Chamber and committees

The provision of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for firefighters is an operational matter for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS). SFRS is responsible for ensuring that appropriate PPE is available to support firefighters in carrying out their duties safely, including when responding to wildfire incidents.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service has published its analysis of its public consultation on the changes proposed in the Service Delivery Review. This is available on the SFRS website.

My officials completed a scoping exercise and considered evidence on: accommodation conditions and the results of engagement with farm employers, local authorities, Scotland’s Rural College, the Workers Support Centre and the National Farmers Union of Scotland.

Following consideration of this work, the previous Cabinet Secretary for Housing wrote to COSLA on 13 March 2026 stating her expectations that local authorities should use the powers granted them to introduce byelaws suited to their areas and the specific circumstances relating to seasonal workers in their area’.

These powers are given to local authorities in Section 315 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 1987.

Following the letter being sent, an initial meeting took place between officials and COSLA to reiterate the Scottish Government’s expectations.

The previous Cabinet Secretary for Housing wrote to COSLA on 13 March 2026 setting out the Scottish Government’s expectations regarding use of Section 315 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 1987 by local authorities.

Officials have discussed the Scottish Government’s expectations of local authorities with COSLA, specifically Section 315 which sets out the duty on local authorities to provide proper accommodation for seasonal workers.

The potential impacts of pumped-storage hydro developments on wild Atlantic salmon populations are assessed and considered as part of the statutory consenting and environmental assessment processes for individual proposals, including section 36 (Electricity Act 1989) consenting for projects over 50 mega-watts, Environmental Impact Assessment, Habitats Regulations Appraisal where required, and SEPA’s environmental authorisation process.

In determining section 36 applications, Scottish Ministers must, so far as possible, avoid causing injury to fisheries or fish stocks and obtain SEPA’s advice where regulated water activities are involved. Where an appropriate assessment is required under regulation 48 of the Conservation (Natural Habitats, &c.) Regulations 1994, the Scottish Ministers must consult NatureScot and have regard to its representations.

Where relevant, decision-makers will also have regard to National Planning Framework 4 policies on biodiversity, natural places and renewable energy development alongside the statutory consenting and environmental assessment processes.

Separately, pumped-storage hydro schemes require environmental authorisation from SEPA for activities affecting the water environment. SEPA assesses impacts, including those on wild fish stocks, hydrology and morphology, and may impose conditions requiring mitigation and monitoring. These processes support delivery of the Wild Salmon Strategy by helping to avoid or reduce additional pressures on freshwater habitats, migration routes and wild smolt production, including cumulative effects. SEPA is also consulting on draft guidance setting out the environmental information, assessment and mitigation expected for storage and pumped-storage hydropower schemes.

While escaped farmed fish do not always result in impacts on wild populations, the Scottish Government recognises that fish farm escapes have the potential to adversely affect wild salmon through interbreeding (genetic introgression) and competition. As with any development activity, some impacts can be expected, which is why Scotland’s regulatory framework is designed to minimise the risk of escapes and mitigate potential effects. This includes assessment by local authorities through the fish farm consenting process and ongoing regulatory oversight, including monitoring and inspection of containment measures by the Scottish Government Fish Health Inspectorate.

Importantly, this analysis quantified the magnitude of introgression effects at national and regional scales, but not the impacts of introgression on wild salmon populations.

I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-02523 on 15 September 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.

Our existing introgression monitoring undertaken between 2018 and 2023 was consistent with the recommendation as set out in the recently published paper “that future studies place equal weight on the development of genetic methods and obtaining representative and interpretable samples of wild fish populations, making use of the latest approaches for survey design on river networks”. The Scottish Government will consider the wider findings of this research as it relates to any future monitoring programmes.

I wrote to the convener of the Rural Affairs Committee on 4 September setting out the Government's position on historic rights to ferry. The letter can be read at the following link: https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/committees/current-and-previous-committees/session-7/rural-affairs-committee/correspondence/2026/glenelg-and-kylerhea-ferry-service

Fish farm escapes pose a risk to wild salmon populations through interbreeding (genetic introgression) and competition. Scotland’s regulatory framework is designed to minimise the risk of escapes and ensure that any potential environmental impacts are fully assessed through the consenting process.

While the Scottish Government has no current plans to take specific action in response to this paper, it builds on our first national assessment of introgression, published in 2023, by applying a new spatial analysis to quantify levels of introgression at both national and regional scales for the first time.

Research and monitoring of this kind are important for improving our understanding of the extent, distribution and trends of introgression in wild salmon populations over time, helping to inform the development of future policy and regulation. This includes the delivery of a new Technical Standard for Scottish Finfish Aquaculture in 2027-28.

Escapes of farmed fish are not in the interests of the sector, the environment or wider stakeholders, and we expect continued progress in reducing escape incidents.

Recipients of public funding associated with delivery of the Life Sciences Strategy for Scotland 2035 Vision are not required to demonstrate consideration of the 3Rs principles solely as a condition of that funding. The Strategy is intended to support growth, innovation and competitiveness across the life sciences sector. Any requirements relating to animal use in scientific procedures are governed separately under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.