Chamber and committees

The Public Sector Food Procurement Taskforce has been established to make recommendations to Ministers on strengthening public sector food procurement of local food.

The Taskforce's remit includes identifying barriers to local procurement, considering the capacity and capability of Scottish producers and processors to meet public sector demand, and identifying opportunities to strengthen routes to market for local suppliers.

Whilst decisions on menu content are made locally, the Scottish Government is undertaking a range of activity to support greater uptake of venison across the public sector. The Scottish Government is already working with industry partners to support growth in the venison sector and explore opportunities to increase demand, including through public sector catering and procurement routes.

The Scottish Government is supporting activity to strengthen the Scottish venison sector and increase market opportunities. This includes funding of £75,000 in
2026-07 to Scottish Venison and Scottish Agricultural Organisation Society (SAOS), for a range of marketing and supply chain activities including work to increase awareness of venison amongst public sector buyers.

Alongside this, recent awards through the Food and Drink Processing Scheme Scotland have provided over £200,000 to three venison processing businesses to support equipment and infrastructure upgrades.

The Scottish Government recognises that a highly skilled early learning and childcare (ELC) workforce is central to delivering high-quality outcomes for children and families.

Graduate Apprenticeships (GAs) are employer-led and designed to align with current and future skills needs. They provide one route into the sector, alongside other pathways such as college qualifications, Modern Apprenticeships and university-based study.

We continue to monitor demand for GAs through engagement with employers, labour market intelligence and consultation with organisations such as the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC). This helps to ensure that provision remains responsive to the needs of the sector and supports the development of a skilled ELC workforce.

The latest assessment of Good Environmental Status in UK waters was published in 2026 in UK Marine Strategy Part One: Updated Assessment and Good Environmental Status. This assessment is published by the UK Government, working with the devolved authorities including the Scottish Government. The assessment concluded that Good Environmental Status for seafloor integrity had not yet been achieved across UK waters.

A copy of that assessment can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/marine-strategy-part-one-update

Environmental Standards Scotland's (ESS) report published on 23 June 2026, Protecting Scotland's seafloor: an assessment of Scottish Ministers' implementation of the Marine Strategy Regulations 2010, contains ESS’ findings and recommendations relating to the Scottish Ministers’ implementation of those Regulations, including regarding implementation of measures, monitoring, and governance.

The Scottish Government is carefully considering the ESS report and will work constructively with ESS to seek to agree an appropriate action plan within the timescale suggested in the report. The Scottish Government's position on the report's findings and recommendations will be set out through that engagement and in its formal response.

I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-02456 on 1 September 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 Civil Contingencies Act 2004 already provides the statutory framework concerning preventing, planning for and responding to emergencies in Scotland, including wildfires. To strengthen preparedness for wildfire specifically, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) have developed a multi-agency Wildfire Concept of Operations (CONOPS) for consideration by the Scottish Resilience Partnership. It promotes a greater emphasis on prevention, risk reduction, readiness and multi-agency coordination, alongside operational response.

The Scottish Government’s Wildfire Strategic Action Plan sets out a coordinated approach to preventing, preparing for and responding to wildfires, and was published on 5 March 2026.

As set out in my answer to question S7W-02908 on 15 September 2026, while decisions on the scheduling of individual criminal cases are a matter for the independent Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service, the long-standing statutory time limits at section 65 of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995 require the prioritisation of cases where an accused person has been remanded in custody prior to trial. This approach relates to an accused person having the presumption of innocence and the importance of seeking to minimise the length of time they are held in custody prior to trial.

It is important that delays in the criminal justice system are minimised insofar as possible and the statutory time limits exist to prevent unnecessary delays in criminal cases coming to trial and help the judiciary to effectively manage the progress of cases. This is particularly important in trials for offences of rape, serious sexual assault and domestic abuse where delays can impact on complainers.

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.

Through Scotland’s Rare Disease Action Plan, we are taking forward actions to improve support for people with Ehlers-Danlos syndromes (EDS) and related conditions, including hypermobility spectrum disorders (HSD). This includes work to support earlier diagnosis, increase awareness among healthcare professionals, and improve coordination of care and access to services. The Rare Disease Action Plan Progress Report, published on 27 February 2026, provides an update on progress to date.

While the Scottish Government sets the strategic policy direction for the NHS in Scotland, the delivery of healthcare services is the responsibility of local NHS Health Boards, in line with national guidance and population needs.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring everyone has access to a safe, secure and affordable home. We are supporting this through investment in affordable housing, action to improve the quality and energy efficiency of homes, measures to prevent and alleviate homelessness, and strengthened rights and protections for tenants.

The Scottish Government, through the Affordable Housing Supply Programme has allocated £123.283 to Glasgow City Council and £32.384 million to South Lanarkshire Council. This supports the delivery of affordable homes and helps meet local housing needs.

The Scottish Government has recently consulted on Nephrops Fisheries Management Plans: Proposed West Coast of Scotland Nephrops and North Sea Nephrops Fisheries Management Plans (FMPs) - Scottish Government consultations - Citizen Space

The draft plans recognise the potential use of Functional Unit (FU) management for Nephrops stocks and propose to undertake an in-depth options appraisal for FU management of Nephrops.

We are currently analysing the responses to the consultation and will work with stakeholders as part of our co-management approach in order to further explore and address the complexities of FUs.

The Scottish Government committed in the Preventing Harm, Promoting Recovery: Scotland's Alcohol & Drugs Strategic Plan to the publication of the range of actions it will take in line with World Health Organization advice as part of a future Alcohol Harm Prevention Plan. That plan will set out action to prevent alcohol harm in Scotland, building on the impact of policies such as Minimum Unit Pricing.

Whilst no decision has been yet been taken, the Scottish Government has continued to consider the appropriate next steps for minimum unit pricing. This will be set out as part of the Alcohol Harm Prevention plan in due course.