Chamber and committees

The licensing regime for growing hemp is a reserved matter controlled by the UK Home Office, however we recognise the potential benefit for hemp production in Scotland as a sustainable crop with multiple uses.

The Scottish Government has not engaged in any discussions on this issue with the UK Government. Currently, industrial hemp is not a major crop in Scotland; although there are a small number of independent growers who grow hemp for a variety of reasons and we are keen to speak with those interested in growing hemp to find out more about this crop.

The Scottish Government is interested in understanding the evidence behind the benefits of hemp. As such, as part of the Strategic Research Programme, we have funded several projects via the Scottish Environment, Food and Agriculture Research Institutes (SEFARI) Gateway Fellowship programme. These include a study entitled “Potential Market Opportunities for Hempseed and Fibre in Scotland” published in October 2022 in partnership with the University of Aberdeen and the Scottish Hemp Association. More about this study can be found at the following link: https://www.abdn.ac.uk/news/16425/ .

The objectives of the grant funding provided to SUSE throughout 2022 were to:

1. Provide the governance and project management function for the PSP.

2. Progress Apt through the PSP stages, which include:

• Designing and developing pilot projects for delivery throughout the grant period;
• Ensuring that those projects are evaluated;
• Refining and finalising pilot projects before outlining procurement options for the public sector.

3. Ensure that the PSP has a public corporate identity, including by:

• Creating and maintaining a website hosting such information that is deemed necessary by the steering group.

4. Appointment of PSP Development Manager to:

• Effectively support employers with "complex" needs;
• Engage an additional 40 employers to the PSP Workstreams;
• Capture baseline data on employers.

5. Ensure that the Apt continues to deliver interventions for employers:

• Continue delivery of pilot projects;
• Further development of a strong evidence base to support each pilot project;
• Production of a design blueprint which describes the range of tools, products and services offered by the PSP across their journey

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-22375 on 3 November 2023. 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 seeks to support the adoption of innovative aquaculture practices and recognises the role which legislative frameworks and other incentives play in fostering innovation. A recent example is the reduction of SEPA’s CAR licence fees by 50% for sites which plan to utilise innovative waste capture technologies.

The potential for a Scottish marine aquaculture innovation site was explored by the previous Aquaculture Industry Leadership Group. The Scottish Government remains open to discussing the purpose and aims of a marine innovation site further with stakeholders.

The Scottish Government continues to deliver on its commitment to build the case for an independent Scotland within the EU, through the development of a prospectus to give people the information they need to make an informed choice about their future, and I’m pleased to confirm that today we are publishing Migration to Scotland after independence.

This is the sixth paper in the Building a New Scotland series. It sets out proposals for how an independent Scotland with control of its migration policy could devise a humane, dignified and principled migration system to help grow our population. Through population growth, we can strengthen and grow our economy, address skills shortages within key sectors, deliver positive outcomes for our communities and public services, and enrich Scotland culturally.

I can also confirm that we intend to bring the matters raised in this publication forward for a debate in the Chamber in the coming weeks.

The Scottish Government is continuing to prepare further papers in the Building a New Scotland series and these will be published shortly.

Building a New Scotland: Migration to Scotland after independence is available to view on the Scottish Government website from today at www.gov.scot/newscotland

Scottish Government supports the use of digital solutions to overcome barriers to treatment for those impacted by problematic use of alcohol, such as the use of Near Me video appointments and With You’s online wechat service. However, we recognise these must be applied appropriately, with adequate training for staff and ensuring online safety and safeguarding for service users.

The recently published consultation on United Kingdom alcohol treatment guidelines which are expected to come into effect in 2024, highlight the need to consider digital practices and implement them carefully. The consultation will run until 8 December 2023: UK clinical guidelines for alcohol treatment - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) .

The publication of Non-domestic rates relief statistics 2023 is currently planned for early 2024. The date of publication will be announced as soon as it is available, at https://www.gov.scot/publications/official-statistics-forthcoming-publications/ .

The Scottish Government allocated an additional £500k in capital funding to Museums Galleries Scotland in both 2021-22 and 2022-23.This was in recognition of the important contribution museums make to our communities, and was directed towards crucial repair and maintenance work, to reduce museum running costs and increase resilience.

Government officials will continue to engage with and discuss the sector’s capital needs with Museums Galleries Scotland. The creation of an ongoing open access capital fund will be considered as part of future capital budget processes.

The capital outlook is extremely challenging as the UK Government did not inflation-proof their Capital Budget which has resulted in a projected 6.7% real terms fall in our capital funding over the medium term between 2023-24 and 2027-28.

The National Centre for Remote and Rural Health and Care launched at the beginning of October, and is currently focused on delivering a programme of work designed to improve the capability of rural, remote and island primary care and community services, and support the improvement and retention of a more highly skilled rural health workforce.

The Centre will be delivered by NHS Education Scotland and is backed by £3m until 2026. The Centre, will be both virtual and local to ensure its availability to all communities, and will provide a resource to support Health Boards and Health and Social Care partnerships in their responsibilities and drive essential improvements in sustainability.

We are aware that stigma can act as a barrier preventing people from seeking treatment. This is why we are taking actions to reduce the stigma around alcohol misuse.

For example, last year we ran a national campaign to increase people’s awareness that a drug or alcohol problem is a health condition, which requires help and support and not judgement. We also referenced stigma on the NHS Inform website , which reinforces the message that a drug or alcohol problem is a health condition requiring help.

In addition, we published a cross-government Stigma Action Plan , aimed at tackling the stigma of substance use. We are working with a range of partners and stakeholders to co-design the next phase on the details of the actions outlined in the plan.

We also welcome the ‘See Beyond, see the lives’ campaign , which recognises the importance of supporting the families of people with problem substance use, who are often stigmatised and excluded from support, despite experiencing harms in their own right. In delivering the actions in our stigma action plan we will work with families to ensure that we can tackle the specific types of stigma that they experience both in accessing services and support and in daily life.

Moreover, we are planning to ensure treatment standards for alcohol, informed by the UK-wide clinical guidelines, will introduce new approaches to treatment, including non-stigmatising service delivery.