Chamber and committees

We are unable to provide this information in the format requested. The various agencies involved in the regulation of aquaculture which includes finfish, shellfish and seaweed sectors, undertake a wide range of duties in relation to aquaculture including governance, policy development, research and supporting Ministers.

The Scottish Government is currently developing the mandatory planning training for elected members. This includes commissioned research by Planning Aid Scotland to inform the development of the content and roll-out of the training, working with stakeholders in the creation of a training package and piloting and evaluation of the training. This is to ensure the end product meets policy objectives to build trust and confidence in the planning system and to ensure the effective implementation of the mandatory training. The Regulations will be brought forward following the completion of this work, which is scheduled for 2026, to be ready in advance of the Scottish Local Government elections in May 2027. In the meantime, based on a survey that was completed at the start of the year, by Heads of Planning Scotland, a high number of Councillors receive planning training at the local level.

The Scottish Government wrote to the Rural Affairs and Islands Committee (RAIC) on 13 March 2025 committing to explore how to gain greater insights into cleaner fish health and welfare outcomes, as part of our overall response to the RAIC’s report on salmon farming in Scotland, and through delivery of our Vision for Sustainable Aquaculture. We will provide an update to the RAIC in due course.

We intend to publish this report in autumn this year.

Owners and occupiers of land within an SSSI must apply to NatureScot for consent to carry out certain operations. When a planning application is submitted in relation to a development that may affect an SSSI, the planning authority must consult NatureScot and take its advice into account. Should any proposed future use of land require planning permission, that would be a matter for the planning authority to consider under relevant planning legislation and policy.

We are continuing to progress a Nature Conservation Order to prevent further damage to the Parallel Roads of Lochaber Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), as per the answer to question S6W-37759 on 30 May 2025.

ICES statistical rectangle is the finest spatial resolution data that the Scottish Government hold on the number of individual wrasse extracted from an area. ICES statistical rectangles are approximately 30 nautical miles by 30 nautical miles in size.

Loch Sunart is contained within ICES statistical rectangle 42E4 along with other areas of sea. Therefore, it is not possible to deduce the number of individual wrasse specifically taken from Loch Sunart.

Wild wrasse fishing activity is not currently authorised in Sunart Special Area of Conservation.

The Parliament email system receives approximately 700,000 email messages sent to Members every month, and like every modern organisation, the Parliament utilises automated tools to identify and manage unsolicited email messages including ransomware, phishing and spam emails. 

With the automated tools we use we have a high degree of confidence that the email messages identified are spam emails or contain harmful content such as viruses or ransomware. These messages will then be blocked automatically and not delivered to Members mailboxes.  Messages automatically identified as spam email, but with a lower level of confidence are delivered to the quarantine area where they can be viewed and released if appropriate.

The SPCB recognises that releasing quarantined email is challenging for their staff who have delegate access to a Members mailbox due to the way our email system works.  We have raised our concerns with the supplier and our officials are investigating ways of best managing the issue.

We have not had any engagement with OSCR concerning the proposed sale of Armadale Castle and estate by the Clan Donald Lands Trust.

Charities and OSCR are independent of government, and so it would not be appropriate for Scottish Ministers to intervene in any complaints that have been submitted.

While Improving Public Access (IPA) is not currently included in Agri-Environment Climate Scheme (AECS) or Tier 3 of the Agricultural Reform Programme (ARP), the historical impact of the scheme is acknowledged, with over £12 million committed to 181 contracts between 2015 and 2022. No final decision has yet been taken regarding the future of IPA grants or their inclusion within the new Tier 3 of ARP. The design of the future rural support framework is still ongoing, and while the focus of Tier 3 will be on delivering the outcomes set out in the Vision for Agriculture, this does not preclude consideration of how access improvements might be supported through alternative mechanisms.

The Scottish Government uses a variety of systems for different purposes. One of these is Scotland’s Land Information Service, created and maintained by Registers of Scotland, which provides online access to information on land and property in Scotland for both public and business users. Enhancements since the service first launched have included access to a Crofting Register layer, an Aerial photography map layer, the Sasines Register indicative ownership layer, the Books of Council & Session, the Register of Judgements, the Register of Inhibitions and National Library Scotland’s Historic Maps

The Scottish Assessors maintain the Council Tax Valuation List and the Valuation Roll which sets out the rateable value of non-domestic land and heritages unless they are statutorily exempt. As set out in the recent Scottish Budget and Scotland’s Tax Strategy: Building on our Tax Principles, we are taking forward work with the Scottish Land Commission which includes exploration of opportunities for improved data collection, data analysis and data publication to better inform decision making regarding tax and land.

Information relating to agricultural subsidies is published by Defra on behalf of the Scottish Government and can be accessed here: https://cap-payments.defra.gov.uk/Default.aspx.