillian Martin: It is Scottish Government’s policy to allow local authorities the financial freedom to operate independently. The vast majority of funding is provided by means of a block grant. It is then the responsibility of individual local authorities to manage the…
8 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has extended the coverage of the rapid cancer diagnostic service to other NHS boards, and which NHS boards it currently operates in.
Answer · Neil Gray: Scotland’s first Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Services (RCDSs) – established within existing NHS infrastructure – are operational in NHS Ayrshire and Arran, NHS Dumfries and Galloway NHS Fife, NHS Lanarkshire and NHS Borders.Our Programme for Gov…
8 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many times the (a) Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands and (b) Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity has met with the Young Islanders Network to discuss the Addressing Depopulation Action Plan (i) prior to and (ii) since its publication.
Answer · Kaukab Stewart: Taking a partnership approach, Scottish Government, at both a ministerial and official level, engaged with a broad range of stakeholders during the development of the Addressing Depopulation Action Plan (ADAP). This engagement was led by the-then Minister for…
8 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it will distribute to local authorities for the 2025-26 financial year from its Coastal Change Adaptation Fund.
Answer · Gillian Martin: The draft Budget 2025-26 includes £5m of funding for Coastal Change to be included in the General Capital Grant provided to local authorities.It is Scottish Government’s policy to allow local authorities the financial freedom to operate independen…
8 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has committed to maintaining the £8 million of funding for Scottish Innovation Centres that it announced on 17 January 2024, into the 2025-26 financial year.
Answer · Graeme Dey: Higher Education Capital Funding, which includes the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) core funding for research and knowledge exchange has increased by £11.4m (3.2%) to £368.3m for 2025-26. This will enable us to continue to protect our core grant f…
8 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has allocated to each local authority through its Coastal Change Adaptation Fund in each year since 2022-23.
Answer · Gillian Martin: The direct distribution funding is targeted using the risk profile developed through Dynamic Coast research. Since year two, all coastal local authorities can apply for case study funding. The distribution methodology is discussed and agreed through COSLA&rsq…
8 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much funding was awarded to businesses in (a) Argyll and Bute, (b) the Western Isles, (c) the Highlands, (d) Orkney, (e) Shetland and (f) Moray from the Regional Food Fund in the (a) 2021, (b) 2022, (c) 2023 and (d) 2024 round.
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: A breakdown of funding per year and requested areas for the last three financial years has been provided below as requested: 202120222023Argyll£26,042£10,000£5,000Western isles--£5,000Highlands£34,262£10,000£10,0…
8 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many referrals the rapid cancer diagnostic service received in 2024, and, of those, how many were accepted into the programme, broken down by NHS board.
Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government does not hold this information. We are working with PHS to collate RCDS data with a view to publishing in the future.
8 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government which ideas suggested by the Young Islanders Network in relation to the Addressing Depopulation Action Plan were included in the final report.
Answer · Kaukab Stewart: The Addressing Depopulation Action Plan includes an action for Scottish Government to engage with Youth Scotland and the Young Islanders Network (YIN) to co-develop ideas to encourage young people to move to, or remain within our island communities.Since publ…
8 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to extend the rapid cancer diagnostic service to NHS (a) Highland, (b) Western Isles, (c) Orkney, (d) Shetland and (e) Grampian.
Answer · Neil Gray: Colleagues in the Centre for Sustainable Delivery continue to engage with Health Boards across NHS Scotland and regional cancer networks, such as the North Cancer Alliance, to extend Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Services. We are committed to achieving population b…
8 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many applications were (a) approved and (b) not approved for an award from the Regional Food Fund in the (a) 2021, (b) 2022, (c) 2023 and (d) 2024 round.
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: A breakdown of successful and unsuccessful applications for the last four financial years has been provided in the following table as requested: Approved ApplicantsNot Approved Applicants202142149202223492023225320241745Information on approved applicatio…
6 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many of the buildings within the Highlands and Islands region that fall under the scope of the Housing (Cladding Remediation) (Scotland) Act 2024 do not have an identified developer and will require it to take responsibility for any remediation work, under the provisions within the A…
Answer · Paul McLennan: I refer the member to the answer to the question S6W-32859 on 20 January 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-an…
6 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many buildings within the Highlands and Islands region fall under the scope of the Housing (Cladding Remediation) (Scotland) Act 2024, broken down by local authority area.
Answer · Paul McLennan: We can currently only provide accurate information on whether buildings are within scope of the Housing (Cladding Remediation) (Scotland) Act 2024 if they have been entered into the pilot phase of our Cladding Remediation Programme. There are no buildings wit…
3 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31124 by Jim Fairlie on 19 November 2024, whether it will provide an update on when Transport Scotland will outline its plans for the future service design of the Gourock-Dunoon route, including whether it will order new vessels for the route.
Answer · Jim Fairlie: Transport Scotland has received considerable feedback and input through the Community Needs Assessment report, user survey, and community engagement events. This information has now been reviewed and a decision on the future service design for the Gourock-Dun…
30 Dec 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government in what ways is it liaising with CalMac Ferries Ltd to increase ferry capacity to and from the Isle of Mull, in light of reports that the inflatable emergency evacuation slides fitted to the MV Isle of Mull vessel failed an inspection, resulting in its operational capacity being reduced …
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Whilst this is an operational matter for CalMac, given the significant reduction in passenger capacity Transport Scotland officials have been updated by CalMac on the timeline for repairs and will be kept appraised of any capacity issues relevant to the route…
19 Dec 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many community pharmacies there were in NHS (a) Highland, (b) Grampian, (c) Orkney, (d) Shetland and (e) Western Isles areas on 31 December (i) 2021, (ii) 2022, (iii) 2023 and (iv) 2024.
Answer · Jenni Minto: The number of community pharmacies in each Health Board requested are shown in the following table.NHS Board(i) 2021(ii) 2022(Iii) 2023(iv) 2024(a) Highland132132131130(b) Grampian83858381(c) Orkney4444(d) Shetland5555(e) Western Isles3333