Chamber and committees

Remote Electronic Monitoring (REM) systems support comprehensive data collection in fisheries by using cameras, sensors and Global Positioning System technology to independently monitor fishing activity at sea.

REM is a key component of the Scottish Government's Fisheries Management Strategy. However, there are no plans to rollout REM across the inshore fleet. Instead, the Scottish Government is taking a targeted and proportionate approach to REM implementation.

Legislation has already been introduced requiring REM systems on all scallop dredge vessels from June 2024 and on pelagic fishing vessels from March 2026. The legislation applies to all relevant vessels operating within Scottish waters, as well as to relevant Scottish vessels wherever they fish.

This approach reflects the Scottish Government's commitment to strengthening fisheries monitoring, improving transparency and supporting sustainable fisheries management, while ensuring that monitoring requirements are proportionate and tailored to different fleet segments. It recognises that REM technology is not necessary or appropriate for all vessel types.

NHS Shetland is responsible for the operational management of the GP walk-in pilot site in Lerwick. Requests for details would be best directed to NHS Shetland.

Decisions on workforce deployment and the allocation of resources in respect of data protection functions are operational matters for the Chief Constable and the Scottish Police Authority. This reflects the statutory governance arrangements established by the Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012.

This year, the Scottish Government have increased police funding to over £1.7 billion, an increase of £81.5 million on the 2025-26 Autumn Budget Revision (ABR) budget, to deliver on its priorities including frontline service delivery.

The Scottish Government has no plans to delay the introduction of the muirburn licensing scheme which is due to come into effect on 15 September 2026.

We published our Strategic Action Plan on Wildfires in March 2026 which sets out that prevention, however, is much broader than muirburn, and should form an integral part of land management generally. In most circumstances, wildfire prevention will be made up of multiple aspects. That may include muirburn, where that is relevant to the land type and local circumstances. The Scottish Government is clear that land managers are therefore a foundation of wildfire prevention.

In relation to the role of muirburn practices in preventing wildfires, the Scottish Government will continue to work with NatureScot, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and other relevant partners to consider available evidence on wildfire risk and land management practice. In addition to this, NatureScot will monitor the operation of the licensing system, including any issues arising from licence applications, licence conditions, compliance activity and stakeholder feedback.

The Scottish Government's position is that animal use in scientific research and testing should be minimised through the adoption of the 3Rs principles - Replacement, Reduction and Refinement. We encourage the adoption of alternatives to the use of animals and believe that these alternative approaches should be prioritised whenever possible.

The Scottish Government does not routinely receive such information. The Animals in Science Regulation Unit (ASRU) publishes an annual report which includes information pertaining to investigations, compliance and enforcement action. In addition, the ASRU publishes detailed annual statistics that includes data on the number of licences granted, nature and number of procedures undertaken, species used etc. The publication of this information is a statutory requirement under the 1986 Act and all reports are available to view on the ASRU web site.

In 2025, the Scottish Government and Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) announced a pilot to give communities priority access to renewable energy assets on public land due for repowering.

The pilot provides a protected window for local groups to make an asset transfer request to lease FLS sites due for repowering and gives advance notification of upcoming lease opportunities so communities have time to prepare asset transfer requests before sites go to market.

These measures will apply to projects with a maximum generation capacity of 50MW, and ten FLS sites have been identified to be part of the pilot. Communities can access support to enable them to take up these opportunities through the Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES).

The Scottish Government will in due course publish a breakdown of the appointments & procedures which will be delivered as a result of the additional £90m announced to tackle long waits.

We have commissioned Healthcare Improvement Scotland to work on the evaluation of the pilot, in conjunction with Public Health Scotland. The Scottish Government expects a final report to be received once the pilot has concluded.

The key ambition of the Life Sciences Strategy is to maximise growth, innovation and competitiveness across the life sciences sector. However, the Strategy’s Delivery Plan creates enabling conditions that support delivery of the 3Rs ethical framework and accordingly we consider both the strategy and the 3Rs to be complimentary.