Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government is aware of the increased number of fires linked to lithium-ion batteries, as highlighted by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS). Lithium-ion battery use has increased, particularly as we transition to net zero emissions, and it is important to ensure proper use, storage, disposal and recycling of these batteries as highlighted by SFRS in their recent public awareness campaign on this issue.

SFRS continues to work in collaboration with key partners to ensure the highest level of preparedness for potential incidents involving lithium-ion batteries. In the event of incidents involving these batteries in domestic premises or in recycling facilities, SFRS have the ability to deploy a range of resources that can be utilised by the highly skilled crews to successfully bring incidents to a safe conclusion

The quarterly review which forms part of the Scottish Government’s Assurance cycle to ensure public bodies are operating efficiently and effectively includes an assessment of performance and identifies any areas that may require to be monitored.

This does not reflect Scottish Government policy, which is set out in our national guidance on exclusion ‘Included, Engaged and Involved Part 2: a positive approach to preventing and managing school exclusions.’

The Scottish Government continues to closely monitor and assess the direct and indirect impacts of new US goods tariffs, and is working closely with our enterprise agencies, the UK Government, and the business community, to assess the implications and consequences for the Scottish economy and businesses. Information for businesses on US tariffs can be found at https://findbusinesssupport.gov.scot/usa-tariffs

We will continue to promote the export growth of Scottish businesses in both current and emerging markets as they find a way through this challenging time.

In recognition of the significant impact of tariffs on both the Scottish and UK economy, the First Minister has called on the UK Government to provide additional measures and economic support in response.

Information on assaults on teachers is not held centrally as, under the Education (Scotland) Act 1980, education is the responsibility of local authorities.

The biennial Attendance, Absence and Exclusions data collection gathers data on the number and reasons recorded for temporary or permanent exclusions from schools. These data show that there were 1,281 cases of exclusion (temporary or permanent) from publicly funded schools in Scotland during 2022-23 where the reason recorded was either ‘physical assault using improvised weapon against staff’, ‘physical assault using weapon against staff’ or ‘physical assault with no weapon against staff’.

Local authorities have the statutory responsibility for delivering education and for ensuring that those pupils identified with an additional support need, are fully supported to learn. Work is underway through the Additional Support for Learning Action Plan to improve the consistency of all communications regarding additional support for learning. This includes the data that is recorded and published.

The information requested is not held centrally. However, data are available on the number of businesses operating in Scotland that are rest of the UK owned and Abroad owned. These estimates, sourced from the Businesses in Scotland 2024 publication, are shown in the following table.

Table 1: Registered businesses operating in Scotland, Rest of the UK and Abroad owned, 2010 to 2024

There can be no doubt that the tariffs that have been imposed by the United States will cause damage to the global, UK and Scottish economies. The USA is the most valuable export market by far for Scotch Whisky, worth £971m in 2024 (18% of total Scotch Whisky exports by value). The USA imported nearly $12 billion worth of distilled spirits in 2024, with Mexico ($5.4 bn), France ($2.1 bn) and the UK ($1.8 bn) being the largest trading partners by value. Scotch Whisky is subject to the 10% baseline tariff which may be passed through to higher prices for US consumers and weaken demand. Additionally, the uncertainty in future global trading arrangements more broadly is widely expected to lead to weaker growth, higher inflation, financial market instability and increased borrowing costs which could impact consumer confidence generally and impact demand for Scotch Whisky. We will continue to closely monitor and assess the impact of US tariff policy on Scotland’s exports across key sectors, including Scotch Whisky.

There are no legal mechanisms in place to mandate the use of ScotAccount for access to public services.

ScotAccount meets the Scottish Government’s legal obligations and requirements under data protection law. Throughout the development of ScotAccount, we have engaged with the Scottish Government’s Data Protection Officer, who is responsible for data protection assurance and compliance. We have used Data Protection Impact Assessments as part of ScotAccount product development, which are reviewed regularly to monitor the use of data held within the system to ensure individuals’ rights are protected. We have also engaged with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), directly and as part of the Scottish Government’s Digital Identity Expert Group, which includes an ICO representative member.