As per my answer to your question S6W-39465 on 29 July 2025. The welfare of fish at the time of slaughter is assured by the requirement at Article 3.1 of retained Council Regulation (EC) 1099/2009 that ‘animals shall be spared any avoidable pain, distress or suffering during their killing and related operations.

We are satisfied that existing legislation and the guidance developed in partnership with the industry and NGO’s provides robust protection for the welfare of farmed fish at time of slaughter and have no current plans to consult on further legislation.

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/written-questions-and-answers.

There are currently no residential rehabilitation services in Scotland that are designed to support under-18s specifically through recovery from substance use.

As I set out during portfolio questions on 21 January 2026, in the answer to S6O-05392, the Scottish Government understands that there may be concerns in light of recent public engagement and media attention about proposals to reintroduce lynx into Scotland.

Any proposed reintroduction would require a significant amount of consultation and evidence to assess the risks and benefits associated before a licence would be considered.

For clarity our position remains the same, we have no plans to reintroduce lynx into Scotland.

Transport Scotland will continue to support the project promoters in its advisory capacity and has long committed to fund station fit out and its annual operational costs.

The 2026-27 Budget is still at draft stage and has not yet been approved by Parliament. NHS Board planning for 2026-27 is underway, and dedicated funding will support the continuation of the progress delivered this year.

The responsibility and expertise for operational decisions rightly, sits with Serco NorthLink Ferries (SNF). As has been the case in previous years, SNF will forecast requirements in advance of the autumn livestock sales season based on feedback and engagement with relevant industry stakeholders.

The Scottish Government will take advice from SNF on how they intend to manage capacity and we remain committed to ensuring services are run effectively through the busy livestock season.

Civil servants in Scottish Government and its Executive Agencies have access to an online training module on the UNCRC and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Incorporation) (Scotland) Act 2024. They also have access to self-led and facilitated training, guidance and a template on the section 17 duty of the UNCRC Act, which requires Scottish Government and Executive Agencies to prepare and publish a child rights and wellbeing impact assessment (CRWIA) in certain circumstances.

We recognise that concern about climate change can affect mental wellbeing.

Mental health support is available to anyone experiencing anxiety about any issue, by phone, online and in-person. Talking to others can help and in addition to support available through GPs, the Mental Health Hub via 111 and Breathing Space via 0800 83 85 87 also provide free mental health support.

Resources to support anxiety are also provided on our mental wellbeing websites - Mind to Mind for adults, Parent Club for parents and Aye Feel for children and young people, which includes steps that can be taken by anyone experiencing climate anxiety.

We are continuing to develop our understanding of the link and emerging evidence between climate change and mental health and what this means for the people of Scotland.

Practical advice on how people can protect themselves, their community or business from the impacts of climate change as well as action they can take in their home and local communities is available on Home - Adaptation Scotland..

The Scottish Government does not hold a centrally maintained dataset specifically identifying developments as data centres within the planning system.

Planning applications are submitted, assessed and determined by planning authorities, and information on the type, scale and energy demand of proposals is recorded through local authority planning registers and associated supporting documentation.

The Scottish Government engages with planning authorities, the energy sector and wider stakeholders to understand emerging development trends, including those associated with digital infrastructure and data centres.

The criteria used in the evidence report gate check process for Local Development Plans are set out in relevant legislation and Scottish Government guidance. These include the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 as amended by the Planning (Scotland) Act 2019, the Town and Country Planning (Development Planning) (Scotland) Regulations 2023, National Planning Framework 4 (February 2023), and the Scottish Government’s Local Development Planning Guidance (May 2023).

Each gate check submission is different and the reporter’s role is to consider the evidence before them. As a result, whilst each reporter undertakes the gate check assessment using the same criteria, some differences in the content of decision reports/letters are to be expected.

In relation to assessing proposed housing land targets, the guidance advises that the appointed reporter is expected to consider whether there is sufficient information to establish the indicative Local Housing Land Requirement (LHLR), and whether the evidence provided is presented in a transparent and understandable way.

Pages 62–64 of the LDP guidance outline the types of evidence that planning authorities may wish to present when proposing an indicative LHLR. This can include:

• Minimum All-Tenure Housing Land Requirements (MATHLR) set out in National Planning Framework 4;
• Any more recent Housing Needs and Demand Assessment (HNDA);
• The Local Housing Strategy;
• Evidence on ineffective stock or windfall assumptions; and
• Any other up-to-date evidence or policy considerations.

The reporter considers the sufficiency and clarity of the methodology and figures used, as well as any stakeholder comments, rather than applying any fixed weighting to individual criteria. Where the evidence is not sufficient or clearly explained, the return of the evidence report to the authority allows issues to be addressed before decisions are taken on housing land allocation in the proposed plan.