Chamber and committees

Public procurement and grants are subject to different requirements.

In relation to public procurement, the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015 (2015 Regulations) do not apply from a threshold of £50,000, but from the relevant threshold set out in regulation 5 of the 2015 Regulations. In the case of a public supply contract, and most public service contracts, the relevant threshold is £135,018 for central government authorities, or £207,720 for sub-central authorities. For public works contracts, the relevant threshold is £5,193,000.

Regulation 58 of the 2015 Regulations sets out the grounds on which bidders may, or must, be excluded from procurement exercises. These include convictions for certain criminal offences, non-payment of taxes, and bankruptcy. Regulation 59 sets out the selection criteria which authorities may impose for the purposes of ensuring that a bidder has the necessary: suitability to pursue a professional activity; economic and financial standing; and technical and professional ability. The precise criteria imposed will depend on the nature of the contract in question.

Regulation 60 sets out that bidders should, in the first instance, complete the Single Procurement Document, consisting of a self-declaration that they are not in one of the situations which constitute grounds for exclusion, and that they meet the relevant selection criteria. Authorities may require bidders to provide supporting documentation at any time when it is necessary to ensure the proper conduct of the procurement procedure. Full due diligence is only required when a preferred bidder has been identified. For this purpose, authorities may require bidders to produce certificates, statements and other means of proof as evidence for the absence of grounds for exclusion and for the fulfilment of the selection criteria. This can include, but it is not limited to: certificates; bank statements; previous work carried out over the past five years; samples, descriptions or photographs of products to be supplied; financial statements; and the qualifications of relevant staff.

The Procurement (Scotland) Regulations 2016 make similar provision in relation to contracts subject to the Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 (the Act). The Act applies to public supply and public service contracts worth at least £50,000 and to public works contracts worth at least £2 million.

In relation to grants, due diligence forms an integral part of the Scottish Government’s established grant management process, where preventative checks are required to be performed before awarding a general grant. Assessments cover financial viability and governance arrangements of prospective recipients, and the process is supported by internal guidance and checklists. There is no financial threshold for undertaking due diligence for a grant.

I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-01338 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.

Applicants are asked if they are terminally ill on the application form and, if confirmed, these applications are considered priority 1 applications and are prioritised at all stages of the redress process.

Redress Scotland make a determination on a priority 1 application within six weeks of receipt. Prioritisation of applications to be determined is a matter for the Chair of Redress Scotland, as set out in the Redress for Survivors (Historical Abuse in Care) (Scotland) Act 2021).

The official statistics, available at Scotland's Redress Scheme Statistics December 2021 - June 2025 - gov.scot provide information on applications, outcomes and payments made in the first 42 months of Scotland's Redress Scheme.

Applications progress at differing rates depending on how complete they are when submitted, the availability of information, evidence and records, and the extent of verification checks required.

Applicants can pause their application at any time and some applicants disengage from the process for a period of time then later return.

The official statistics, available at Scotland's Redress Scheme Statistics December 2021 - June 2025, provide information on applications, outcomes and payments made in the first 42 months of Scotland's Redress Scheme.

The Scottish Government’s assessment is that the reduction in Adult Disability Payment approval rates is primarily associated with a substantial increase in the number of applications received. While authorisation rates have reduced over time, the number of approved applications has remained broadly stable over the last year.

Social Security Scotland is committed to ensuring people can access the support to which they are entitled and has taken steps to make the application process as accessible as possible, in line with the principles of the Scottish Government's Benefit Take-up Strategy.

The Scottish Government has undertaken two consultations on the issue of phasing out cages for laying hens. The first, a Scotland-only one, which took place in 2024, is currently being analysed and results will be published in the coming months. The second, conducted jointly with DEFRA and the Welsh Government received over 39,000 correspondence and will be published in due course.

It was a Programme for Government Commitment to consult on the phasing out of cages for gamebirds and it remains our intention to consult on that issue in due course.

There are currently no statutory or regulatory measures protecting decapod welfare during transport within and from Scotland. In its statutory review of the Animals and Wildlife (Penalties, Protections and Powers) Act 2020 the Scottish Government committed to undertaking, in collaboration with Defra and other devolved administrations, a gap analysis to identify the specific welfare challenges faced by decapods (including live transportation), what evidence there is to inform potential solutions to these challenges, and where further research may be needed.

The official statistics, available at Scotland's Redress Scheme Statistics December 2021 - June 2025, provide information on applications, outcomes and payments made in the first 42 months of Scotland's Redress Scheme.

While these do not include information specifically about the allocation of applications to case workers, we recognise that many applicants are waiting too long for their applications to be progressed and an outcome to be determined.

Each application for Redress is unique. Applications progress at differing rates depending on how complete they are when submitted, the availability of information, evidence and records, and the extent of verification checks required. It is not possible to provide a timescale from receipt of an application through to receipt of payment and apology, given the unique nature of applications.

The Scottish Government is committed to minimising wait times for applicants as much as possible. Case worker recruitment is under way and I am meeting with the Scottish Government case work team and the Chair of Redress Scotland to discuss further options for the operation of the scheme.

The Scottish Government will consider the case for developing statutory codes as part of the wider work and commitment to undertake a gap analysis and wider evidence-based review to inform future measures to protect decapod welfare.