Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government is engaging constructively with all relevant stakeholders to support considered and informed discussion on our draft proposals, and we are consulting on those proposals before any decisions are taken. The consultation seeks views and evidence from retailers, producers, consumers and other stakeholders on the potential benefits, risks and unintended consequences of any food price cap scheme, including methods of ensuring compliance and enforcement of any regulatory regime.

Ministers were advised on 10 July that evidence returns were slower than expected and agreed to extend the deadline to 30 September. At that point, only 552 of 1,750 beneficiaries, 32%, had submitted evidence. No verification backlog or processing capacity concern had been identified at that stage.

The pressure arose subsequently as evidence submissions became concentrated over a short period. Of the 765 cases received by the end of July, 712, 93%, assessments have now either been completed or are under review.

We do not consider that the current position demonstrates a failure to learn lessons from previous schemes. Grants were paid in advance specifically to give businesses the cash flow to make the approved investments. However, 557 beneficiaries, have still to provide evidence that the funded investment was carried out. As of 15 September 2026, 45 completed cases have resulted in recovery of grant (either in whole or in part), totalling £373,444. This demonstrates why the required verification controls must be completed.

I note the interest across the chamber in ELC provision for twins and multiples, and acknowledge the overlap in answers being provided as I ensure members receive prompt answers on this important matter.

I appreciate that the cost of childcare can be challenging for many families across Scotland, and that there can be an impact on family circumstances as a result of a multiple birth. Every child in Scotland deserves the best start in life, which is why the Scottish Government is committed to eradicating child poverty and giving families the support they need.

Each year since 2021 we have invested around £1 billion in the delivery of high quality ELC to all eligible children and we are continuing to do so in 2026-27. We know high-quality early learning and childcare plays a vital role in improving outcomes for children, particularly those growing up in disadvantaged circumstances, and this is central to our mission to eradicate child poverty.

Within the current offer, local authorities have discretionary powers which provide them with the flexibility to offer access to funded ELC to a wider range of childcare and families, as they see fit, according to local needs and priorities.

With respect to future plans, we are seeking to transform Scotland’s childcare offer to better support families with the cost of childcare, for children from 9 months to the end of primary school. As Parliament agreed in May, this is a priority, and must be informed by learning from the expansion to 1140 hours and the voices of those who use and deliver childcare in Scotland. This includes families with multiple births.

Our Programme for Government set out our intention to publish and consult on a blueprint for the future, building on learning from the last ten years of childcare design and delivery. This will be published next year, and I would encourage anyone with an interest, including families with multiple births, to participate in this consultation.

While there is no legal mechanism to take into account the cultural significance of the guga hunt when considering licence applications, the cultural importance of this activity has been recognised both by the Scottish Government and through the continuing specific provision that exists within the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to enable it to take place, subject to assessment by NatureScot as licensing authority. The Scottish Government has no current plans to change the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to remove this exception.

In considering an application for a licence to take guga, NatureScot must assess any application in accordance with the existing legal framework and based on the most recent scientific evidence. Before granting a licence, NatureScot must conclude that the activity would not adversely affect the integrity of the North Rona and Sula Sgeir Special Protection Area, including the gannet population. Having considered the evidence, NatureScot decided that the licence application for 2026 should be refused due to potential population impacts. This does not prevent future applications from being made, and any such application would be considered in full.

The Scottish Government has established arrangements to respond to and manage confirmed cases of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), working with the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), Food Standards Scotland (FSS) and other relevant partners. These arrangements include epidemiological investigation, movement restrictions where required, tracing of offspring and cohort animals, and the implementation of statutory disease control measures.

These arrangements are activated following confirmation of a BSE case through the statutory surveillance and testing regime. Following confirmation of the recent case in Dumfries and Galloway, established control protocols were implemented and APHA commenced epidemiological investigations.

The Scottish Government remains in regular contact with the UK Government, APHA, FSS and industry representatives on animal health preparedness and disease response matters. Following confirmation of the recent case, officials engaged with relevant partners through established channels to support the implementation of the multi-agency response arrangements and to keep stakeholders informed as investigations progressed.

The affected animal did not enter the human food chain and FSS has confirmed that there is no risk to human health arising from this isolated case. The owners of the affected animals are continuing to work with the relevant authorities as epidemiological investigations progress and any necessary follow-up actions are taken.

Scottish Government have been informed by Veterinary Medicines Directorate that a special imports certificate is in place to allow stocks of BTV3 vaccine into the UK from the EU and this has allowed several million doses to be imported by the end of August 2026.

Scottish Government will continue to work closely with the other UK nations and with vaccine manufacturers to ensure vaccine supplies meet the increasing demand. Scottish Government encourage farmers and vets to start considering vaccination for next season to ensure that practices are ordering sufficient amounts of the vaccine.

The vaccine supply is demand based and as a result there is a delay in the supply being received when there is a large increase in demand, as has been seen in the previous few weeks.

Vaccination remains our best long-term defence, and keepers are being strongly encouraged to discuss this option with their vets and place vaccine orders now to ensure access to supplies.

Scottish Government has published, in partnership with Defra and Welsh Government, the GB Bluetongue Virus Disease Control Strategy. This strategy has been adapted by all three administrations to respond to the current circulation of bluetongue virus serotype 3 (BTV-3).

As part of that strategy a localised Temporary Control Zone (TCZ) was declared in parts of South-West Scotland on 20 August 2026 following the detection of BTV-3 on several holdings in that area. The zone imposes movement controls on susceptible animals to help contain undisclosed pockets of disease within the area whilst surveillance is undertaken. All affected farms were placed under official movement restriction while veterinary investigations are undertaken.

Several animal movement licences have been made available to allow movements on and off premises within the TCZ. These licences aim to provide a balance between disease prevention, and minimise impacts caused by the restrictions such as animal welfare and economic harm. These licences and further information can be found on Bluetongue movement restrictions for animals - Bluetongue: how to spot and report the disease - gov…

Scottish Government also announced the tightening of some controls following a sudden and significant rise in cases in parts of England, reducing the time animals could travel from the free areas of Scotland to a Restricted Zone (RZ) and return again from four days to a single day. Animals arriving in the RZ must be unloaded after sunrise and loaded before sunset.

From 10 September 2026, certain BTV susceptible breeding animals traveling from a RZ area to Scotland to live must be vaccinated with any BTV-3 product and be PCR tested within seven days of the movement with negative results received prior to any movement. Only cattle vaccinated with a vaccine that prevents viremia would be exempt from any testing requirements.

Scottish Government will continue to engage with industry organisations to ensure the control strategy remains fit for purpose and it will be kept under constant review to ensure the right balance between disease control and movement restriction.

Vaccination remains our best long-term defence, and keepers are strongly encouraged to discuss this option with their vets and place vaccine orders now to ensure access to supplies. We continue to work together with other UK nations, manufacturers and distributors to ensure timely access to the vaccine, with more doses being brought in from continental Europe and additional supplies now in production.

The Scottish Government does not support the building of new nuclear power stations under current technologies. New nuclear is expensive, slow to deliver and generates radioactive waste which can remain dangerous for thousands of years.

We are working to deliver a resilient, affordable and clean energy system for the people of Scotland. Scotland’s renewable resource, supported by storage, flexibility and grid investment, offers the quickest route to achieving this.