Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government has no plans at this time to include a review of the regulation of the keeping and sale of exotic animals as pets in the forthcoming Programme for Government.

The Scottish Animal Welfare Commission's final report on exotic pets was published on 11th November 2022, and we will give due consideration to the conclusions of their report in any future policy development work.

On 18 June 2026, the First Minister met with the Anti-Racism Observatory for Scotland (AROS), Article 12 in Scotland, Black and Ethnic Minority Infrastructure Scotland (BEMIS), the Coalition for Racial Equality and Rights (CRER), the Council of Ethnic Minority Voluntary Organisations (CEMVO), and the Scottish Refugee Council (SRC).

Since February 2026, the Scottish Government has had Roundtable meetings with the following funded organisations who support delivery of the Anti-Racism Delivery Plan, published in March 2026:

• Anti-Racism Observatory for Scotland (AROS)
• Article 12 in Scotland
• Black and Ethnic Minority Infrastructure Scotland (BEMIS)
• Coalition for Racial Equality and Rights (CRER)
• Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA)
• Council of Ethnic Minority Voluntary Organisations (CEMVO)
• Intercultural Youth Scotland (IYS)
• Minority Ethnic Carers of People Project (MECOPP)

A Terms of Reference for these Roundtables is being developed collaboratively and will be published once agreed.

Separately, a range of different stakeholder organisations are reflecting shared concerns about the nature and extent of protest activity, disorder and incidents of hate, prejudice and intimidation and their impact on faith communities, adversely racialised communities, people seeking asylum and refugees. This is independent of government and there is not a formal or constituted body as such called the Anti-Racism Coalition. These organisations include:

• Anti-Racism Observatory for Scotland
• Black and Ethnic Minority Infrastructure Scotland (BEMIS)
• Coalition for Racial Equality and Rights (CRER)
• Council of Ethnic Minority Voluntary Organisations (CEMVO)
• Scottish Refugee Council

A range of different stakeholder organisations are reflecting shared concerns about the nature and extent of protest activity, disorder and incidents of hate, prejudice and intimidation and their impact on faith communities, adversely racialised communities, people seeking asylum and refugees. This has been independent of government and there is not a formal or constituted body as such called the Anti-Racism Coalition.

The following organisations that raised concerns represent the diverse experiences of adversely racialised communities in Scotland:

• Anti-Racism Observatory for Scotland
• Black and Ethnic Minority Infrastructure Scotland (BEMIS)
• Coalition for Racial Equality and Rights (CRER)
• Council of Ethnic Minority Voluntary Organisations (CEMVO)

The Scottish Government funds the following organisations who support the delivery of the Anti-Racism Delivery Plan published in March 2026. This is independent of government and there is not a formal or constituted body as such called the Anti-Racism Coalition. These organisations are:

• Anti-Racism Observatory for Scotland (AROS)
• Article 12 in Scotland
• Black and Ethnic Minority Infrastructure Scotland (BEMIS)
• Coalition for Racial Equality and Rights (CRER)
• Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA)
• Council of Ethnic Minority Voluntary Organisations (CEMVO)
• Intercultural Youth Scotland (IYS)
• Minority Ethnic Carers of People Project (MECOPP)

Since February 2026 there have been four Roundtable meetings with these organisations and the Scottish Government. A Terms of Reference for these Roundtables is being developed collaboratively.

Separately, a range of different stakeholder organisations are reflecting shared concerns about the nature and extent of protest activity, disorder and incidents of hate, prejudice and intimidation and their impact on faith communities, adversely racialised communities, people seeking asylum and refugees.

A range of different stakeholder organisations are reflecting shared concerns about the nature and extent of protest activity, disorder and incidents of hate, prejudice and intimidation and their impact on faith communities, adversely racialised communities, people seeking asylum and refugees. This has been independent of government and there is not a formal or constituted body as such called the Anti-Racism Coalition.

A range of different stakeholder organisations are reflecting shared concerns about the nature and extent of protest activity, disorder and incidents of hate, prejudice and intimidation and their impact on faith communities, adversely racialised communities, people seeking asylum and refugees. This is independent of government and there is not a formal or constituted body as such called the Anti-Racism Coalition.

Scottish Ministers confirmed a commitment to consulting on phasing out farrowing crates in a previous Programme for Government. Our new Programme for Government will be published later this year and in the meantime the Scottish Government will continue to work on several key issues in animal welfare, including consulting on the use of farrowing crates in due course.

Operational matters, including health and safety, remain the responsibility of individual institutions, with regulation and enforcement undertaken by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). The Scottish Government engages regularly with the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) on matters relating to the college sector.

In this instance, the SFC has engaged directly with City of Glasgow College and continues to monitor progress through its ongoing monitoring and assurance processes. The Scottish Government understands that City of Glasgow College has accepted the Health and Safety Executive’s findings in full and are implementing all corrective actions identified, which has resulted in the HSE’s intervention being closed.

The SFC will continue to engage with the College and seek updates as part of its ongoing oversight role.

The Scottish Government does not hold this information. Responsibility for health and safety in colleges rests with individual institutions, with enforcement of legislation undertaken by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

As the statutory regulator, the HSE is responsible for investigating concerns, determining compliance with health and safety legislation, and taking any enforcement action where necessary.