Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government does not retain any DNA or tissue samples. It is for other bodies to ensure compliance for their interest.

Health Boards are responsible for ensuring that correct processes and regulations are followed for any retention of samples, for example, following post-mortem examinations, including compliance with the appropriate privacy and data requirements.

Transport Scotland does not hold the data on the average processing times for Blue Badges. However, Transport Scotland does recommend that local authorities should regularly update and highlight their estimated wait and/or processing times to applicants.

Part 2 of the Human Tissue Act (Scotland) 2006 makes provision for post-mortem examinations for non-suspicious deaths including the requirement that any hospital-arranged post-mortem may only be carried out if authorisation is obtained from the nearest relative of the deceased or the deceased themselves in advance of death.

Failure to comply with the 2006 Act is an offence. Any authorisation given under the 2006 Act may also include such conditions as the party authorising the matter specifies, such as agreement to retain tissue samples as part of the medical record. It is the duty of those carrying out any authorised activity to do so, in so far as reasonably practicable, in accordance with the specified conditions.

The consent of the nearest relative is not required for a Procurator Fiscal-instructed post-mortem, however the views of the family will be taken into account when making a decision on whether or not to instruct a post-mortem.

There is no guidance in place for Scottish Minsters to specify how to consider the recommendations of a public inquiry reporter in renewable energy cases.

Ministers do not apply predetermined weightings to any information when determining applications for Energy Consents.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-38137 on 10 June 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.

Of the 44 public inquiries into renewable energy applications held since January 2020, 4 related to developments located within the Scottish Borders local authority area. Case references WIN-140-5; WIN-140-6; WIN-140-8 and WIN-170-2007 refer and can be viewed here: Scottish Government - Planning and Environmental Appeals Division (DPEA).

Energy Consents applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis, with all relevant information considered to ensure balanced decision-making. This includes environmental information, consultee responses and if applicable, the inquiry report.

The decision-making rationale for each of these applications is set out in the determination letters which are publicly available on the Energy Consents Unit website.

The decision whether to grant consent is made on a case-by-case basis, taken only after careful consideration of environmental information, consultee responses and public representations.

We do not consider it necessary to commission an independent review of the consistency and transparency of decisions made by ministers in cases where public inquiry recommendations have been decided against in favour of renewable energy development.

All Energy Consents decision letters are published online for transparency, and decisions may be challenged in the Scottish court system.