Chamber and committees

The independent Cowal and Rosneath Community Needs Assessment concluded that there is evidence of over-provision on the Gourock-Dunoon passenger ferry service in terms of sailings per day and in terms of the length of the operating day in winter. The Assessment does not calculate the cost of the over-provision. There are several options considered to address the findings and the preferred approach and associated costs will be determined in due course.

The Scottish Government analyses a range of impacts, including on the economy, when considering Income Tax policy options during the annual budget process. We also closely monitor the impacts of our existing policies on revenues, taxpayers, and the economy. Scottish Income Tax performance remains strong – Scotland outperformed the rest of the UK in both tax and earnings growth for both 2022-23 and 2023-24. Scottish Income Tax policy for 2025-26 will be announced during the annual Budget process.

Income Tax data does not break down by public and private sector.

As set out in the Public sector: economic overview - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) publication, after tax, the average full-time public sector employee in Scotland earned around £1,500 more than the UK average in 2023, up from around £400 in 2019.

The draft Islands Connectivity Plan (ICP) Strategic Approach was published for public consultation from 1 February 2024 to 6 May 2024. The draft proposed that we would revisit the Freight Fares Review in the medium to longer term.

The purpose of the consultation was to gather feedback on our proposals and test our understanding of the priority issues facing island transport connectivity and ferry services in particular.

The outputs from the consultation and engagement will support the finalisation of the ICP which will set out our plans for taking forward ferry fares policy.

The most recent Instrumental Music Services Survey 2023 Instrumental Music Services: Results from the IMS Survey 2023 (improvementservice.org.uk) (published in December 2023) confirmed that the number of pupils accessing free instrumental music tuition was the highest on record since the survey began in 2012.

It is for individual councils to make decisions about their own provision. For those local authorities which do operate waiting lists, it is clearly important that they work to accommodate as many interested pupils as possible.

The Scottish Government continues to support measures to raise the minimum legal age for dogs travelling non-commercially into the UK, having obtained legislative consent from the Scottish Parliament for this to be taken forward under the UK Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill before this was withdrawn by the UK Government in May 2023, and having agreed in principle to seek legislative consent for the Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Bill before this fell due to the dissolution of the UK Parliament in May 2024.

The Scottish Government maintains that to ensure consistency of approach and the most effective outcomes, these measures would best be delivered by a UK Parliament bill. To this end, Scottish Government officials continue to engage with DEFRA on the possibility of legislation in the UK parliament to raise the minimum legal age of dogs travelling non-commercially into the UK, along with other animal welfare measures relating to the transport of pets.

The Gaelic and Scots Team has a sponsorship role for Bòrd na Gidhlig and meets with officers in the body regularly and consistently. The nature of the sponsorship duties combined with the Gaelic and Scots Team’s policy role requires close working at different levels and on a range of subjects. The Gaelic and Scots Team is in contact with Bòrd na Gidhlig every week and this pattern of working has been in place for the last five years and before. In addition, Bòrd na Gidhlig Chair and CEO meet with ministers at least twice a year; with Scottish Government directors at least twice a year and officials from the Gaelic and Scots Division support these meetings. Gaelic and Scots officials arrange quarterly meetings and regular media meetings with the senior team at Bòrd na Gidhlig.

The Scottish Government does not hold any such data.

The Scottish Government continues to support measures to restrict the transport of pregnant dogs into the UK, having obtained legislative consent from the Scottish Parliament for this to be taken forward under the UK Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill before this was withdrawn by the UK Government in May 2023, and having agreed in principle to seek legislative consent for the Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Bill before this fell due to the dissolution of the UK Parliament in May 2024.

The Scottish Government maintains that to ensure consistency of approach and the most effective outcomes, these measures would best be delivered by a UK Parliament bill. To this end, Scottish Government officials continue to engage with DEFRA on the possibility of legislation in the UK parliament to restrict the transport of pregnant dogs into the UK, along with other animal welfare measures relating to the transport of pets.

To date, £174,000 of the Scottish Government's £1.5 million investment in the Outer Hebrides Food and Drink Programme has been allocated to Acarsaid Harbour Redevelopment on the Isle of Eriskay and a gear storage facility at Vatersay Pier on the Isle of Vatersay. This will be followed by the release of further funds once we are in receipt of the remaining project business cases from the Island Growth Deal's Programme Management Office and these have been reviewed and endorsed.

Through this package of support, multiple investments will preserve and enhance local markets for traditional fishing industries, enable the sustainable development of the primary food production industries in the Outer Hebrides in a socio-economic context by developing local food and drink markets and respond to sectoral opportunities linked to product diversification. This will build economic resilience, community wealth and well-being by supporting communities and businesses across the Outer Hebrides throughout the Island Growth Deal's ten-year lifespan and beyond.