Questions and answers

Question reference: S6O-04598

Asked by: Emma Roddick, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 April 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to support and raise awareness of the health passport scheme for people with a learning disability.

Question reference: S6W-36400

Asked by: Emma Roddick, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 22 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of (a) data from the Animal Law Foundation suggesting that there have been no prosecutions or care notices issued regarding welfare issues on fish farms and (b) the recommendation by the Rural Affairs and Islands Committee in its report, Follow-up inquiry into salmon farming in Scotland, what steps it plans to ensure that the (i) fish farming industry fully understands and complies with its legal welfare requirements for farmed fish across their entire lifecycle and (ii) welfare law to protect farmed fish is applied.

The Scottish Government, in its response to the Rural Affairs and Islands Committee (13 March 2025), committed to exploring options for how to best to set welfare standards for production going forward and will update the Committee in September 2025 on progress and next steps.

The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) are responsible for considering welfare complaints and investigating potential breaches in welfare legislation. A lack of prosecution does not equate to a lack of enforcement; actions such as provision of verbal advice, written advice and follow-on visits are also legitimate elements of enforcement.

APHA veterinarians will continue to apply their professional knowledge and training to assess fish welfare against the provisions set out in The Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006, and use a range of evidence when considering whether obligations have been breached.

Question reference: S6W-36396

Asked by: Emma Roddick, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 22 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of (a) concerns that relying only on the non-binding Code of Good Practice for Scottish Finfish Aquaculture has the potential to cause confusion among animal keepers and stakeholders regarding their legal obligations under the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006 and the Welfare of Animals at the Time of Killing (Scotland) Regulations 2012 and (b) the recommendation by the Rural Affairs and Islands Committee in its report, Follow-up inquiry into salmon farming in Scotland, whether it will consult with the industry regarding (i) reviewing or updating the code and (ii) introducing official guidance.

The Code of Good Practice for Scottish Finfish Aquaculture is independent of Scottish Government which is not responsible for any review or updates made to the Code.

The Scottish Government, in its response to the Rural Affairs and Islands Committee (13 March 2025), has committed to exploring options for how to best to set welfare standards for production going forward and will update the Committee in September 2025 on progress and next steps. Appropriate stakeholder engagement will be undertaken as part of this work.

We are currently developing guidance for the welfare of farmed fish at the time of slaughter taking into account the recommendations made in the UK Animal Welfare Committee report of 2014 and its updated opinion of 2023. We will engage with the industry and other stakeholders, including animal welfare organisations, for their views at the appropriate stage.

Question reference: S6O-04548

Asked by: Emma Roddick, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 April 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it is ensuring that its work to support and promote Scotland's arts and culture is geographically spread and representative.

Question reference: S6W-35949

Asked by: Emma Roddick, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 3 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the findings and recommendations in the Shelter Scotland report, In Their Own Words: Children’s Experiences in Temporary Accommodation, whether it will improve guidance on Education Maintenance Allowance policies so that children experiencing homelessness do not lose this benefit when their ability to fulfil the terms of their learning agreement, such as on attendance, is compromised by their housing situation.

The Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) guidance is revised annually to set guidelines for local authorities and colleges to deliver the programme effectively and fairly; whilst using their own discretion in line with both local and national policy. It encourages flexibility in the local administration arrangements for vulnerable young people including those experiencing homelessness.

The Scottish Government encourages delivery partners to continue working collaboratively when considering a young persons’ personal circumstances and their eligibility to receive an EMA award. However, in light of this report, the Scottish Government will ensure the next version issued for AY 2025-26 includes strengthened guidance on applying flexibility in attendance specifically for those who are experiencing homelessness.

Question reference: S6W-35950

Asked by: Emma Roddick, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 1 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to complete phase 1 of the Aviemore to Carrbridge non-motorised user route as soon as possible, in light of a petition from the local community emphasising the need for the section to be finished in order to enable safer active travel.

The Scottish Government is committed to promoting active travel throughout Scotland and we are working with our partners in the Cairngorms National Park Authority and The Highland Council to progress the Aviemore to Carrbridge Non-Motorised User (ACNMU) scheme

Transport Scotland has committed to include the proposed ACNMU scheme in the A9 Dualling construction programme as part of the nearby Dalraddy to Slochd project providing all the statutory consents and the necessary land are in place for the ACNMU project.

A planning application for this 9km active travel route was submitted to The Highland Council on 31 March 2025. Progression of the ACNMU scheme, either in part or whole, can only commence if approved under the relevant statutory authorisation procedures and thereafter a timetable for delivery can be set.

Question reference: S6W-35951

Asked by: Emma Roddick, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 1 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to the formation of a joint working group, consisting of government and aerospace industry representatives, to discuss the adoption of hybrid electric technology, particularly in regards to airline routes in the Highlands and Islands.

The Scottish Government’s Aviation Statement explicitly calls for a more positive and constructive conversation about aviation and its many benefits, while committing to working with the sector on decarbonisation.

The Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity recently attended the first meeting of the Sustainable Aviation Scotland Group, which involves several senior aviation stakeholders, to encourage greater collaboration on reducing aviation emissions.

A Ministerial roundtable will be held this year to discuss the infrastructure required to enable electric and hydrogen flight, which is expected to be particularly suitable for the Highlands and Islands. Final arrangements are being made but the roundtable will include stakeholders from across the aviation sector.

Question reference: S6W-35948

Asked by: Emma Roddick, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 31 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the findings and recommendations in the Shelter Scotland report, In Their Own Words: Children’s Experiences in Temporary Accommodation, what steps it will take to ensure that families in temporary accommodation do not face additional financial penalties as a result of becoming homeless.

The Scottish Government is taking wide-ranging action to support low income families and to help those in temporary accommodation to live dignified lives.

As part of over £3 billion of investment to tackle poverty and the cost of living for families in 2025-26, we have committed £644 million in our package of benefits and payments only available in Scotland. Among these, the Scottish Child Payment is forecast to be supporting the families of around 333,000 children. We are also continuing to invest around £1 billion a year to provide 1,140 hours of funded early learning and childcare to all three and four year olds and eligible two year olds, helping children to get the best start in life and parents to work and earn more, and supporting families through free bus travel for all under 22s, and free school meal provision for all children in primaries 1 to 5.

We have committed to strengthening the support available to families by further expanding free school meal provision, investing to enable the expansion of breakfast clubs across Scotland, and by developing the systems needed to scrap the impact of the two-child cap by April 2026.

In 2025-26, the Scottish Government will allocate at least £15.8 million for the provision of free income maximisation support, welfare and debt advice, an increase on our allocation for these services in 2024-25.

Scottish Government modelling, published on 27 March 2025, showed that on average, households with children in the poorest 10% of households are estimated to be £2,600 a year better off in 2025-26 as result of Scottish Government policies, with this value projected to grow to an average of £3,700 a year by 2029-30.

A household offered temporary accommodation can be asked to pay a reasonable charge for any accommodation provided directly by the local authority, or a reasonable amount for accommodation supplied by another provider but paid for by the local authority. In deciding what is reasonable, the local authority should take account of the household’s earnings and what the household can afford to pay.

If the household has no income or a low income, the local authority must help the applicant apply for Housing Benefit to help cover the cost of temporary accommodation.

We recognise that there are other costs households may face when living in temporary accommodation, including travel, energy and household equipment costs.

The Scottish Government funds local authorities to administer and disburse the Scottish Welfare Fund. The fund provides emergency support and a lifeline to people in need, through crisis grants to help meet immediate short-term needs arising from exceptional circumstances and community care grants to help eligible people establish or maintain a settled home.

Question reference: S6W-35947

Asked by: Emma Roddick, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 31 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recommendations in the Shelter Scotland report, In Their Own Words: Children’s Experiences in Temporary Accommodation, whether it will ensure that homelessness legislation is brought within the scope of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Section 6 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Incorporation) (Scotland) Act 2024 makes it unlawful for a public authority to act, or to fail to act, in a way that is incompatible with the UNCRC requirements. The section 6 compatibility duty in that Act applies when a public authority is delivering functions conferred by or under an Act of the Scottish Parliament or common law. All of the free standing provisions in the Housing (Scotland) Bill and those provisions that amend Acts of the Scottish Parliament will be in scope for this compatibility duty. This includes protections for tenants and provisions to help prevent homelessness.

There are some provisions on homelessness that are conferred by Acts of the UK Parliament. As housing is devolved to the Scottish Parliament, it would be possible to bring these provisions into the scope of the section 6 compatibility duty by re-enacting them in Acts of the Scottish Parliament. (The same is true of all devolved measures that are conferred by Acts of the UK Parliament.) However, that would be a time-consuming task that would have a significant impact on the Scottish Parliament’s law-making capacity.

Our hope is that, through engagement with the UK Government, there may be a more straightforward way of extending the reach of the compatibility duty in the UNCRC Act (and other future human rights protections), which would not require the re-enactment of individual Acts of the UK Parliament. Next steps are being considered.

Question reference: S6O-04513

Asked by: Emma Roddick, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 March 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it is engaging with Highlands and Islands communities on the future of land reform policy.

Chamber and committees