Chamber and committees

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) Annual Population Survey (APS) is the main source for Labour Market Indicators more detailed characteristics. The ONS state there are concerns with the quality of the APS estimates for smaller groups of the population. Therefore, it is not possible to produce robust estimates of the number of people aged 18 to 24 who are not in education, employment or training and not receiving out-of-work benefits from this source.

The Annual Participation Measure published by Skills Development Scotland provides estimates for 16 to 19 year olds not participating in education, employment or training by age and reason for not participating. In 2025, the SDS Annual Participation Measure estimates that 6,758 people aged 18 to 19 in Scotland were not participating in education, employment, or training. The status for those not participating in education, employment or training are included in Table 1.1b: https://www.skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk/media/appbneac/2025-annual-participation-measure-supplementary-tables.xlsx.

As indicated in the answer to question S7W-01612 on 5 August 2026, the offence of abuse of a partner or ex-partner is designed to respond to the many different forms of coercive and controlling behaviour that can arise in an abusive relationship. As such, the Scottish Government is not aware of any gaps in the law that would prevent the prosecution of abusive behaviour that could be described as a smear campaign or reputational abuse where it occurs in the context of domestic abuse. However, the Scottish Government keeps the criminal law under continual review to ensure that it remains effective. 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.

Scottish Forestry operates a Strategic Timber Transport Scheme to support timber transport infrastructure improvements. Most recently, on 10 July, it announced that £900,000 has been allocated to 9 local authority projects this year. These projects are co-funded by the local authorities which include Highland Council, Scottish Borders Council, Argyll and Bute Council, Dumfries and Galloway Council and the Ayrshire Roads Alliance. Another £945,000 this year is supporting the shipping of timber from Argyll to Ayrshire thereby removing approximately 75,000 tonnes from roads in those areas.

The Scottish Government has recently taken multiple steps towards encouraging animal farmers to make transitions to improve animal welfare, such as our 2026 consultations on the proposed ban on keeping laying hens, pullets and breeder layers in cages and proposed changes to lamb castration and tail docking methods (to improve welfare through usage of new methods with anesthesia and pain relief), which we held in collaboration with the UK and Welsh Governments. In 2024 we also updated the Welfare of Farmed Animals (Scotland) Regulations 2010 to include updated pig welfare guidance.

Scottish Ministers remain fully committed to transparency regarding who receives public subsidies for (a) forestry, (b) farming, (c) nature restoration and (d) other land use in the current parliamentary session.

In particular, further to our recent introduction of the required regulations and their approval by Parliament – following imminent planned closure of the UK website by Defra –steps have now been taken for the Scottish Government to implement the regulations and continue to publish data relating to Scotland for beneficiaries of CAP legacy schemes.

The first publication was made on the 30th June 2026 for the data relating to all CAP legacy schemes subsidy payments made to beneficiaries in Scotland during the EU financial year from 16 October 2024 to 15 October 2025 and this data will remain available for two years, until June 2028.

This publication will include the names of all beneficiaries apart from those who received less than the equivalent of 1,250 in total subsidy during the year that are not shown in the spreadsheet. In these cases, payment amounts are included, but beneficiary names have been removed. For the purposes of this publication , 1,250 has been converted to a sterling equivalent of £1,114.

Similar publications will be made on the 30th June in subsequent years throughout the current parliamentary session.

I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-01172 on 10 July 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-01615 on 5 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 Scottish Government is investing £1.9 billion through the Regional Growth Deal programme over the next 10 years to stimulate economic growth at a local and regional level. These strategic partnerships are designed to align long term funding behind shared visions for regional economies, leverage additional investment, create new jobs and accelerate inclusive economic growth.

The Scottish Government is also investing up to £90 million in 2026-27, delivering employability support to people of all ages facing barriers to the labour market. Through the No One Left Behind approach, person-centred employability services are available in every local authority area, helping people progress towards and into sustainable, fair work.

Support is also available to help people find and sustain employment throughout their working lives. Careers support is available across Scotland through Skills Development Scotland, with advisers based in schools and communities. Colleges and universities also provide career support services to help young people and adults find and sustain employment.

Alongside this, our Fair Work approach seeks to help provide the conditions to enable people from all backgrounds to remain in and progress in work.

I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-01615 on 5 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-01615 on 5 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.