Chamber and committees

We have reviewed the report referred to in the question but have been unable to identify the working group to which the member refers. Consequently, we are unable to provide information on ministerial participation in meetings of that group or any associated meeting minutes

I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-03607 on 6 October 2026. 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 UK Marine Strategy Part 2: UK updated monitoring programmes available at:

Marine strategy part two: UK marine monitoring programmes - GOV.UK outlines monitoring programmes across the UK intended to inform assessments of Good Environmental Status in UK waters. Monitoring undertaken through these programmes contributes to the UK Marine Strategy assessment and often supports wider international obligations, including those arising from the OSPAR Convention.

NHS Grampian has advised that work to extend opioid replacement therapy provision within its police custody estate continues, with implementation at Elgin Custody Suite now nearing completion and arrangements currently planned to go live during November 2026. Once implemented, detainees who require ORT, including methadone, will be able to receive treatment while detained at Elgin Custody Suite. A Forensic Medical Examiner remains available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to support all three custody suites across Grampian.

I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-03607 on 6 October 2026. 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.

Management measures in protected areas are listed in the current UK Marine Strategy Part 3: 2025 UK Programme of Measures. The programme of measures was developed through collaboration amongst the UK government and devolved administrations with input from scientific experts and policy makers and drawing on the information set out in other parts of UKMS. A copy of the current programme of measures can be found at Marine Strategy part three: 2025 UK programme of measures.

A Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) has been published as part of the consultation process. Whilst it does not quantify the contribution of individual management options towards achieving Good Environmental Status (GES) for benthic habitats or seafloor integrity, or any residual gap that may remain within the UK marine strategy area, it provides a high-level assessment of the likely environmental effects of the management options.

The Scottish Government is pleased to note the UK Government’s call for evidence on gamebirds. We have a Programme for Government Commitment to consult on phasing out cages for gamebirds and had originally intended to work jointly with the UK Government on this issue via the Kept Animals Bill. Unfortunately due to upheaval in the UK Government at the time, the Bill failed and joint work on a number of welfare issues was not progressed. We therefore issued our own call for evidence in 2024 and are considering our next steps.

The Scottish Government is pleased to note the UK Government’s call for evidence on gamebirds. We have a Programme for Government Commitment to consult on phasing out cages for gamebirds and will consider carefully any future policy proposals from Defra before deciding whether to consult jointly on the issue.

The Scottish Government considers that consultees have sufficient information to provide informed views on the management options presented. The consultation is supported by a range of assessments, including a Strategic Environmental Assessment and a Socio-Economic Impact Assessment, which set out the likely environmental, social and economic effects of the proposals and the evidence underpinning those assessments.

The Socio-Economic Impact Assessment (SEIA) assesses the potential economic and social impacts of the proposed fisheries management measures and proposed PMF management areas. It focuses on current fishing activity, including landings, employment and fishing effort data, to estimate the effects of the proposed measures at site level for MPAs and at a regional level for proposed PMF management areas.

The assessment primarily considers economic impacts on commercial fishing activities, social impacts on individuals, communities and society, impacts on ecosystem services and economic impacts on the public sector.

The methodology follows the Scottish Government’s guidance for undertaking SEIAs for MPAs in inshore waters, which was co-developed through stakeholder engagement. In assessing each management option, the SEIA considers the extent to which fishing activity may be displaced and whether affected vessels may be able to continue operating elsewhere without significant economic, environmental or social impacts.

The purpose of the SEIA is to assess the reasonably foreseeable impacts of the proposed management measures on existing activities. It was not designed to model future sectoral transition scenarios or predict the extent to which fishers may adopt alternative fishing methods.

The SEIA focuses on assessing the reasonably foreseeable impacts of the proposed measures on existing fishing activities, rather than modelling potential future transition pathways within the sector.

As part of the Sustainability Appraisal, a Socio-Economic Impact Assessment (SEIA) was undertaken to assess the potential social and economic effects of the proposed fisheries management measures. The assessment was undertaken in line with Scottish Government guidance for undertaking SEIAs for Marine Protected Areas in inshore waters, which was co-developed through stakeholder engagement, and considered both the potential costs and benefits associated with the proposals.

Economic impacts on existing fishing activity were quantified where robust evidence was available, including information on fishing effort, vessel activity, landings, employment and Gross Value Added. Potential benefits associated with ecological recovery and wider ecosystem services were also considered within the assessment. However, these benefits were assessed primarily on a qualitative basis due to uncertainty regarding the scale and timing of environmental change, the value of associated ecosystem service improvements, and how fishers may respond to management measures over time.

The purpose of the SEIA was to assess the reasonably foreseeable impacts of the proposed management measures on existing activities. It was not designed to model future sectoral transition scenarios or predict the extent to which fishers may switch between different fishing methods. While opportunities for some static gear fisheries may arise where mobile demersal gears are restricted, the scale and nature of any such transition cannot currently be assessed with sufficient certainty to support robust quantitative analysis.