Chamber and committees

Local Authorities check for compliance with allergen law during food law interventions at food businesses. It is not possible for Food Standards Scotland (FSS) to determine the number of breaches. However, 127 allergen incidents have been reported to FSS Incidents team since 1st April 2019. Since 1st April 2019, FSS has issued 455 allergy alerts (26 were drafted and issued by FSS), most of these alerts were drafted and issued by Food Standards Agency but were mirrored by FSS as there was distribution of implicated products to Scotland.

The Operational Delivery Division in Food Standards Scotland has a contingency plan for all meat plants in Scotland. This ensures a continuous service of Meat Hygiene Inspectors (MHIs) and Official Veterinarians (OVs) and to minimise disruption to supply chains during times of severe weather, industrial action, or other extraordinary events.

The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) has not yet received a submission from the manufacturing company, Vertex, for exagamglogene autotemcel (Casgevy®) for the treatment of sickle cell disease (SCD).

The Chief Pharmaceutical Officer (CPO) and the SMC have engaged regularly with the marketing authorisation holder, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, on the SMC’s process for assessing the clinical and cost-effectiveness of exagamglogene autotemcel (Casgevy®) for use in the SCD indication in the NHS in Scotland. The SMC would welcome a submission from Vertex for Casgevy® in the SCD indication at any time.

When leasing agricultural land, the Scottish Government endeavours to use the Farming Opportunities for New Entrants (FONE) Group scoring matrix wherever possible.

The Scottish Government does not intend to publish the legal or other advice obtained by NatureScot regarding which areas of land should be covered by a 16AA licence under the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Act 2024.

It is for NatureScot to determine whether to publish this advice.

The Cass Review only considered services offered by NHS England, and the report’s 32 recommendations are made to NHS England. As such, NHS England holds responsibility for implementing these recommendations.

The Scottish Government did, however, commit to closely consider the Review’s findings in the context of NHS Scotland services. Accordingly, the Chief Medical Officer for Scotland convened a multidisciplinary team to consider the Review’s recommendations and how they might be applicable to Scotland, which published its findings on 5 July 2024. The Scottish Government has accepted this report and its recommendations.

A “Task and Finish” group, supported by the Scottish Government’s Chief Operating Officer’s Directorate, has now been convened to design a sustainable model for young people’s gender identity services, and the work of this group will be shaped by the multidisciplinary team’s recommendations. Additionally, as recommended by the report, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde ended self-referrals to the Sandyford Gender Identity Clinic in August 2024, and the health board is taking forward work to move young people’s gender identity services into a paediatric clinical setting.

The Budget includes a new investment of £4.5 million to deliver specialist support for ME/CFS, Long Covid and other similar conditions. We are exploring whether bringing clinical and third sector stakeholders together to seek further consensus and clarity around the status and implementation of the NICE guidelines on ME/CFS would help deliver this specialist support and, if so, consideration will be given to whether Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS), or another organisation, is well placed to facilitate this work.

Information provided in any application for Freight Facilities Grant (FFG), including personal information, may be subject to publication or disclosure in accordance with legislation including the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA), the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004 (EIRs) and the Data Protection Act 1998.

There has been no new awards made under Freight Facilities Grant in any of the previous three financial years but funding for the Freight Facilities Grant is contained in the 2025-26 Scottish budget

Food Standards Scotland (FSS) has an established Risk Analysis process in place to assess, manage and communicate evidence-based advice on food safety risks. It is a joint process with the Food Standards Agency (FSA) to ensure the UK maintains high standards of food and feed safety.

The aim of the risk analysis process is to provide confidence that FSS and FSA advice delivers public health protection; is informed by science and evidence; considers consumers’ other interests in relation to food; and is independent. The process follows globally recognised frameworks for risk analysis. It is open and transparent and provides for a four nations approach.

When an issue is identified a risk assessment is conducted to estimate the risk to human and/or animal health. This may be done in consultation with external experts from independent Scientific Advisory Committees and Joint Expert Groups. Risk assessments will generally be conducted on a four-nation basis, with capacity for nation-specific risk assessments where required. Risk managers then consider which approaches could be implemented to manage and control the risk. Interested parties are consulted and other factors are considered alongside food safety, such as animal welfare, environment, economic impact, and any nation-specific factors that are relevant. The risk management advice can be used to inform ministerial decisions on changes to legislation, or to provide guidance on issues affecting businesses and consumers.