Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government has not undertaken specific consideration of introducing a requirement for salmon farm operators to publish the species and geographical origin of all ingredients used in their feed.

Animal feed is, however, subject to statutory safety, traceability and labelling requirements, including requirements to identify the species of certain feed materials.

These requirements do not currently extend to the public disclosure of the geographical origin and species of all feed ingredients.

The Scottish Government's Vision for Sustainable Aquaculture also sets out its ambitions for the responsible sourcing of ingredients used in finfish feed.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that support is available for autistic people and people with ADHD on the basis of need rather than diagnostic status. This includes people who are awaiting diagnostic assessment and those who self-identify as autistic or as having ADHD but have not sought a formal assessment.

This recognises that diagnosis is only one part of a person’s journey and should not be the sole route through which support can be accessed.

We acknowledge that, for some, diagnostic assessment is an important part of understanding their needs and experiences. However, there are also individuals with neurodevelopmental support needs who may not meet diagnostic thresholds but whose needs can nonetheless have a significant impact on their wellbeing, relationships, education and day-to-day life.

Our first Adult Neurodevelopmental Route-Map will publish in November. This sets out our framework for a needs-led, neuro-affirming system of support for autistic people and people with ADHD. A key principle of the route-map is that support should be available according to need while recognising the continued importance of diagnostic assessment where clinically appropriate. We will work with partners across health, social care and the third sector to support implementation of the route-map.

The Neurodevelopmental Specification for Children and Young People sets out the principles and standards expected across services and aims to ensure that children, young people and families receive timely, needs-based support, in line with the Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC) approach.

Work to develop the National Deer Management and Venison Plan is underway, with an initial draft being developed by the Deer Management Strategic Board.

We expect to publish the Plan in 2027, the timetable for finalising and publishing the Plan will be confirmed in due course.

I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-03579 on 7 October 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/written-questions-and-answers.

The Scottish Government does not yet have an assessment of the carbon losses or greenhouse gas emissions from the Cairngorms Wildfire this summer. An environmental recovery group has been established, chaired by the Cairngorms National Park Authority with membership from local landowners and managers impacted by the fire and the Scottish Government. One of the key purposes of the group is to determine what the environmental impacts of the fire are.

The initial work of the group has been to determine the extent of the fire; to design and initiate on the ground and drone survey work on burn severity to inform analysis on carbon and greenhouse gas losses from the fire amongst other environmental impacts and be the key decision-making point for external research proposals aiming to assess the impacts of the fire. Recently the group has been engaging with proposals as part of a UK Research and Innovation Natural Environment Research Council Urgency Grant to determine greenhouse gas emissions from the fire.

The Scottish Government does not yet have an assessment of the loss of wildfire as a result of the Cairngorms Wildfire this summer. An environmental recovery group has been established, chaired by the Cairngorms National Park Authority with membership from local landowners and managers impacted by the fire and the Scottish Government.

One of the key purposes of the group is to determine what the environmental impacts of the fire are. The group is also acting as the key decision-making group on external research proposals that have been received on assessing the impacts of the fire.

Furthermore, as announced by the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Rural Affairs, we have made an additional £1.3 million available for Nature recovery projects, including work to restore areas of the Cairngorms damaged by this summer's wildfires.

Scottish Government does not hold this information. Details of any consultation with individual local authorities would need to be sought from ADES as the lead organisation.

The document referred to in media reports is not a final National Orthopaedic Plan. It contains initial capacity planning proposals developed to inform consideration of options for improving orthopaedic services and reducing waiting times.

The Plan is being developed jointly by the East and West Sub-National Planning and Delivery Committees, supported by Scottish Government, and will involve clinical leaders, operational teams and NHS Boards to develop a coordinated approach to orthopaedic care across Scotland.

The Plan and any associated changes to policy will be subject to appropriate governance and Ministerial consideration. The Scottish Government cannot therefore confirm a publication date for any final plan at this time. No decision has been taken regarding any associated parliamentary processes.

The Scottish Government has not undertaken a specific assessment of the impact on neurology services of the proposal to replace the current 14 territorial NHS boards with two strategic health boards. The proposed reforms are intended to simplify governance, reduce duplication and support greater collaboration across NHS Scotland, helping to improve access to services and make best use of specialist clinical expertise.

The planning and delivery of neurology services will continue to be informed by clinical evidence, patient need and the advice of healthcare professionals.

The Scottish Government’s new Benefit Take-Up Strategy sets out how we will work towards a more joined-up, proactive and person-centred system that helps people receive the support they are entitled to. Working with local authorities, advice services and community organisations, we will explore options for improving information sharing between services to enable referrals, strengthen signposting to relevant services, ensure people are made aware of entitlements and pre-application support, especially at key life stages, and make better use of trusted settings and services to connect people to the right support at the right time. Advice services play a vital role in this work, which is why we continue to invest in free, independent and accessible welfare and debt advice services, including more than £18 million this financial year.