Chamber and committees

As Scottish Government functions have increased and matured, the volume and complexity of outsourced work has also evolved. This work is procured and we are now utilising the third iteration of a framework providing Legal Services to the Scottish Government and the wider public sector. The figures provided in the table set out how much the Scottish Government has spent through those frameworks and the breakdown of costs to each legal firm. We do not centrally gather information on the department spend as there is no business requirement to do. We have interpreted the question as legal costs incurred for outsourced legal work.

As with all decisions on the use of public funding the authorisation to meet costs would be cleared at the appropriate level within the organisation.

The information requested is not held centrally by Scottish Government.

The Scottish Government has no functions in relation to the windfall tax. The oil and gas fiscal regime - including the Energy Profits Levy or "windfall tax" - are wholly reserved to the UK Government, as are decisions on how to spend the revenues raised.

As Scottish Government functions have increased and matured, the volume and complexity of outsourced legal work has also evolved. This work is procured and we are now utilising the third iteration of a framework providing Legal Services to the Scottish Government and the wider public sector. The current Legal Services Framework is divided into 6 Lots by subject matter:

Food Standards Scotland is not responsible for investigating local incidents of foodborne illness which are potentially linked to restaurants and takeaway outlets. Investigations of sporadic cases of gastrointestinal illnesses, including those suspected to have been caused by food, are led by NHS Health Boards with support from the relevant environmental health departments, which have responsibility for taking appropriate action where a particular food business may be implicated. FSS will become involved in the investigation of these incidents when they involve meat processing businesses for which FSS is the enforcing authority, in circumstances where the implicated food has been distributed across a number of Local Authority areas, or when there has been an outbreak of illness (multiple cases of foodborne illness) which has extended nationally or has the potential to result in a serious public health risk. Where a national outbreak is detected a multi-agency response may be convened through an incident management team involving Public Health Scotland (PHS) and NHS Health Boards (which lead the epidemiological investigations), and Local Authorities and FSS (which lead the food chain investigations). In this situation FSS will ensure the traceability of implicated products and support Local Authorities in their enquiries and sampling activities aimed at identifying the source of the outbreak.

Further information on the management of outbreaks of foodborne illness in Scotland can be found in the guidance document which has been developed by FSS and PHS through the Public Health Protection Network (SHPN); in collaboration with experts from local authorities, Health Boards, Clinical Reference Laboratories, and Public Analyst Scientific Services: Guidance on the management of outbreaks of foodborne illness in Scotland | Food Standards Scotland

The following table provides the detail of Local Authority enforcement actions that have resulted in business closure. The data relates to the use of Hygiene Emergency Prohibition Notices, Hygiene Emergency Prohibition Orders and Voluntary Closures.

The Food Information to Consumers Regulation 1169/2011 sets mandatory food labelling requirements such as a list of ingredients, allergen information and that information must be accurate and not mislead the consumer, which apply to most prepacked foods including plant-based foods. Food Standards Scotland (FSS) recognises that plant-based foods have become more popular recently and are therefore considering the need for updating guidance to support labelling practices in this area.

Where plant-based and alternative protein products fall under the Regulated products remit, they will go through rigorous pre-market safety and risk analysis before sale in Scotland and across GB. The results of this analysis will inform FSS' risk management recommendations to Scottish Ministers, which may include additional labelling requirements for these products.

Since 2018, FSS investigations into food fraud have resulted in varying penalties being imposed including imprisonment and fines. One sentence of 4 years imprisonment was imposed with the sentence reduced to three years on appeal. in relation to the supply of 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP) to the public. The sentence was reduced to three years on appeal. A proceeds of Crime Confiscation Order was imposed for £31050.

3 offences under the Food Hygiene (Scotland) Regulations 2006 at Food Standards Scotland (FSS) approved premises and fined a total of £4,000 with £175 surcharge.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-34203 on 27 February 2025. 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