Chamber and committees

As this is an application which may come before Scottish Ministers for determination, it would not be appropriate to comment on the specific merits of the proposal.

There has been no interruption to the payment of grants awarded through the Crofting Agricultural Grant Scheme (CAGS). Funds can only be released once the successful applicants have completed the works and submitted their claim, which is then assessed by scheme officials.

Payments to CAGS claimants are issued once a week. The most recent payments were made on 18 August 2026.

The Scottish Government supports the safeguarding of Scotland's cultural heritage through a range of policies, funding programmes and public bodies. Through Scotland's historic environment strategy, Our Past, Our Future, partners across the heritage sector work to sustain and enhance the benefits of the historic environment for communities throughout Scotland, including rural and island communities. The strategy emphasises strengthening community participation, supporting resilient places and recognising the contribution that heritage makes to wellbeing and identity, as well as in the local economy.

The Scottish Government has not undertaken an assessment on the impact that this decision may have on this longstanding tradition in the Western Isles. The hunt is specifically provided for in section 16(2) of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (“the 1981 Act”). This activity can only be done under licence, and in accordance with the terms of a licence issued by NatureScot.

One of the main criteria for issuing a licence under Section 16(2) of 1981 Act is that in considering an application for a licence, NatureScot gives consideration as to whether the hunt is sustainable, and by that, whether the activity would have an adverse effect on the conservation status of the species concerned, namely gannets. NatureScot took the decision to refuse a licence was based on what they believed to be the most up-to-date science available and NatureScot concluded that issuing a licence for even 500 gannet chicks this year would likely have an adverse impact on the Sula Sgeir gannet population.

The Scottish Government has no plans to delay the introduction of the muirburn licensing scheme which is due to come into effect on 15 September 2026.

We published our Strategic Action Plan on Wildfires in March 2026 which sets out that prevention, however, is much broader than muirburn, and should form an integral part of land management generally. In most circumstances, wildfire prevention will be made up of multiple aspects. That may include muirburn, where that is relevant to the land type and local circumstances. The Scottish Government is clear that land managers are therefore a foundation of wildfire prevention.

In relation to the role of muirburn practices in preventing wildfires, the Scottish Government will continue to work with NatureScot, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and other relevant partners to consider available evidence on wildfire risk and land management practice. In addition to this, NatureScot will monitor the operation of the licensing system, including any issues arising from licence applications, licence conditions, compliance activity and stakeholder feedback.

Further to my engagement with the sector, I announced on 10 July that the Scottish Government would provide £2 million of direct support to independent Scottish pig producers who have been hit hardest by the market pressures. The Scottish pig Producers Support Scheme opened to applications on 15 July. The support will cover losses between what farmers were paid, and 85% of the Standard Pig Price, between March and August 2026. This vital funding, which is only available in Scotland, will help protect local jobs, sustain Scotland’s pork supply chain, safeguard the Prime Scottish Pork brand, and protect the production of high-quality, high welfare, locally produced food.

I have also written to the UK Government calling for urgent action to support the pig industry, including following our example and increasing resources and investment to improve biosecurity at our borders to prevent diseases such as African Swine Fever entering the country, which have exacerbated the price issues facing the sector.

We will continue to work with the sector through these challenging times.

The European flag is flown daily outside the Scottish Parliament in accordance with the SPCB’s flag-flying policy. That policy follows from Motion S5M-20625, agreed by the Parliament on 29 January 2020, which directed the SPCB to ensure that the European flag continued to fly daily at the Parliament building. The motion recorded that the flag had been flown at Holyrood since 2004 as a symbol of membership of the family of European nations; noted that the flag was originally the flag of the Council of Europe and that Scotland and the UK would continue to be represented within the Council of Europe; affirmed commitment to democracy, human rights, the rule of law and diversity; and recognised continuing to fly the flag as a sign of support and solidarity with EU nationals who have made Scotland their home.

The SPCB will be reviewing the flag flying policy later this year. In determining the policy or considering any changes to it, the SPCB will take into account your feedback as well as any relevant resolutions or directions to it from the Parliament.

I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-01172 on 10 July 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.

I refer the member to the answers to questions (a) S6W-40567 on 29 September 2025 and (b) S7W-00862 on 11 June 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.

The Scottish Government has had no discussions with the UK Government regarding the findings of its technical report.

The report is a high-level technical desktop study about the in-principle suitability of sites in Scotland.

It provides no new information or evidence that would change the Government’s long-standing opposition to the development of new nuclear power stations in Scotland.

The Scottish Government remains opposed to the development of new nuclear power stations in Scotland under current technologies and has therefore not undertaken any such discussions with the UK Government.