The licensing regime for offshore oil and gas is a matter currently reserved to the UK Government, with the North Sea Transition Authority as its regulator.

The Scottish Government is clear in our support for a just transition for Scotland’s valued oil and gas sector, which recognises the maturity of the North Sea basin and is in line with our climate change commitments.

That is why we continue to call on the UK Government to approach decisions on the North Sea on a rigorously evidence-led, case by case, basis – with climate compatibility and energy security as key considerations.

Scottish Government Ministers and officials engage with both energy industry bodies and the North Sea Transition Authority on a regular basis.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-39465 on 29 July 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.

At time of the transition to public ownership and control of ScotRail, in order to maintain service levels while minimising disruption to staff, it was decided that the contracts for the contact centre, finance and payroll which were delivered to ScotRail by a third party provider, would remain external.

The contract for the contact centre, which is coming to an end, has been awarded to Teleperformance Ltd, who will maintain the continuity of providing the service.

ScotRail will bring the abovementioned functions in-house, as soon as it is practicable to do so.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-39497 on 15 August 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 has not given consideration to a blanket ban on dredging or bottom trawling, however, it is standard management practice to put in place measures that limit these and other types of fishing methods for a variety of reasons relating to fish stock management and conservation management as required.

Air Weapons licensing statistics are published by Police Scotland annually, including details of outstanding applications. As of 7 August 2025 there are currently 12 applications that remain outstanding from 2024 for a variety of reasons. Police Scotland will process these applications in due course.

Between 2020 and 2022, ten projects received funding from the Scottish Government’s Decommissioning Challenge Fund. The Fund, which ran from 2017 to 2022, supported infrastructure upgrades and innovation in salvage and transport methods at Scotland’s ports and harbours as well as supply chain projects that aimed to strengthen Scottish decommissioning capabilities and capacities.

Additional support to companies engaged in oil and gas decommissioning activities is provided through Scottish Enterprise.

Air Weapons licensing statistics are published by Police Scotland annually. Available data only reaches as far back as 2018, Police Scotland have granted the following amounts of applications for each year from 2018, including renewal applications:

2018-19 - 7,342

2019-20 - 3,341

2020-21 - 5,051

2021-22 - 7,622

2022-23 - 9,914

2023-24 - 6,608

2024-25 - 4,114

Air Weapons licensing statistics are published by Police Scotland annually. Available data only reaches as far back as 2018, Police Scotland have received the following amounts of applications for each year from 2018, including renewal applications:

2018-19 - 7,436

2019-20 - 3,376

2020-21 - 5,349

2021-22 - 7,673

2022-23 - 9,955

2023-24 - 6,643

2024-25 - 4,155

Air Weapons licensing statistics are published by Police Scotland annually. Available data only reaches as far back as 2018, Police Scotland have rejected the following amounts of applications for each year from 2018, including renewal applications:

2018-19 - 94

2019-20 - 35

2020-21 - 28

2021-22 - 51

2022-23 - 41

2023-24 - 35

2024-25 - 41