Chamber and committees

Placements form an important element of many qualifications, including counselling qualifications. In most cases, the responsibility for arranging placements generally rests with the individual, education providers and placement organisations. These placements can take place across a range of settings, including health, third and voluntary sector, and private organisations.

The Scottish Government has no plans to introduce a national funding scheme for counselling placements. The Scottish Government will continue to work collaboratively with partners across health and social care to ensure workforce planning is evidence-based, sustainable and supports the ambitions set out in the refreshed Mental Health and Wellbeing Delivery Plan, Service Renewal Framework and Population Health Framework.

The Scottish Government recognises the important contribution that counsellors make in supporting mental health and wellbeing in Scotland. Individuals undertaking counselling qualifications may be able to access a range of student support available through Scotland’s higher and further education funding arrangements, subject to eligibility criteria.

Higher education in Scotland is based on the ability to learn, not the ability to pay. Through our investment in colleges, universities and student support, we are helping people of all ages to access education and training opportunities while supporting the workforce needs to deliver high-quality public services across Scotland.

The Scottish Government has no plans to introduce any profession-specific financial support for individuals entering the counselling profession.

The Scottish Government recognises the important contribution that counsellors make in supporting mental health and wellbeing. All NHS terms and conditions are negotiated and agreed nationally in partnership between Staff Side organisations, NHS Employers and the Scottish Government. The Agenda for Change Handbook sets out the agreed terms and conditions for nearly all non-medical staff in the NHS and Annex 21 of the Handbook provides a mechanism to pay a set percentage of the top of the fully qualified pay band each year that a staff member is in training for a particular role.

We recognise the challenges in meeting demand for mental health services and continue to work with partners across health and care to ensure we have the right workforce, with the right skill mix, to meet the needs of the people of Scotland. This includes considering workforce requirements across the mental health system, recognising the important contribution of a range of professions, which includes counsellors, in delivering high-quality, sustainable improvements in mental health and wellbeing services in Scotland.

The Scottish Government expects all keepers and owners of farmed animals including farmed salmon to meet the requirements of the Animal Health and Welfare Act (Scotland) 2006.

The Scottish Government does not receive census data from the University of Edinburgh's St Kilda Soay Sheep Research Project.

The Scottish Government does not hold this information.

Information on assaults, threats and harassment on Scotland's rail network, including any associated arrests, prosecutions and convictions, is primarily held by the British Transport Police, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service.

The member may therefore wish to contact those organisations directly regarding the information requested.

The Scottish Government does not hold this information.

Information on assaults recorded on Scotland's rail network is held by the British Transport Police (BTP). The latest statistics published by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) provide data at a Great Britain level and show increases in reported assaults against passengers, members of the public and railway staff across the mainline GB rail network.

The member may wish to contact the British Transport Police directly regarding records of assaults on Scotland's rail network.

Under the Forestry Grant Scheme (FGS), applicants are required to assess wildfire risk, and to demonstrate how the risk has been addressed in their application.

Scottish Forestry does not specify requirements that must be delivered for every plan and proposal. Instead, Woodland Officers assess the applications submitted to Scottish Forestry for approval taking a risk based approach to ensure wildfire resilience is integrated into the design of the forestry plans and proposals.

Failure to comply with FGS contractual requirements may result in remedial action, financial penalties, or recovery of grant funding. In addition, grant beneficiaries are expected to manage risks appropriately, and are strongly advised to maintain adequate insurance cover.

The recently launched Central Belt roe deer pilot scheme, led by the Scottish Gamekeepers Association with support from NatureScot, will run until the end of March 2027 for the first year of the pilot.

This is one of a number of deer management incentive schemes that we have supported across Scotland in recent years. The findings from the schemes, including barriers and successes can be found on the NatureScot website: Deer Management Incentive Scheme pilots | NatureScot.

As set out in the Natural Environment (Scotland) Act 2026, we will produce a National Deer Management and Venison Plan for Scotland. The findings from the existing schemes will help to inform decisions on future incentive schemes and on the Plan itself.

Gene editing is in scope of the Sanitary and Phytosanitary Agreement, which is currently being negotiated with the EU. The summit, which marks the conclusion of these negotiations has been announced for 20 November, at that point we will have clarity on Scotland’s obligations to align with the EU’s upcoming regulatory regime for gene editing.