Chamber and committees

I am pleased to announce that the second Annual Report on our progress towards implementing Scotland’s Vision for Trade is being published today.

The Vision positions trade strategically in support of our wider economic, social and environmental ambitions. Since our last Annual Report, published in Spring 2022, we have used the levers available to the Scottish Government to support the delivery of NSET, help meet our climate targets and to align economic growth with our ambitions for building a wellbeing economy. The report outlines in particular the steps we have taken to improve the trading environment for Scottish goods and services, to build our evidence base on the differential impacts of trade, to put human rights at the centre of our trade policy, and to showcase Scotland’s leadership on environmental regulation at a multilateral level.

Recognising that many trade levers do not sit with the Scottish Government, we have continued to scrutinise and contribute to the UK Government’s proposals for each new Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and, in the case of US States, any new Memoranda of Understanding on trade. We have assessed these against our trade policy principles, so that they best serve the interests of Scotland’s economy, people and the planet.

We have also continued to engage in open dialogue on trade policy with individuals, businesses, academics and other organisations, in Scotland and elsewhere. This second Annual Report details, for example, the creation of a Scottish Services Trade Forum, an avenue for services businesses to directly inform our approach to trade, as well as stakeholder roundtables on regulation, differential impacts, climate and the World Trade Organisation (WTO). As we move into the third year of implementing Scotland’s Vision for Trade , we will continue to work in collaboration with our stakeholders and businesses to enhance the impact of trade in our wellbeing economy.

The Scottish Government’s Fisheries Management Strategy sets out a clear approach for managing sea fisheries in partnership with our stakeholders in a way that balances environmental, social and economic interests.

Sustainability is at the heart of how we manage Scotland’s fisheries, and an important part of protecting spawning cod in the Firth of Clyde is through a targeted seasonal closure, in the same way as we protect spawning cod in other parts of our seas. We have authorised a full closure of the spawning grounds in the last two years, without exemptions, following a reassessment of the knowledge of these spawning grounds.

As this closure is implemented on a biennial basis, we are now undertaking a public consultation which will run for 12 weeks to gather views on the continuation of the closure for 2024 and 2025. The consultation will run from 30 June to 22 September 2023 on Citizen Space. The consultation is available at https://consult.gov.scot/marine-scotland/firth-of-clyde-cod-spawning-closure-for-2024-25/

A partial BRIA has been produced alongside the consultation document and we will be seeking further information from stakeholders to input into the final BRIA following the consultation period.

We have a strong record of engaging with stakeholders and I would encourage all to respond to this consultation.

The consultation reports can be found here:

https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781805259701

https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781805259718

Following detailed discussions between the Scottish and UK Governments, we have today announced that there will be two Investment Zones in Scotland, to be designed and delivered on the basis of a partnership approach alongside the successful Regional Economic Partnerships.

We have together decided, on the basis of a robust and evidence-based joint selection process, that the Glasgow City Region and North East of Scotland are the two most suitable areas in which to locate them.

Each Investment Zone will benefit from a package of funding worth £80 million, made up of capital and revenue spending and targeted tax reliefs, to promote innovation, stimulate business growth in sectors of the future and create high-quality, well-paid jobs.

We will now jointly begin discussions with the two Regional Economic Partnerships to co-develop detailed proposals, aligned to our National Strategy for Economic Transformation and the recently published Innovation Strategy.

We will publish more information in due course on the policy approach and on the selection process.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-19355 on‎ 29 June 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

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-19355 on 29 June 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 has allocated £6 million from the City Centre Recovery Fund 2021-22 to the member cities of the Scottish Cities Alliance in support of City Centre recovery, to take forward the priorities identified by the City Centre Recovery Task Force. Funds were divided between the cities based on city centre population and paid directly to each local authority, rather than directly to the Scottish Cities Alliance.

The Scottish Government also contributes £196,000 per annum directly to the Scottish Cities Alliance. This is in addition to the £28,000 contributed by each of the 8 cities. It is from this contribution that any ongoing work undertaken by the Scottish Cities Alliance on City Centre Recovery is funded.

The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government. We advise the member to contact the NHS Board directly.

The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government. We advise the member to contact the NHS Board directly.

Ferguson Marine Engineering Limited (FMEL) was put into administration in 2019 and since then the company has been dissolved. Operating the Crane at Ferguson Marine Port Glasgow is classed as an operational matter for Ferguson Marine as such the Scottish Government does not hold this information.

Ferguson Marine Engineering Limited (FMEL) was put into administration in 2019 and since then the company has been dissolved. Operating the Crane at Ferguson Marine Port Glasgow is classed as an operational matter for Ferguson Marine as such the Scottish Government does not hold this information.