Questions and answers

Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for ��˿�� to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S6W-42279

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 December 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 11 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions Transport Scotland has had with Argyll and Bute Council regarding the Craignure Ferry Terminal Project, and what the outcomes were.

Transport Scotland is a member of the Craignure Pier Development Working Group chaired by Argyll and Bute Council; as well as being a member of the Craignure Marine Infrastructure Liaison Group (CMILG). Transport Scotland provides advice and support to the delivery of improved pier facilities for the Craignure-Oban route. Each group and its members meet on a regular basis, further details such as project working group minutes can be accessed via the Argyll and Bute Council dedicated project page: .

Question reference: S6W-42237

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 01 December 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 10 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the conclusion of the Marine Directorate’s contract with Airtask Group for marine compliance aerial surveillance flights, what plans it has to enforce compliance on Scotland’s waters.

Aerial surveillance continues to be conducted by the Marine Directorate (MD) via two programmes. Firstly, through an MoU with the Joint Maritime Security Centre (JMSC) part of the UK Government. Under the MoU, MD can request patrolled fixed winged manned flights from Prestwick through the UK2SARG programme. This flexible approach allows MD to request up to 200 flying hours annually with the possibility of increasing hours should it be required.

Also, during the summer the larger two Marine Protection Vessels (MPVs) utilise a 3-year contract with an external provider to operate Remote Piloted Aerial Surveillance Systems (RPAS) or drones. These are launched and controlled from the MPVs for short to medium range flights.

Additionally, Remote Electronic Monitoring technology is being expanded to relevant Pelagic vessels from March 2026, it is already in place for all scallop dredge vessels. This system includes CCTV cameras to remotely monitor fishing activities.

Question reference: S6W-42263

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 December 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 10 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason its Planning and Environmental Appeals Division approved planning permission for the proposed battery energy storage site near Taynuilt, in light of it reportedly receiving 135 objections.

A Reporter from the Planning and Environment appeals division allowed the appeal and granted planning permission, subject to conditions, for the proposed battery energy storage facility near Taynuilt because the development was found to comply with the relevant provisions of the local development plan and NPF4.

While the Reporter acknowledged that 135 objections had been submitted, the concerns raised, such as landscape and visual impact, residential amenity, and fire risk, were fully considered. Overall, the adverse effects were judged to be limited and outweighed by the significant contribution the development would make to renewable energy storage and climate targets.

The full decision notice can be read at .

Question reference: S6W-42238

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 01 December 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 10 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the conclusion of the Marine Directorate’s contract with Airtask Group for marine compliance aerial surveillance flights, what assessment it has made of the impact of the contract ending on fish surveys.

Under an MoU with JMSC (Joint Maritime Security Centre), the amount of dedicated fishery protection manned fixed wing flying hours remains at 200 hours per annum. There is therefore no impact on dedicated fishery surveillance. Additionally, the use of Remote Piloted Aircraft Surveillance from the Scottish Government’s Marine Protection Vessels supplements fishery surveillance as does the expansion of Remote Electronic Monitoring (REM) on Scallop dredge and pelagic vessels.

Question reference: S6W-42236

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 01 December 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 10 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the conclusion of the Marine Directorate’s contract with Airtask Group for marine compliance aerial surveillance flights, what has happened to the two marine surveillance aircraft that are owned by the Scottish Government.

Question reference: S6W-42235

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 01 December 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 10 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the conclusion of the Marine Directorate’s contract with Airtask Group for marine compliance aerial surveillance flights, what funding it is allocating to any new arrangements for monitoring Scotland’s waters.

Question reference: S6W-42480

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 December 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 6 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to enforce the construction of affordable housing as a mandatory requirement for planning application considerations of onshore renewable energy developments in island communities.

Question reference: S6W-42478

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 December 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 6 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to devolve consenting powers to local authorities for applications for the (a) construction, (b) extension and (c) operation of electricity generating stations with capacity in excess of 50 megawatts.

Question reference: S6W-42481

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 December 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 6 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will require transmission operators to underground new distribution overhead lines in island communities.

Question reference: S6W-42477

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 December 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 6 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how many meetings of the Scottish Offshore Wind Energy Council took place in (a) 2024 and (b) 2025, and how many of these were attended by the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy.