Chamber and committees

Fisheries management measures for offshore MPAs were subject to public consultation, which ran from 19 August to 14 October 2024. The responses are currently being analysed, and final measures will be implemented in 2025.

Ensuring that we develop evidence-based and effective fisheries management measures for the large number of inshore sites is a complex and challenging process. Fisheries management measures for inshore MPAs and Priority Marine Features (PMFs) are currently going through a Sustainability Appraisal, and other statutory impact assessments are being undertaken in preparation for the inshore consultation. The consultation will be undertaken in line with the commitment in the current Programme for Government. Final fisheries management measures will then be implemented as soon as possible once the consultation responses have been analysed and a final decision on the measures taken.

The Scottish Climate Survey is gathering data on public awareness and understanding of a variety of climate-related topics, including the heat transition. Data collection began in October 2024 and is continuing until January 2025. A report of findings is expected to be published by April 2025.

We have seen a significant rise in recorded shoplifting throughout the UK according to our own figures and those released by the Office for National Statistics for England and Wales and Scotland, part of which is being driven by organised criminal groups.

The Scottish Government budget, if approved by Parliament, will make £3 million available in 2025-26 to tackle retail crime. This is in addition to an investment next year of a record £1.62 billion for policing. The additional funding will enable Police Scotland to work with the retail sector to target the unacceptable levels of crime on Scotland’s high streets, which costs businesses millions each year and has a knock-on effect on the prices we pay in the shops.

Through our funded partnership with Neighbourhood Watch Scotland, a dedicated group for retailers exists to help tackle retail crime which enables bespoke messages to be sent to participating members’ retail premises. Over the festive period, Crimestoppers Scotland, is running campaign, with a focus on social media to also highlight the issue of violence against retail staff across Scotland

The Green Heat Finance Taskforce’s Part 1 report identified a range of finance mechanisms that could be expanded or developed to support individual property owners finance the upfront costs of installing clean heat and energy efficiency measures. These included approaches to encourage greater secured lending, developing equity release products focused on retrofit and exploring the potential to offer property linked finance in Scotland.

Its Part 2 report will cover financing place-based and social housing retrofit programmes as well as financing of heat networks. The report will focus on how to attract private investment at scale to unlock blended finance opportunities, combining public and private contributions, to deliver coordinated activity across multiple properties.

The draft budget for 2025-26 includes £21.7 billion of investment in health and social care services – an uplift exceeding consequentials and taking funding to an all-time high.

A full breakdown of how the £21.7 billion will be allocated across different services and regions can be found in tables 3.02 and 3.04 in the published Scottish Budget 2025-26 document. This can be found online here:

Scottish Budget: 2025-26

Further information is also set out in the 2025-25 level 4 budget tables here:

Supporting documents - Scottish Budget 2025 to 2026 - gov.scot

Three Marine Planning Partnerships (MPPs) have been established covering the Shetland, Clyde and Orkney marine regions, and are at various stages of progressing with their Regional Marine Plans.

The draft plans for Shetland and Orkney have concluded their public consultations and are making progress towards being submitted to Scottish Ministers for consideration, approval and adoption. The draft Clyde Regional Marine Plan is currently in the process of a policy update ahead of identifying a suitable period for a public consultation.

Officials will continue to work constructively with each MPP to refine and develop their plans to be suitable for adoption by Scottish Ministers.

The Scottish Government published the formal response to the final report of the Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform (ECCLR) Committee Inquiry into Regional Marine Planning in Scotland in August 2023.

As part of this response, the Scottish Government has provided a clear approach to regional marine planning moving forward, with the position that no further MPPs should be established until after the adoption of the updated National Marine Plan (NMP2). This is with the exception of the Western Isles, where early work on developing an MPP had already commenced.

Between 2021 and 2024, expenditure under the Heat in Buildings Programme totalled £493m. The annual spend is as follows:

The Green Heat Finance Taskforce is currently finalising its Part 2 report and will publish it in early 2025.

The Scottish Government officials are in regular discussions with the other UK administrations on bovine EID. Furthermore, The Scottish Government supported a meeting with NFUS and DG Sante on this matter held earlier this year. No concerns were raised by EU officials on the use of UHF in Scotland.