Chamber and committees

As previously stated in the Scottish Government's response to the Freedom of Information request FOI/202400419507, the then-Deputy First Minister did not engage with or accept the offer of a donation to a charity of his choice from the CEO of the WAVE Trust: https://www.gov.scot/publications/foi-202400419507/ The meeting was arranged entirely independently of this offer.

The Scottish Ministerial Code already clearly sets out the standards expected of all members of the Scottish Ministerial team. Paragraph 3.22 of the Code notes that ‘…Ministers should not accept gifts, hospitality or services which would, or might appear to, compromise their judgement or place them under an obligation to people or organisations that might try to influence their work in government.’ It is the personal responsibility of each Minister to determine how any activity would engage with the terms of the Code, based on the circumstances around any specific event or interaction.

The Scottish Government is absolutely clear that there is no excuse for domestic abuse, regardless of the sex of the victim or perpetrator. That is why legislative changes adopted to address the issue, such as the Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2018, provide equal protection for both female and male victims. We also continue to fund services that support male survivors of domestic abuse.

Equally Safe, Scotland’s strategy to prevent and eradicate all forms of violence against women and girls, acknowledges that men and boys can experience domestic abuse, while recognising that it disproportionately affects women and girls. This approach is informed by a range of sources, including police recorded crime statistics, findings from the Scottish Crime and Justice Survey, academic research, voices of lived experience and professional expertise, and international human rights frameworks.

It is the Scottish Government’s view that both parents should be involved in their child’s life, provided this is practical and in the child’s best interests. We recognise how distressing it can be for a parent if they are not seeing their child. The Scottish Government provides funding to Shared Parenting Scotland who provide advice, assistance and other support to parents experiencing difficulties in having contact with their children. They also run courses for separated parents, including Love, Loss & Living: Managing the Emotions of Being Separated From Your Child.

The Scottish Government has not undertaken a specific piece of work to assess the relationship between substance use and men’s experiences of domestic abuse. However, we recognise that research shows that experiences of trauma can be an important factor in the development of substance use issues and can affect an individual's recovery journey.

Suicide prevention is a priority for the Scottish Government. Together with COSLA, we are driving forward Creating Hope Together, Scotland’s Suicide Prevention Strategy and accompanying Action Plan (2026-29). We recognise that factors such as domestic abuse, substance use and involvement with the justice system can increase the risk of poor mental health and suicide. The strategy includes a focus on reaching people who may be at higher risk as a result of these experiences.

We encourage anyone experiencing symptoms of poor mental health to contact their GP to discuss their wellbeing. Further support is available from services such as Samaritans and Breathing Space, as well as the Suicide Prevention Scotland website which has further information and resources.

The Scottish Government engages regularly with local authorities on the powers available to tackle antisocial behaviour, including through the legislative review of the Antisocial Behaviour etc. (Scotland) Act 2004 which was announced in December 2025 and is being taken forward in close consultation with local authorities, Police Scotland and other delivery partners. Closure orders under Part 4 of that Act, including the question of which bodies may initiate them, are within the scope of the review.

The recommendation from the Chartered Trading Standards Institute and the Anti-Counterfeiting Group, in their April 2026 report Hidden in Plain Sight, that local authorities in Scotland be given the power to initiate closure orders has been noted as part of the evidence the review is considering. Officials have written to both the Society of Chief Officers of Trading Standards in Scotland and Police Scotland seeking their views on the report.

Local authorities already hold enforcement powers in relation to the sale of age-restricted products to children. This includes the power to apply to the sheriff for a banning order under the Tobacco and Primary Medical Services (Scotland) Act 2010 where a retailer has repeatedly committed offences, including the sale of tobacco or vaping products to under 18s.

The Scottish Government does not operate an application process for Element 1 of the Whole Family Wellbeing Funding (WFWF) Programme. Funding is allocated annually to all Children's Services Planning Partnerships (CSPPs) via local authorities.

Recognising that local needs and circumstances vary across Scotland, the Programme does not prescribe a specific delivery model. Instead, CSPPs assess their local family support system, identify gaps and opportunities, and determine how funding should be deployed to improve local delivery of holistic whole family support. Any local commissioning and procurement, application processes, or distribution arrangements are therefore determined by individual CSPPs in line with local priorities and needs.

The Scottish Government has no immediate plans to reform inheritance law in Scotland. The most recent consultations on testate and intestate succession took place in 2015 and 2019. The analysis of the consultation findings concluded that there was no clear consensus on substantive reforms to the law. Research into aspects of succession has also been commissioned and we await the findings. The Scottish Law Commission is considering reforms to executry law as part of their current programme of law reform.

The Scottish Government previously considered this issue through the work of the Land Reform Review Group, an independent group established by the Scottish Government to review land reform in Scotland. Section 6 of the Group's 2014 Report to Ministers considers previous recommendations by the Scottish Law Commission to remove the distinction between heritable and moveable property in succession law. The Group concluded that they were unlikely to have a significant influence on Scotland's concentrated pattern of land ownership.

The Scottish Government subsequently consulted on the Scottish Law Commission recommendations on succession law, including proposals relating to the distinction between heritable and moveable property. Concerns were expressed by a number of respondents about issues that might be encountered by land based businesses, such as farms. These issues could have an impact on their viability and, ultimately, on the rural economy. The Scottish Government decided not to proceed with those recommendations.

Table 1 shows the number of police recorded crimes of Having in a school an article with a blade or point, by Local authority, from 2021-22 to 2025-26.

Table 1: Recorded crimes of Having in a school an article with a blade or point (used and not used) by Local authority, Scotland, 2021-22 to 2025-26.

I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-00937 on 25 June 2026. 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 continues to prioritise delivery of the Scottish Marine Recovery Fund (MRF) and is undertaking thorough due diligence to ensure the fund is lawfully constituted, financially sustainable, and operationally deliverable.

The Updated Sectoral Marine Plan for Offshore Wind Energy is expected to be adopted in Summer 2026.

Significant progress has already been made since our consultation on the draft Plan last year, including completion of the Appropriate Assessment, consultation with Statutory Nature Conservation Bodies, and ongoing work to identify compensatory measures for seabird impacts.

The remaining work relates primarily to finalisation of the Plan and its associated impact assessments including Habitats Regulations Appraisal processes. These documents are currently being finalised and will be submitted for Ministerial consideration in the coming weeks. This includes consideration by UK Ministers.

Subject to Ministerial approval, the Plan will be adopted and all supporting documents will be published.