Parliamentary questions
David Green
44 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
6 Jul 2026 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to its news release of 18 November 2025, Heat in buildings: future plans, which stated, “We intend to introduce the [Buildings (Heating and Energy Performance) and Heat Networks (Scotland)] Bill once the Scottish Parliament returns after the Scottish Election in May 2026&r…
Answer · Stephen Gethins: We will take forward our Heat in Buildings Bill in this Parliamentary session to support homeowners, landlords and tenants to transition to clean heating in a fair and affordable way.The Scottish Government's legislative programme will be agreed by Ministers …
1 Jul 2026 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the new Muirburn Code, what assessment it has made of the contribution made by gamekeepers and other land managers to wildfire prevention and response, including the provision of personnel, equipment and other resources, and if such an assessment was made, whether (a) any find…
Answer · Jim Fairlie: The Scottish Government recognises that gamekeepers, farmers, crofters and other land managers can make an important contribution to wildfire prevention and response, including through vegetation management, local knowledge, practical experience, personnel an…
1 Jul 2026 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to address reported concerns raised by gamekeepers that the new Muirburn Code could undermine wildfire prevention efforts and increase risks to rural communities, property and the environment.
Answer · Jim Fairlie: NatureScot has worked through iterations of the Muirburn Code of Practice with stakeholders through the Muirburn Code Working Group. Stakeholder views have been considered throughout the development of the Code, including concerns raised most recently by some…
1 Jul 2026 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish a summary of the representations received on the draft Muirburn Code, including how stakeholder feedback influenced the final version.
Answer · Jim Fairlie: As set out in response to S7W-01487 on 15 July 2026, NatureScot has worked through iterations of the Muirburn Code of Practice with stakeholders through the Muirburn Code Working Group. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parli…
1 Jul 2026 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what arrangements it will put in place to monitor the impact of the new Muirburn Code on the frequency, extent and severity of wildfires in Scotland.
Answer · Jim Fairlie: The impact of the new Muirburn Code will be kept under review as part of the wider implementation of muirburn licensing. NatureScot will monitor the operation of the licensing system, including any issues arising from licence applications, licence conditions,…
16 Jun 2026 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what advice and support it provides to rural communities on wildfire prevention ahead of the heightened risk of such fires during the summer months.
7 Jun 2026 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with NHS Highland regarding the delayed opening of the Invergordon GP walk-in clinic, and what action is being taken to ensure that the service becomes operational as soon as possible.
Answer · Angela Constance: My officials are in regular contact with NHS Highland regarding the opening of the Invergordon GP walk-in clinic. NHS Highland is responsible for the operational management of the pilot however the Scottish Government is providing support where required. I ap…
7 Jun 2026 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to its announcement that a GP walk-in clinic would open in Invergordon in May 2026, for what reason the original opening date was missed, and when it first became aware that it would not be met.
Answer · Angela Constance: NHS Highland is responsible for the operational management of the GP walk-in pilot site in Invergordon, including opening dates and securing staffing. We are clear that any site must be safe and sustainable- NHS Highland informed us last month of a delay due …
7 Jun 2026 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to its announcement that a GP walk-in clinic would open in Invergordon in May 2026, what the revised opening date for the clinic is.
Answer · Angela Constance: NHS Highland is responsible for the operational management of the GP walk-in pilot site in Invergordon, and I understand it is due to open this summer.
21 May 2026 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what performance measures will be used to assess the effectiveness of expanding mobile health services for screening, stroke support, ophthalmology clinics and mental health support, including key milestones by year.
Answer · Angela Constance: I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-00256 on 5 June 2026. 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-committees/w…
21 May 2026 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with rural and island NHS boards regarding the plans to expand mobile health services.
Answer · Angela Constance: I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-00256 on 5 June 2026. 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-committees/w…
21 May 2026 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of current gaps in mobile healthcare provision in rural and island communities.
Answer · Angela Constance: I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-00256 on 5 June 2026. 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-committees/w…
21 May 2026 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the timetable is for the rollout of expanded mobile health services, including key milestones by year.
Answer · Angela Constance: I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-00256 on 5 June 2026. 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-committees/w…
21 May 2026 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many additional mobile health service units it plans to deploy to deliver expanded healthcare in rural and island communities, and where these will be located.
Answer · Angela Constance: Further detail on our plan to expand mobile health services, as set out in the 2026 Manifesto, will be set out in due course. As decisions regarding the planning and delivery of services – including the use of mobile units – rest with individual H…
21 May 2026 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with rural and island NHS boards regarding the proposed revisions to the Golden Hellos initiative, which aims to improve the recruitment of GPs, consultants and dentists to the communities that these boards serve.
Answer · Angela Constance: The Scottish Government regularly engages with rural and island NHS Boards to ensure health workforce planning accounts for the unique recruitment and retention challenges faced in these areas. Any future expansion and improvement plans for Golden Hellos will…
21 May 2026 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what non-financial incentives, alongside the revised Golden Hellos initiative, which aims to improve the recruitment of GPs, consultants and dentists to rural and island communities, it is considering to support long-term workforce sustainability.
Answer · Angela Constance: The Scottish Government provides a range of schemes to support GP, dentist and consultant recruitment and retention in rural and island communities. This includes:The Rediscover the Joy project, which recruits experienced GPs to provide support to island and …
21 May 2026 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) GPs, (b) consultants and (c) dentists have been recruited to rural and island areas through the Golden Hellos initiative, which aims to improve such recruitment in rural and island communities, in each of the last five years, and how retention rates compare with urban areas.
Answer · Angela Constance: The Scottish Government does not hold this information. Golden Hello payments are issued to eligible GPs by NHS Territorial Health Boards.NHS Boards are not required to inform the Scottish Government of the number of Golden Hello payments that are made to eli…
21 May 2026 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the effectiveness of the Golden Hellos initiative, which aims to improve the recruitment of GPs, consultants and dentists to rural and island communities.
Answer · Angela Constance: The Scottish Government commissioned the Scottish School of Primary Care to undertake an independent evaluation of the Golden Hello initiative for GPs. The evaluation was published in March 2026: https://www.sspc.ac.uk/media/Media_1254907_smxx.pdf. The indepe…
21 May 2026 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what (a) financial and (b) non-financial changes it plans to make to the Golden Hellos initiative, which aims to improve the recruitment of GPs, consultants and dentists to rural and island communities.
Answer · Angela Constance: The Scottish Government commissioned the Scottish School of Primary Care to undertake an independent evaluation of the Golden Hello initiative for GPs. The evaluation was published in March 2026: https://www.sspc.ac.uk/media/Media_1254907_smxx.pdf.The Golden …
19 May 2026 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what timescales it has set for the delivery of new affordable homes under its proposed Rural and Island Housing Fund and how it will evaluate the fund's progress, including key annual milestones.
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: In February we announced our intention to introduce a Rural and Islands Housing Grant Scheme to complement existing funds within the Affordable Housing Supply Programme, including the Rural and Islands Housing Fund and the Rural Affordable Homes for Key Worke…
19 May 2026 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with representatives of rural and island communities regarding its proposed Rural and Island Housing Fund.
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: The Scottish Government works collaboratively with a broad range of rural and island stakeholders on a number of housing-related issues. This includes engagement on the development of the Rural and Islands Housing Action Plan, published in October 2023, and o…
19 May 2026 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the current shortage of affordable housing in rural and island areas, and how this will inform the design of its proposed Rural and Island Housing Fund.
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: Local authorities, as the statutory housing provider, are responsible for assessing housing need in their areas. Local Housing Strategies are supported by a Housing Need and Demand Assessment, which is undertaken every five years.The Scottish Government is co…
19 May 2026 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what criteria will be used to define “key workers” under its proposed Rural Affordable Housing for Key Workers programme.
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: Local authorities are encouraged to consider any specific housing requirements relating to key workers in the area. The definition of key workers is determined by individual local authorities based on local priorities. Local Housing Strategy Guidance sets out…
19 May 2026 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how its proposed £25 million Rural Affordable Housing for Key Workers programme will operate in practice, including how local authorities will be supported to identify eligible properties.
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: Local authorities and Registered Social Landlords can already access funding of up to £25 million through the Rural Affordable Homes for Key Workers Fund to acquire or lease properties which can be used to provide homes to meet the needs of key workers.…
19 May 2026 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many homes it expects to deliver through the proposed £75 million Rural and Island Housing Fund, broken down by (a) local authority area and (b) year of operation.
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: The Rural and Islands Housing Fund has a budget of up to £37 million between April 2021 to March 2028. The Fund was extended in Programme for Government 2025 to applications to March 2028 and the National Islands Plan, published in February 2026, confir…
19 May 2026 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of the cost of establishing a Last Provider Fund.
Answer · Gillian Martin: Ministers are in the very early stages of considering how to take forward this commitment and cost estimates will be developed in due course.
19 May 2026 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it will provide further details on its proposed Last Provider Fund, including the criteria that will be used to determine eligibility for support under the fund.
Answer · Gillian Martin: Ministers are in the very early stages of considering how to take forward this commitment and will provide details in due course.
19 May 2026 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with representatives of rural and island communities regarding its proposed Last Provider Fund.
Answer · Gillian Martin: Ministers are in the very early stages of considering how to take forward this commitment and will commence engagement in due course.
19 May 2026 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many rural and island communities currently rely on a single remaining shop, pub, post office or other essential community business.
Answer · Gillian Martin: The Scottish Government does not hold the data requested.
19 May 2026 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the current road maintenance backlog across Scotland in determining the £350 million allocation for its proposed Better Surfaces Fund, and what discussions it has had with local authorities regarding this matter.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-00174 on 5 June 2026. 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-committees/w…