Chamber and committees

I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-02062 on 19 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 following table shows a breakdown of e-bikes and e-scooters seized by Police Scotland in 2023, 2024, and 2025. Information is available by local policing division, not by local authority.

My clear preference, communicated to Creative Scotland, is for the former Centre for Contemporary Arts building to re-open as an important asset for Glasgow and Scotland’s culture and creative sector, and that as soon as possible.

Creative Scotland’s call for expressions of interest in operating the building closed on 12 August, with priority consideration being given to those which best align with the aim of ensuring the building continues to operate as a key asset in Scotland’s culture sector.

I am assured by Creative Scotland that the ongoing cultural value of the building is the key consideration in its consideration and I continue to closely monitor the situation.

The Scottish Government recognises the important contribution that nature-based solutions can make to improving flood and drought resilience. Our policy and investment supports nature-based solutions in both rural and urban areas.

Our Sustainable Flood Risk Management guidance supports a catchment-based approach to flood management and our national Flood Resilience Strategy sets out the importance of restoring and maintaining our natural environment to create flood resilient places. In addition, the Water Resilient Places Policy Framework supports the delivery of blue-green infrastructure and has informed the work of urban drainage partnerships in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Dundee.

We support both the Eddleston Water and Allan Water projects to develop and implement nature-based solutions. Evidence from these projects indicates that nature-based solutions can help to delay flood peaks and hold water in the catchment to mitigate water scarcity.

We fund research through the Centre of Expertise on Water and the James Hutton Institute to assess the effectiveness of nature-based solutions and our five year Strategic Research Programme (2022-2027) is funding the “Achieving Multi-Purpose Nature-Based Solutions” research project to explore how to work at scale and across sectors to deliver urban and rural nature-based solutions.

Since 2016, the Scottish Government has provided £612 million to local authorities to support the delivery of flood resilience activities. We also fund environmental improvements with co-benefits for flood and drought resilience through the Water Environment Fund, Peatland Restoration Fund, Nature Restoration Fund and Forestry Grants Scheme.

The 2026 ScotWind Supply Chain Development Statement updates show that total projected spend in Scotland has increased between 2023 and 2026 by nearly £2.3bn for the 16 projects included in the updates, from an estimated £23.3bn to £25.6 billion.

Developers’ SCDS updates include ambitions to go beyond committed spend which suggests an additional potential £10.5bn manufacturing expenditure in key areas such as foundations, turbine components and electrical infrastructure in Scotland as the supply chain matures.

These insights will support the Scottish Government and our delivery partners in targeting intervention where it is needed most, including through our strategic investment in offshore wind, to drive sustainable growth across Scotland’s offshore energy supply chain.

The farmed fish welfare guidance that we are developing will take into consideration the recommendations from the Scottish Animal Welfare Commission’s report in order to deliver positive welfare outcomes for fish, whilst being grounded in robust, achievable and enforceable industry practice. We will also be working with a wide range of stakeholders to ensure we have expert input from scientific, industry and welfare perspectives.

The welfare of farmed fish is already assured under the Welfare of Animals (Scotland) Act 2006 and Article 3.1 of assimilated Council Regulation (EC) 1099/2009. We have no current plans to introduce additional legislation.

I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-02175 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.

I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-01681 on 10 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.

National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) is part of the development plan and contains national planning policy. Policy 5 (soils) sets out policy on prime agricultural land and policy 11 (energy) sets out policy on renewable energy. NPF4 should be read and applied as a whole, alongside the relevant local development plan and other material considerations. Factors for and against development will be weighed up in the balance of planning judgement.

The SCDS updates make clear the level of projected spend in the Scottish supply chain is very substantial. These projects will spend millions of pounds throughout their development, through activities such as surveys, engineering and construction, which will support jobs across Scotland and the rest of the UK.

We expect developers to help build the resilience of our domestic supply chain and deliver on their SCDS commitments. Failure to do so can trigger remedies ranging from financial penalties to an inability to progress to a seabed lease.

The Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit and Confederation of British Industry (CBI) Economics recently published a report showing Scotland’s net zero economy contributes £10.2 billion GVA and supports more than 105,000 jobs, accounting for 4.9% of Scotland’s economic output and 3.9% of employment (The Scottish Net Zero Economy in 2025, CBI).

ScotWind projects have already delivered over £750 million in revenues to the public purse.