Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government is currently considering the conclusions and recommendations set out in Environmental Standards Scotland's Improvement Report. A response will be issued in due course once this consideration is completed.

I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-02285 on 21 August 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 draft Ministerial Objectives for Scottish Water for 2027-33 were published in January 2026 as part of the Strategic Review of Charges process. The Objectives set strategic investment priorities, outcomes and expectations for Scottish Water. They do not make explicit provision for individual pollutants such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), nor do they prescribe specific monitoring, source protection or treatment measures.(Water services - investing in and paying from 2027: consultation - gov.scot)

Our approach to expansion will involve close collaboration with local authorities, including on provision for children with additional support needs, to ensure that the needs of all children are met.

The Scottish Government engages with a wide range of groups relating to commercial fishing activity in Scottish inshore waters. These groups vary in purpose, duration and membership, and there is no centrally held or comprehensive record of all groups that have operated since 2020.

Membership is determined by the remit of each group and may include representatives from fishing organisations, scientific and academic institutions, environmental organisations and Scottish Government officials. Membership can also change over time as projects, programmes and areas of work evolve.

Providing a definitive list of all groups relating to commercial fishing activity in Scottish inshore waters, together with their memberships since 2020, would require extensive consultation across the Marine Directorate and parts of the wider Scottish Government. This would include teams covering sea fisheries, marine science, aquaculture, marine renewables, marine environment, licensing, compliance and operational delivery, together with a review of records held across multiple policy, research and delivery programmes.

Given the breadth of activity involved, the changing nature of membership and the absence of a central record, the information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

In relation to inshore fisheries management specifically, information on a number of key groups is already publicly available through Scottish Government and related stakeholder websites:

https://www.gov.scot/groups/fisheries-management--conservation-group-fmac/

https://rifg.scot/about/meetings

Under the Additional Support for Learning Act 2004, education authorities are responsible for identifying and meeting the additional support needs of children in early learning and childcare (ELC) settings. In line with the National Standard, we expect local authorities and settings to work together to support children with additional support needs to access their funded ELC hours. The Funding Follows the Child approach enables families to access provision in the public, private or third sectors.

These questions relate to the procurement, specification, quality assurance, performance monitoring and contract management of hearing aid batteries supplied through National Procurement arrangements. This is a matter for Public Services Delivery Scotland (PSDS) and NHS Boards and the information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.

Prior to 1 April 2026, these functions were undertaken by National Services Scotland and now sit within PSDS. While the Scottish Government sponsors PSDS and provides strategic oversight, operational responsibility for procurement and contract management rests with PSDS, while the delivery of audiology services is a matter for NHS Boards.

PSDS has advised that NHS Boards may raise supplier or product performance concerns through National Procurement's complaints process where products supplied under the framework do not meet the required standards. PSDS has also advised that it holds no record of a formal complaint relating to hearing aid battery performance under the current framework agreement that has resulted in contractual remedies being exercised since the commencement of the contract.

I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-02042 on 18 August 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 proposed allocation under the 2027-2032 Strategic Research Programme is set out in the following table:

Strategic Research Funding 2027-32 (£)

The Scottish Government provides Grant in Aid Funding to SEPA to undertake monitoring and, where necessary, investigations at designated bathing waters.

Bathing waters are designated, for the purpose of protecting public health, in areas where we expect a large number of bathers. SEPA undertakes routine monitoring of designated bathing waters during the bathing season (typically 1 June to 15 September).

We will continue to support SEPA to help deliver improvements to the water quality at Kinghorn bathing water in response to the ongoing localised pollution pressure affecting the Kinghorn Burn.