Chamber and committees

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-34982 on 26 February 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 Scottish Government is committed to modernising deer management to tackle high deer numbers, specifically in order to help us to achieve our biodiversity and carbon objectives. We continue to pursue a range of actions to deliver this commitment.

The Scottish Government’s future legislative programme has been set out as part of the 2024-25 Programme for Government. The Natural Environment Bill was introduced to parliament on 20 February 2025 and will bring forward significant reforms to the Deer (Scotland) Act 1996.

In addition to this we are working on the Deer Working Group recommendations that do not require primary legislation through the Strategic Deer Board.

Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS), is the executive agency which manages Scotland’s national forests and land. The majority of deer management on land owned by the Scottish Government on behalf of the nation is undertaken by FLS. Alongside land owned by the Scottish Government, public bodies also manage deer on public land they are responsible for. A number of these bodies are represented on the Strategic Deer Board.

We do not hold this information.

Wind turbine developments on Scottish Government owned land follow the standard processes detailed in Scotland’s planning regulations.

The Scottish Government remains committed to restricting the sale of horticultural peat as part of its commitment to environmental protection and climate change mitigation. We continue to work with gardeners, growers, environmental organisations and the UK and devolved governments to understand and overcome challenges, including those imposed by the UK Internal Market Act, as we explore all legislative options to implement effective restrictions as soon as feasible.

Scotland was the first country in the world to run a dedicated Year of Young People in 2018. It aimed to inspire Scotland through our young people by celebrating their achievements, valuing their contributions to communities and creating new opportunities for them to shine locally, nationally and on the international stage.

During Year of Young People 2018 the Scottish Government made a commitment to give young people in Scotland greater opportunities to have their voices heard and listened to by decision makers.

That commitment has been honoured. Last year, Scotland became the first country in the UK and the first devolved nation in the world to incorporate the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) into its domestic law. Among the rights in the UNCRC is the right for all children under the age of 18 to express a view in relation to decisions that affect them, and for their views to be given due weight in accordance with their age and maturity.

As set out in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Incorporation) (Scotland) Act 2024, we are committed to ensuring that children and young people across Scotland have access to actively participate in decision making processes, which directly affect them. We recognise the importance of meaningful and robust engagement with children and young people so that they are empowered, involved and included. This means working in partnership with them, their representative organisations and other public bodies, to ensure that their voices are central to informing policy that is child friendly, youth led, inclusive and representative.

In addition, recognising the shared responsibility to respect and protect children’s rights and embed child rights practice into all of our everyday work, the Scottish Government has published non-statutory guidance on Taking a children's human rights approach: guidance to assist this work.

The Scottish Government’s own commitment to meaningfully engage with children and young people is demonstrated by the annual meetings between children and young people and the Scottish Government Executive Team and Cabinet. These provide an opportunity for decision makers at the highest level of government to hear to the voices of children and young people and understand the issues that matter most to them.

Work since 2018 has also included initiatives to celebrate the contribution that young people make to society. This has included the Scottish Government’s Saltire Awards, which celebrate youth volunteering, and the Young Scot Awards, which celebrate the outstanding achievements of young people in Scotland.

There are therefore no current plans for future Themed Years, or to repeat another dedicated Year of Young People. Instead the Scottish Government will continue to celebrate the contribution that young people make, strengthen their voices, and importantly ensure their views continue to be heard directly by decision makers.

Our 2025-26 budget includes funding of over £300 million for heat and energy efficiency measures. This includes for the Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan Scheme which is a significant driver of heat pump installations. Since April 2023, the scheme has supported the installation of over 4,000 heat pumps and paid out over £50 million of funding for these measures.

The Green Heat Installer Engagement Programme supports businesses to become accredited in the installation of heat pumps, while the New Build Heat Standard will boost heat pump demand for new build properties.

We are considering issues raised in response to our Heat in Buildings Bill consultation and will confirm next steps as soon as practicable.

The Scottish Government has no current plans to introduce such legislation.

Freight Facilities Grants of over £25 million have been made to Scottish ports since 1997. This has enabled ports to purchase shore based handling equipment, has allowed piers and berths to be built or refurbished and enabled rail lines to be built into ports.

Whilst regulation for decommissioning of offshore oil and gas infrastructure is a reserved matter, the Scottish Government supports this vital activity happening in a way that facilitates an orderly, managed and just transition to net-zero and maximises the benefits for Scotland’s businesses and communities.

Through the Decommissioning Challenge Fund, the Scottish Government invested over £10 million over the period 2017 to 2020 to support innovation and build capacity in the Scottish decommissioning sector.