Chamber and committees

Operational decisions of the Scottish National Investment Bank are made independently of Scottish Ministers.

The Scottish Government does not hold any information regarding notes held by the Chair of the Scottish National Investment Bank relating to the Internal Market Act 2020.

Operational decisions of the Scottish National Investment Bank are made independently of Scottish Ministers.

It would not be appropriate for the Scottish Government to recover losses resulting from investments made by the Scottish National Investment Bank. This would be a matter for the Bank.

Despite voting to stay in the EU, Scotland was forced to leave with the UK. That means putting in place trade barriers for both exports and imports that create costs for businesses and consumers.

After delays lasting several years, the UK Government has now moved further on in the implementation of the Border Target Operating Model (BTOM), the UK Government’s post-Brexit regime of border controls.

Scotland has little choice but reluctantly to accept these controls, not least to at last level the trading field for Scottish exporters. However, the longer these controls have been delayed, the more necessary they have become to protect our biosecurity.

The model brings into force a sliding-scale of risk-based checks and controls on imported goods entering Great Britain (GB), from the EU and the rest of the world. On 31 st of January 2024, documentary checks began under the model with various administrative requirements put in place. Today sees the establishment of the next phase of controls – risk-based physical checks on certain categories of goods.

The requirement for checks on imports from the EU stems of course from Brexit, but Parliament will be aware that it interacts with devolved responsibilities – primarily our responsibility to protect Scotland’s people, environment and businesses from biosecurity risks. Last year, therefore, I reluctantly agreed to adopt this model.

While this model is not perfect, it is an unfortunate necessity. We must deliver robust biosecurity protections for Scotland.

My agreement to endorse the model last year was predicated on receiving assurance from the UK Government that several outstanding issues would be addressed. I am both disappointed and frustrated to have to report to Parliament that instead of joint working on a range of matters and devolution being respected, the UK Government continues to work in isolation, has taken unilateral decisions on areas of devolved responsibility, and has delivered the legislative underpinning of this model so poorly that time for parliamentary scrutiny has been severely limited. I have raised our frustrations repeatedly with UK Government ministers since prior to the model’s publication; despite receiving assurances, our frustrations have not been addressed.

Similarly, I have written to conveners of relevant Scottish Parliament committees on this matter to express concern at how the UK Government’s approach is impacting our Parliament’s scrutiny.

Our stakeholders want clarity about how this model impacts them. Despite the UK Government having had years to prepare for this (and having delayed the model no less than five times), there are still unanswered questions preventing industry from getting clear answers about how to conduct their businesses. For example, interactions between the BTOM and the Windsor Framework remain unclear. Therefore, west coast arrangements have not yet been decided and checks there are not yet coming online. I will of course keep Parliament updated as to any progress in these and other areas.

My fellow ministers and officials will be closely monitoring the implementation of this latest stage of BTOM, not only to ensure that our biosecurity protections are maintained, but to ensure businesses are given the information and support they require to navigate these new roles. We will continue to advocate for substantial and meaningful engagement on issues of major importance to Scotland, as we were promised and which Westminster, has so far failed to deliver.

I have repeatedly urged the UK Government to negotiate a comprehensive veterinary agreement with the EU – sensibly and pragmatically aligning standards that would reduce the financial and administrative requirements that this model will create for some businesses here in Scotland.

Further information on the model can be found on the UK Government’s website:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-border-target-operating-model-august-2023

The Scottish Government launched its consultation on Employment Injury Assistance on 30 April 2024 at 09:00. This consultation is an important first step in the longer-term reform of the UK Industrial Injuries Scheme in Scotland. I want to hear a broad range of views on the approach we should take to delivering Employment Injury Assistance, and I would encourage individuals and stakeholders with an interest to respond to our consultation. Responses to this consultation will provide us with vital insights into how Employment Injury Assistance can better meet the needs of disabled people in Scotland in the future.

The consultation can be accessed at https://consult.gov.scot/social-security/employment-injury-assistance-next-steps .

The Scottish Government is refreshing its Smart Delivery Strategy, outlining its programme of work and strategy for enhancing smart, integrated ticketing and payments, and digital travel data over the next 5-10 years.

The strategy is being developed through a collaborative process with stakeholders and the public and is currently taking into account the development of the National Smart Ticketing Advisory Board’s first work programme. The strategy is also taking into account the significant progress and technological development of smart ticketing since the previous publication in 2018, including the increased use of digital platforms and contactless payment across the network, reflecting the public’s increasing desire for contactless and digital payments and ticketing.

Following publication of the Fair Fares Review and announcement of the Scottish Government’s intention to develop a new national integrated ticketing system for public transport, the strategy will progress through the finalisation and approval process to be published in 2024.

The Scottish Government recognises the importance of working closely and collaboratively with the UK Government and other devolved administrations to deliver a net zero that is mutually beneficial both in economic and social terms.

We will engage directly with each of the Governments to understand how best to establish a four nations climate response group that enables us to work much closer and share more information.

While employment law is reserved, we will continue to do whatever we can with the levers we have to strengthen effective voice and ultimately collective bargaining in Scotland. The Scottish Government has made a clear commitment to promote collective bargaining through the inclusion of an employee voice indicator, measured by collective bargaining coverage, within the National Performance Framework.

Our National Strategy for Economic Transformation and our refreshed Fair Work Action Plan include actions to support trade unions and promote collective bargaining.

We are continuing to promote trade union recognition and collective bargaining, at both local and sectoral levels, to achieve improved conditions and enhance effective voice. Work is underway in a number of traditionally low paid or precarious sectors to advance fair work and effective voice for workers. The Scottish Government’s work on introducing sectoral bargaining for the adult social care sector is progressing ahead of the introduction of the National Care Service (NCS), in line with the recommendations of the Fair Work Convention. Furthermore, since 1 July 2023, public sector grants include a requirement to pay at least the Real Living Wage to all employees, and provide appropriate channels for effective voice, thus strengthening our approach to conditionality.

Despite an increasingly constrained budgetary context we have continued to provide trade unions in Scotland with funding and support to advance fair work and improve worker voice, which can ultimately increase trade union recognition.

The Chief Pharmaceutical Officer meets regularly with both the Cabinet Secretary for NHS Recovery, Health, and Social Care and I on medicine policy matters, including supporting consistency in prescribing across the NHS in Scotland. This includes work on evolving individual Health Board medicine formularies to regional formularies covering prescribing in both hospitals and primary care, based on a collaborative consensus model which builds upon proven existing local governance and decision-making processes. This work has recently been endorsed by Health Board Chief Executives as a priority work programme.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-25489 on 9 March 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/questions-and-answers .

Yes, our Circular Economy Bill proposes modifications to the Environmental Protection Act 1990, implementing new legislative powers to tackle littering from vehicles. These will allow authorised officers to impose a civil penalty charge on the keeper of a vehicle from which littering has occurred. Further adjustments to legislation may be identified by the work on the National Litter and Flytipping Strategy and will be considered as we progress delivery.