Local authorities are responsible for the development, design, consultation and delivery of flood protection schemes within their jurisdiction. This includes full assessment of all technical, environmental, financial and ownership-related considerations.

The Musselburgh Flood Protection Scheme was formally notified to the Scottish Ministers by East Lothian Council on 24 October 2025 under Schedule 2, paragraph 5(5) of the Flood Risk Management Act. It would therefore be inappropriate to comment on the merits of specific aspects of the Scheme at this stage or pre-empting Scottish government decisions.

The Scottish Government received legal advice in the preparation of A Fresh Start with Independence.

Trading Standards Scotland is a team operated by COSLA and has no role in the disruption of the illegal tobacco supply. The Enhanced Tobacco Sales Enforcement Programme (ETSEP) is delivered by local authorities coordinated by Society of Chief Officers of Trading Standards in Scotland (SCOTSS).

Scottish Government does not hold information relating to the value of illicit cigarettes seized by Trading Standards. Value could relate to the average retail cost of cigarettes and tobacco, or the “street value” of illicit products.

However, SCOTSS have provided figures in relation to the amount of illicit cigarettes and tobacco seized since 2021, and this has been answered in question S6W-41139 on 4 November 2025.

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 investigation and prevention of high-value or keyless car theft is a matter for Police Scotland. To support policing capacity and capability, the Scottish Government has provided £1.64 billion in funding for the year 2025-26. This represents an increase of £90 million compared to 2024-25.

The Scottish Government does not hold information specific to high-value or keyless car thefts. However, statistics on motor vehicle theft more generally are published in our quarterly Recorded Crime in Scotland bulletin, available here.

Between 2023-24 and 2024-25, recorded crimes of Theft of a motor vehicle fell by 7%, from 5,090 to 4,753. Compared to 2006-07, this represents a 68% reduction. The standard data supplied by Police Scotland does not identify the type or value of vehicles stolen, nor does it capture specific items taken during housebreaking or robbery incidents where a vehicle may have been among the stolen property.

Police Scotland continues to tackle organised criminal activity through the Serious Organised Crime Taskforce, which coordinates multi-agency efforts to disrupt networks involved in offences including vehicle theft.

The UK Government’s Crime and Policing Bill proposes new offences related to the possession of electronic devices used in vehicle theft, such as signal jammers and CAN bus exploit tools. The Scottish Government has lodged a Legislative Consent Memorandum recommending that these measures extend to Scotland, and is proposing that the offences be added to the list of Scottish Criminal Lifestyle Offences.

Subject to Parliamentary time being available, our intention remains to seek a debate on fisheries before the end of the year. It is recognised that the fishing sector is currently facing a range of challenges, and a Parliamentary debate would be a valuable opportunity to discuss these issues. Any proposals for Government business in Parliament are subject to consideration by the Bureau and approval by the Parliament.

It the primary duty of Integration Joint Boards (IJBs) to strategically plan the delivery of integrated adult health and social care provision in a local authority area. This duty will include the gathering of information regarding recruitment and retention of staff. Therefore, the Scottish Government does not collect or hold this information centrally.

The Housing (Scotland) Bill introduces a requirement on the Scottish Ministers to carry out a review of the repossession grounds under the Private Housing (Tenancies) (Scotland) Act 2016 within 2 years of the day after Royal Assent and lay a report before Parliament.

This provision will be commenced in the current parliamentary term.

The views and experiences of landlords and tenants will be considered as part of the review.

The Scottish Minsters meet regularly with Haemophilia Scotland and the Scottish Infected Blood Forum to ensure that the views of infected and affected people are heard. The Scottish Ministers remain open to meeting individual Scottish Infected Blood Support Scheme beneficiaries and their families in order to discuss particular concerns.

Scottish Government officials meet regularly with HMRC, who work with Border Force to take action to tackle the import of illicit tobacco and vaping products at the border, alongside the Society of Chief Officers of Trading Standards in Scotland (SCOTSS). The issue of lost revenue has not been discussed at these meetings.

The reasons are set out below.

Dedicated administrative support unit within the Scottish Government to support all commissioned reviews (recommendations 3 and 40)

From both logistical and governance perspectives, the Directorate responsible for the subject matter of the inquiry or review is best placed to provide the sponsor team. There are insufficient numbers of inquiries and reviews to justify the creation of a dedicated administrative unit with no other function. Establishing such a unit would likely lead to duplication of costs and effort, as it would still need to rely heavily on the expertise of policy officials within the relevant Directorates.

The chair should draft the remit and terms of reference (recommendation 6)

Although inquiries and reviews are independent of Government, they exist to investigate matters set out by Ministers in the terms of reference. The terms of reference of an inquiry are one of the principal means by which Ministers can control the costs of an inquiry. Although they are always discussed with the proposed chair of an inquiry, Ministers must have the final say in order that the terms of reference are not inappropriately wide, leading to a prolonged and more expensive inquiry – potentially attracting further criticism.

Appointment of chair to be open and transparent (recommendation 18)

The appointment of a chair involves careful discussions with potential candidates to assess their suitability and willingness to undertake the role. These discussions take into account factors such as the anticipated duration and complexity of the inquiry, and other relevant considerations, including the potential for adverse personal publicity.

While transparency is important, experience shows that open public appointment processes are not typically suited to the timescales and expectations associated with inquiries and reviews. These processes can be lengthy and may not align with the need for timely commencement and delivery of such work.

Template which standardises what is presented at the end of a review (recommendation 42)

The presentation of an inquiry’s report is a matter for the chair. Given the wide range of subjects that inquiries and reviews may address, a standard template could not accommodate the diversity of issues and contexts involved. Flexibility allows chairs to structure their reports in a way that best serves the purpose and clarity of their findings and recommendations.