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 MSPs 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: S7W-03759

Asked by: Andrew Baxter, MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 8 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the review of its Wildfire Strategic Action Plan, who is leading the review, what its terms of reference and governance arrangements are, which organisations will be represented, and whether the Wildfire Strategic Oversight Group will have a role in agreeing the review's findings.

The Scottish Government Wildfire Strategic Oversight Group, (SOG), leads the review of the Wildfire Strategic Action Plan and has responsibility for governance arrangements.

The Group comprises representatives of the Scottish Government, The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, (SFRS), the Scottish Resilience Partnership, (SRP), the Scottish Wildfire Forum, (SWF), the National Fire Chiefs Council, (NFCC), the NFCC Tactical Group and the Scottish Wildfire Steering Group, (SWSG). Key stakeholders include Cairngorms National Park and Scottish Land and Estates members.

The review will consider whether the actions set out in the Action Plan remain sufficient in light of the lessons emerging from the Cairngorms wildfire and it will examine how wildfire preparedness, resilience and response arrangements can be strengthened. The SOG will consider the review findings and oversee the implementation of recommendations.

Question reference: S7W-03768

Asked by: Andrew Baxter, MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 8 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how evidence and recommendations arising from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service's review of the Cairngorm wildfire will be considered in its review of the Wildfire Strategic Action Plan, who will be responsible for deciding whether to adopt any recommendations, and how decisions not to adopt recommendations will be recorded and explained.

The outcomes and recommendations from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, (SFRS) Cairngorm wildfire review and multi-agency debrief process will be used to inform improvements to wildfire preparedness and response arrangements, which may be incorporated in the Wildfire Strategic Action Plan ahead of the 2027 wildfire season.

The Scottish Government Wildfire Strategic Oversight Group (SOG), as the governance body, will continue to oversee delivery of the Wildfire Strategic Action Plan and the Scottish Government will report the outcome of the review and any resulting actions. This may include updates to the existing Strategic Action Plan and further reporting through the SOG and to Parliament.

Question reference: S7W-03744

Asked by: Andrew Baxter, MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 8 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of recent wildfires, what assessment it has made of the arrangements for establishing an Incident Control Centre as part of the emergency co-ordination response, including responsibility for establishing such a centre and its effectiveness.

Incident control co-ordination is an operational matter for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) and other emergency responders in attendance at fire related incidents.

The SFRS has well established protocols to provide effective command and control when dealing with the range of risks impacting communities across Scotland, including wildfires. Responsibility for establishing the appropriate incident command arrangements rests with the emergency services. SFRS coordinates its operations, including regular multi-agency discussions between Incident Commanders, when deployed at emergency incidents.

Question reference: S7W-03755

Asked by: Andrew Baxter, MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 8 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government when it expects to complete its review of the Wildfire Strategic Action Plan and when it will publish a timetable for implementing any resulting recommendations ahead of the 2027 wildfire season.

The Scottish Government and key partners are currently reviewing the Wildfire Strategic Action Plan to ensure it continues to reflect the increasing wildfire risk, and to identify if further measures are required.

It is expected that progress will be delivered on a number of the priority areas ahead of the 2027 wildfire season, with further updates, including implementation arrangements, to be provided as the review progresses.

Question reference: S7W-03764

Asked by: Andrew Baxter, MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 8 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the review of the Wildfire Strategic Action Plan and the independently facilitated multi-agency debrief of the response to the Cairngorms wildfire, what arrangements are in place to enable residents, land managers, farmers, crofters, businesses, volunteers and emergency responders affected by the wildfire to submit evidence, what deadlines apply for doing so, and how such participants will be informed of any resulting conclusions.

The Scottish Government and key partners are currently reviewing the Wildfire Strategic Action Plan. The review will consider how best to ensure a wide range of parties can contribute their views.

We have already captured issues raised through correspondence received from stakeholders, elected representatives and the public following the Cairngorms wildfire and will consider the extent of any further targeted stakeholder engagement in the coming weeks in light of the operational debrief outcomes.

The Scottish Government and its partners are committed to ensuring this work is inclusive, drawing on the views of communities, agencies and those involved in the wildfire response.

The Scottish Government remains independent of the multi-agency debrief concerning the response to the Cairngorms wildfire. This is to be jointly sponsored by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, (SFRS), Police Scotland and Highland Council. The sponsors will retain ownership of the process, findings and resulting actions.

Question reference: S7W-03743

Asked by: Andrew Baxter, MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 6 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the suitability of emergency evacuation arrangements within civil contingency plans for responding to wildfires and other climate-related incidents, and when it most recently undertook such an assessment.

Scotland’s resilience arrangements are designed to be flexible and adaptable to a wide range of emergencies, including wildfires and other climate-related incidents.

Under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004, Category 1 responders are required to assess risks, maintain emergency plans and put in place arrangements to warn, inform and protect the public, including where evacuation may be required. Scotland’s multi-agency resilience arrangements are set out in the Preparing Scotland guidance and associated guidance on the care of people affected by emergencies, which include arrangements for evacuation, shelter and humanitarian assistance. The duties on responders and supporting guidance help ensure that arrangements remain appropriate for a range of potential emergencies.

The Scottish Government does not undertake a single national assessment of emergency evacuation arrangements for specific hazards such as wildfires. Instead, officials work closely with resilience partners through established local, regional and national resilience structures to review, exercise and continually improve emergency preparedness arrangements, including those relating to evacuation and the care of people affected by emergencies.

Question reference: S7W-03793

Asked by: Andrew Baxter, MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 6 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what minimum standards it expects local resilience partners to apply when evacuating communities affected by wildfire, including registration and subsequent contact with evacuees, transport for people without vehicles, and support for visitors unfamiliar with the area.

Scotland’s resilience arrangements are designed to be flexible and adaptable to a wide range of emergencies, including wildfires.

Under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004, Category 1 responders are required to assess risks, maintain emergency plans and put in place arrangements to warn, inform and protect the public. Scotland’s multi-agency resilience arrangements are set out in the Preparing Scotland guidance and associated guidance on the care of people affected by emergencies.

The Scottish Government does not prescribe national minimum standards for the evacuation of communities affected by wildfire. Instead, resilience partners are expected to develop and maintain proportionate local arrangements, informed by local risks and circumstances, including arrangements for evacuation, transport, shelter, humanitarian assistance and support for those affected. Scottish Government officials work closely with resilience partners through established resilience structures to review, exercise and continually improve these arrangements.

Question reference: S7W-03784

Asked by: Andrew Baxter, MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 September 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 28 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what funding and technical support are available to identify, restore and maintain strategic water supplies for wildfire response, including disused storage structures, and how environmental requirements are addressed when considering such projects.

Question reference: S7W-03795

Asked by: Andrew Baxter, MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 September 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 28 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how it will assess whether the operation of the muirburn licensing scheme enables timely wildfire fuel management, including monitoring of application processing times, the number of applications refused or withdrawn and instances of planned fuel management work not proceeding.

Question reference: S7W-03787

Asked by: Andrew Baxter, MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 September 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 28 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what support is available to community organisations seeking wildfire equipment and training, whether eligibility for such support requires applicants to own the land on which the equipment would be used, and whether it will review any such requirement to enable organisations operating with the permission of a landowner to access support.