Chamber and committees

On 18 April the Scottish Government published a new package of climate action measures, this included the intention to establish a pilot scheme to support the roll out of methane supressing feed products to reduce emissions from livestock.

Officials are currently exploring the options for delivering such a scheme. Methane supressing feed products offer opportunities for emissions reduction in Scottish livestock systems and evidence on the efficacy and appropriate application of these products will be considered in developing the pilot scheme. Further details on the pilot scheme will be provided in due course, including a timescale for establishing the pilot scheme.

Salmon production contributes to our food security, producing healthy, nutritious food for people in Scotland and around the world with a greenhouse gas emissions profile that is lower than many other farmed sources of animal protein. The sector is heavily regulated and subject to robust legislation and policies relating to animal health, environment protection and local authority planning. The Scottish Government’s Vision for Sustainable Aquaculture is clear on our ambitions for an aquaculture sector which operates within environmental limits and which recognises social and economic benefits, and includes specific outcomes on fish health, cleaner fish welfare, best use of by-products and responsibly sourced fish feed.

Hotels are not listed as ‘relevant buildings’ within the meaning of the Building Scotland (Amendment) Regulations 2022. All new and converted hotels having a storey, or creating a storey at a height of 11 metres or more above the ground, must comply with the relevant mandatory functional standards, including mandatory standard 2.7 that requires the fire spread on external walls to be inhibited.

BS 8414 testing and the assessment criteria in BR 135 may be used for hotels as an alternative route to compliance with the mandatory standards. The continued use of this alternative solution for hotels over 11 metres in height is currently being considered by the Building and Fire Safety Expert Working Group.

The Scottish Hospitality sector was represented on the Cameron House Hotel Short Life Working Group and is also represented on the ongoing Building and Fire Safety Expert Working Group. The economic and social impacts of fires affecting hotels are being considered as part of the review.

As a result of the UK Government cutting Scotland’s capital allocation, funding support will not allow us to reach our target, but it will still help create over 9,000 ha of new woodland. The implications of not meeting the 2024-25 woodland creation target will be examined in preparation for the next Climate Change Plan, including modelling the impacts on the capacity of Scotland’s forests to sequester carbon and their longer term contribution to Net Zero in 2045. Even though it will not deliver its very ambitious woodland creation target in 2024-25, Scotland is expected to deliver the large majority of woodland creation across the UK.

The safety and security of people’s data, and the running of NHS services is of the upmost importance. I have provided detail on the action being taken to protect NHS patient data in the answers to questions S6W-26702 on 23 April 2024, S6T-01869 on 19 March 2024, S6W-26442 on 17 May 2024 and S6W-26223 on 27 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/written-questions-and-answers .

All answers to Topical 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/official-report/search-what-was-said-in-parliament .

The NHS Scotland Youth Academy aims to enhance opportunity for Scotland’s young people to join the health and social care workforce. It is currently engaged in developing learner pathways, raising awareness of career opportunities and creating connections between schools and employers.

The Youth Academy is bringing together local partners from public and third sector organisations to further opportunities for young people in Health and Social Care. A key focus of work includes the delivery, in collaboration with Skills Development Scotland (SDS), of a new pathway pilot qualification. It will prepare and inspire senior secondary school pupils for entering into careers in health and social care. The pathway pilot is running during the 2023-24 academic year across Highland, Tayside and Clydebank (NHS Golden Jubilee). Additionally, the Youth Academy is supporting the relaunch of the Future Nurse Programme. This aims to raise awareness of nursing careers with primary-aged young people in the Highlands and Clydebank initially.

The Building (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2022 amended regulation 8 of the building regulations so that "highly combustible metal composite material" panels, combustible cladding and combustible insulation can no longer be used for new building work captured in the scope of the ban.

The names and affiliations of the members of the Zero Emission Social Housing Taskforce, and its technical sub-groups, are published on the Scottish Government website: Zero Emission Social Housing Taskforce - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) .

The indicative timeline for the Scottish Government’s proposed response to the consultation is March 2025 with an implementation date of January 2026.