Chamber and committees

Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) manage 204,782 hectares of woodland within the rainforest zone, of which 17,960 hectares are considered to be rainforest habitat, or of high potential to be restored to rainforest habitat. These consist of PlantLife IPA, and other areas of ancient woodland sites. Within the Rainforest zone 13,297 hectares of Scotland’s National Forests and Land are classified as plantations on ancient woodland sites (PAWS).

FLS will begin restoration of up to 780 hectares of priority rainforest area this year in Cowal, Argyll (Kintyre & West Loch Awe), Loch Lomond Basin, Wester Ross. Activity will include INNS control, PAWS restoration and deer management.

It is anticipated natural colonisation will occur within PAWS under restoration and generally throughout rainforest habitat following a reduction in deer densities, buffering zones for natural colonisation are being planned within Land Management Plans.

Clinical decisions taken in NHS Scotland hospitals are not a matter for the Scottish Government.

Decisions must be taken in line with established professional accountabilities which are in place for NHS Scotland.

Decisions to discharge any patients from medical care in a hospital setting are subject to individual clinical decisions based on an appropriate risk assessment. The wishes of the patient must be considered with regards to informing relatives of their reason for admission.

However, Scottish Government does have an expectation that vulnerability is taken into account prior to discharge and that where appropriate known family is contacted.

Clinical decisions taken in NHS Scotland hospitals are not a matter for the Scottish Government.

Decisions must be taken in line with established professional accountabilities which are in place for NHS Scotland.

Decisions to discharge any patients from medical care in a hospital setting are subject to individual clinical decisions based on an appropriate risk assessment. The wishes of the patient must be considered with regards to informing relatives of their reason for admission.

Responsibility for managing the police estate is for the Chief Constable under Scottish Police Authority (SPA) scrutiny. It is for Police Scotland to consult on the details of its planned estate changes, as approved by the SPA.

The Scottish Government has had no discussions with (a) North Lanarkshire Council, (b) South Lanarkshire Council and (c) Falkirk Council regarding police station closures, since 1 April 2023.

This is not a reduction in the Scottish Government's funding awarded to Creative Scotland. Over the last five years, the Scottish Government has provided over £33m to Creative Scotland to compensate for a shortfall in National Lottery funding. As a result of rising costs and pressure on budgets across government, we are unable to make up the ongoing shortfall this year.

The Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture asked the Creative Scotland Board on 27 September to use £6.6m of their reserves to ensure all payments to regularly funded organisations are met in full. I am pleased that the Board approved this approach and will make up the £6.6m shortfall from their funding reserves, which total £17m. This will mean that the regularly funded organisations will not receive reduced funding this financial year.

Subject to the usual Parliamentary processes we will provide the National Lottery shortfall funding of £6.6m to Creative Scotland in 2024-2025.

On 28 September I wrote jointly with Julie James, Minister for Climate Change in the Welsh Government, to Michael Gove, UK Minister for Intergovernmental Relations, expressing disappointment at the Prime Minister’s announcement that the UK Government is significantly changing course on key net zero commitments.

Tackling the twin crises of climate change and nature loss is one of the most significant challenges facing people and planet this century and the Prime Minister’s statement was an unforgivable betrayal of current and future generations.

There was no prior engagement with the Scottish or Welsh Governments. Because of the weakness of current arrangements, we seek a high level summit and the establishment of a new, mutually respectful partnership to develop an agreed four nation approach to net zero in a collaborative manner. We also continue to strongly urge the UK Government to provide detailed information to enable us to fully assess the implications of the announcement.

On 5 October I made clear the Scottish Government’s position in a call with Graham Stuart, Minister of State for Energy Security and Net Zero.

On 26 October, I wrote to Claire Coutinho, Secretary of State, to express my deep concern about the path chosen by the Prime Minister in abandoning and delaying measures which have been previously committed to by the UK Government. I also seek an urgent response on long-standing proposals from the Scottish Government for action on reserved issues to accelerate the transition to net zero and help deliver both Scottish and UK targets.

I will again raise these issues when I chair the next meeting of the four nations Inter-Ministerial Working Group on Net Zero on 15 November.

The refreshed Tobacco Action Plan will be published in the autumn in line with our commitment in the PfG. No fixed date for publication has been set.

Scottish companies already have a wide range of options when it comes to participating in international trade missions. They can apply to participate in missions hosted by Scottish Development International and the Scottish Chambers of Commerce which are guided by the priorities set out in A Trading Nation, our export plan. Companies can also join trade missions run by the Department of Business and Trade.

Given the wide range of options already available to companies we currently have no plans to participate in joint trade missions with Scotland Office.

We have regular dialogue with our colleagues in the UK Government, particularly the Department for Business and Trade regarding promoting Scotland’s overseas trade links. However, we were not made aware of the Secretary of State for Scotland’s visit to Vietnam.

The Scottish Government is clear in its expectation of producers to drive mortality to the lowest possible levels. Our Vision for Sustainable Aquaculture articulates our expectation of improvements to fish health and welfare, and we will continue to work with regulators, producers, innovation centres and fish vets to better understand the reasons for mortality and to encourage adaptation to challenges. Increases in sea water production mortality should be considered in the context of the trend seen since 2002, which indicates stable average mortality levels with peaks and troughs in different years.