Chamber and committees

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-24444 on 22 January 2024. 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 holds regular discussions with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service on a wide range of topics and is assured that the Service is sufficiently equipped and has the ability to deploy a range of resources which can be utilised by the highly skilled crews to bring all incidents to a safe conclusion.

My statement to Parliament on 18 January 2024 reiterated the Scottish Government’s commitment to ‘deed not breed’, and committed to work with key stakeholders and interested parties to look at any improvements that could be made to the Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act 2010 to strengthen and enhance the approach to preventative measures in the medium term.

The Scottish Government will engage with a wide range of stakeholders with an interest including, but not limited to, local authorities, the National Dog Warden Association, the Dog Control Coalition, Dogs Trust, the Scottish SPCA, Scottish Community Safety Network, COSLA and Police Scotland.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-24110 on 18 January 2024. 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 answer to question S6W-24498 on 23 January 2024. 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 answer to question S6W-23651 on 7 December 2023 as advised in the answer, the Scottish Government understands that the rule that a marriage is voidable by reason of permanent and incurable impotency is little used.

The available civil justice statistics indicate that between 2012-13 and 2021-22, five court actions were raised seeking a declarator of nullity of marriage and the courts disposed of six actions in the same period. These figures will include actions raised on the basis that the marriage was void (of no effect) from the outset, for example because one of the parties was incapable of consenting to marriage, as well as any such actions raised on the ground of impotency.

The answer to S6W-23651 also referred the member to the then Scottish Executive’s 2000 White Paper Parents and Children . On the issue of whether to abolish the rule, paragraph 10.9 states “a majority of the few respondents to Improving Scottish Family Law that focussed on this issue (7 out of 11) suggested that the existing situation should be maintained. In one response, it was pointed out that impotency is recognised as a ground for declaration of nullity by the Roman Catholic Marriage Tribunals and that the concept of a voidable marriage on this ground in civil law would provide a solution to couples who would otherwise be required to seek divorce, against their religious beliefs.”

If a change was in contemplation, we would need to consult carefully with a broad range of potentially interested religious and other bodies. However, as my response to S6W-23748 advised, we have no plans to consult in this area.

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 Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs and I have both held discussions with Police Scotland this year to discuss implementation of the new safeguards on XL Bully dogs. Further Ministerial engagement is planned. Scottish Government officials are also engaging with Police Scotland Local Policing Programme and local authorities on the issue of XL Bully dogs.

On 6 October 2022, the Scottish Government committed to extending the Day Nursery Rates Relief. The Non-Domestic Rates (Levying and Miscellaneous Amendment) (Scotland) Regulations 2023 which came into force on 1 April 2023 removed the end date for this relief.

As I stated in response to question S6W-24479, there is a significant degree of uncertainty across the UK as to the size of the population of XL Bully dogs. It is clear from the number of applications received from XL Bully owners in England and Wales seeking exemption for their dogs that the initial estimate of 10,000 dogs was a significant underestimate.

Various estimates from other bodies on the possible number of XL Bully dogs in England and Wales have ranged from 50,000 to 150,000. If there were 50,000 XL Bully dogs in England and Wales, this may suggest an estimated population of 5,000 XL Bully dogs in Scotland. However this figure carries a considerable degree of uncertainty.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-24498 on 23 January 2024. 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 .