Chamber and committees

Strong industry led clusters are a proven means of delivering economic growth. The Scottish Government commissioned a report in 2025 to take views from industry and other stakeholders and inform the design of a cluster development function to augment and support existing engagement. (a) We will shortly be procuring the cluster development organisation. (b) Given that Life Sciences in Scotland is a mature landscape, with a number of existing sub-cluster entities, the structures and scale of the cluster development organisation can be expected to evolve over time. Its initial role and remit will be to provide a focal point to support sectoral growth and integration across the Life Sciences cluster; deliver the actions assigned to it within the first year delivery plan; and work with all stakeholders to develop a year 2/3 delivery plan. (c) We are working with the Life Sciences Scotland Industry Leadership Group to develop appropriate governance and oversight.

In 2025 Scotland experienced the driest start to the year in more than 60 years, prompting enhanced monitoring and assessment activity by the Scottish Government, SEPA and Scottish Water.

I deplore any instances of disorder and vandalism and would urge any business affected by such behaviour to report it to Police Scotland.

We are aware of collaborative approaches being adopted by partners including a number of local authorities and Police Scotland to address issues in town centres and other communities.

The Scottish Government supports these efforts through record funding for local government and Police Scotland, helping to ensure that local agencies have the resources they need to respond to community concerns and support businesses affected by crime and antisocial behaviour.

The Scottish Government unequivocally condemns all forms of hatred and prejudice, including racism, religious hatred and online abuse. We undertake engagement with a range of stakeholders with expertise in tackling prejudice, building cohesive communities and advancing human rights to support our approaches to challenging all forms of hatred, violence and intimidation. While we have not engaged directly with the Centre for Countering Digital Hate to date, we work with a wide range of organisations who share an interest in challenging hatred and prejudice, including that which takes place online, and in supporting evidence-based approaches to preventing harm and protecting communities. We are open to engagement with organisations that can contribute evidence and expertise in these areas.

In 2025-26, the Scottish Government funded the education charity Time for Inclusive Education (TIE) £71,144 to further develop and promote the Digital Discourse Initiative (DDI) in schools, and we have provided additional funding to TIE to support them to roll out the DDI to support all schools across Scotland. This is an initiative that helps schools to equip children and young people with skills to navigate digital media and counter the impacts of disinformation and online hate.

In January 2025, the Scottish Government established the Online Safety Taskforce, following a directive from the First Minister, to strengthen efforts to keep children safe online, provide strategic oversight across government and identify further actions to protect children and young people. The Taskforce’s Action Plan, published in March 2026, sets out the Government’s priorities for tackling online harms through a public health approach and will continue to evolve in response to the experiences of children, young people, families and communities. Membership of the Taskforce is currently under review, and following an interim meeting with external stakeholders in June 2026, a series of themed summer workshops, including sessions on radicalisation and hate crime, will help shape the next phase of this work.

The Scottish Government continues to have discussions with Police Scotland about the illegal use of off-road vehicles. These discussions respect the principle that operational policing including deployment of resources is a matter for the Chief Constable acting independently.

In particular, the Scottish Government has been working collaboratively with Police Scotland to explore legislative change, in line with our manifesto. This builds on work underway to review the secondary legislation governing the retention, disposal and recovery fees for vehicles seized under devolved powers.

NorthLink engages and will continue to engage on a regular basis, with both RMT and Nautilus International on all aspects of current and future operational activity including the new Freight Flex vessels. The Freight Flex Vessels include provision for 28 seafarer cabins and 2 double cadet training accommodation cabins and 1 spare seafarer double cabin per vessel, allowing for up to four trainee placements to be provided at any point in time.

The Scottish Government is clear that racism, Islamophobia and all forms of hatred and prejudice have no place in Scotland, including when expressed online. Social media companies have a fundamental responsibility to enforce their own rules, prevent harmful content from being amplified and protect users from harm. That responsibility must be backed by robust regulation.

It is essential that Ofcom is able to use its full regulatory powers to hold platforms to account when they fail in their responsibilities. We recognise concerns about the role that algorithmic systems can play in promoting and amplifying harmful content, and support effective regulatory oversight that ensures platforms are transparent about risks and take appropriate mitigating action. The Scottish Government recently attended the Ofcom Scotland Advisory Council meeting in Aberdeen where officials presented on the work of our Online Safety Taskforce and Action Plan, our main mechanism to coordinate work in this area.

We welcome that Ofcom has taken up the issue of regulation of spikes in illegal content during periods of public disorder by strengthening their codes of practice on Illegal Content and the Protection of Children. The amendments ask service providers to prepare and apply a crisis protocol to mitigate and manage the risks arising from a significant increase in relevant illegal content and/or content harmful to children on their services. This is a priority for the Scottish Government and we are keen to remain informed on the effectiveness of these measures.

Both Ministers and officials engage regularly with faith groups, Muslim community organisations and third sector partners across Scotland, including in Edinburgh and the Lothians, to understand local concerns and strengthen community safety and resilience.

The Scottish Government will continue to engage regularly with faith communities through established mechanisms, including the Faith and Belief Representatives Group, alongside targeted roundtables and stakeholder engagement, ensuring that their views inform policy development and responses to emerging issues.

Work is currently progressing on the next phase of Scotland’s Hate Crime Strategy, and we are taking steps to ensure that the experiences and priorities of those most affected by hate crime, including faith communities, help to shape its development.

The Scottish Government’s Anti-Racism Delivery Plan 2026–2030 sets out a cross-government approach to tackling structural and systemic racism, with the aim of creating a Scotland where equity, justice, dignity and respect are upheld for all. The Plan responds to calls for practical action, long-term systemic change and stronger accountability, embedding anti-racism across government through clear governance and lived experience leadership. Establishment of the Anti-Racism Observatory further supports this, and works closely with affected communities and uses evidence to inform priorities and action.

The Scottish Government has had ongoing discussions with Police Scotland regarding the antisocial and illegal use of quad bikes, off-road motorcycles and scrambler bikes, while respecting the principle that operational policing, including the deployment of resources, is a matter for the Chief Constable acting independently.

In particular, officials are actively reviewing the existing powers available to Police Scotland. In this work officials have been working collaboratively with Police Scotland to explore where changes may be required. A significant part of the relevant legal framework, including road traffic law, vehicle registration, and the regulation of the import and sale of e-bikes and e-scooters, is reserved to the UK Government. We continue to engage with the UK Government and press the case for action.

For any major public events in the city, Glasgow City Council will chair a Safety Advisory Group (SAG). This is a non-statutory body, comprising of council departments and safety and security multi-agency partners, that advises the Council on public safety and licensing for sports grounds and events. The SAG reviews event management plans and provides specialist advice regarding crowd safety, traffic management, and emergency procedures. This is a recognised practice across all Local Authorities and ensures compliance with statutory requirements across a range of safety and security-related legislation. Scottish Government are not a core member of such groups.

For major events, such as the Glasgow Commonwealth Games 2026, the event organiser is also expected to chair a safety and security group with all relevant partners, including Scottish Government, to ensure safety and security risks are planned for, assessed and proportionately mitigated in a collaborative manner.