Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government has undertaken two consultations on the issue of phasing out cages for laying hens. The first, a Scotland-only one, which took place in 2024, is currently being analysed and results will be published in the coming months. The second, conducted jointly with DEFRA and the Welsh Government received over 39,000 correspondence and will be published in due course.

It was a Programme for Government Commitment to consult on the phasing out of cages for gamebirds and it remains our intention to consult on that issue in due course.

Redress Scotland currently has 53 appointed panel members.

Recruitment activity is ongoing to further expand this capacity, with an additional 15 to 20 panel members expected to be recommended to Scottish Ministers for appointment over the period July to August 2026. This reflects a continued effort to ensure that Redress Scotland has sufficient resource to manage increased demand and support the timely progression of applications.

There are currently no statutory or regulatory measures protecting decapod welfare during transport within and from Scotland. In its statutory review of the Animals and Wildlife (Penalties, Protections and Powers) Act 2020 the Scottish Government committed to undertaking, in collaboration with Defra and other devolved administrations, a gap analysis to identify the specific welfare challenges faced by decapods (including live transportation), what evidence there is to inform potential solutions to these challenges, and where further research may be needed.

The Redress for Survivors (Historical Child Abuse in Care) (Scotland) Act 2021 places a duty on the Scottish Ministers to pay legal fees reasonably incurred by applicants to the redress scheme. Fees for legal work undertaken are prescribed in the Redress for Survivors (Historical Child Abuse in Care) (Payment of Legal Fees) (Scotland) Regulations 2021.

Where unexpected or exceptional circumstances arise, and it is reasonable for a solicitor to carry out additional legal work in making a redress application, the solicitor may seek an additional sum.

Applications progress at differing rates depending on how complete they are when submitted, the availability of information, evidence and records, and the extent of verification checks required.

Applicants can pause their application at any time and some applicants disengage from the process for a period of time then later return.

The official statistics, available at Scotland's Redress Scheme Statistics December 2021 - June 2025, provide information on applications, outcomes and payments made in the first 42 months of Scotland's Redress Scheme.

The Scottish Government recognised in its statutory review of the Animals and Wildlife (Penalties, Protections and Powers) Act 2020 that decapods are recognised as sentient; currently have no general welfare protection under the 2006 Act; and that this is an area for future policy consideration. We further recognise the position of the Scottish Animal Welfare Commission that future policy development should consider the welfare implications for all sentient animals, including decapods and cephalopods.

The statutory review of the Animals and Wildlife (Penalties, Protections and Powers) Act 2020 undertaken by the Scottish Government in 2024, acknowledged that decapods currently have no general welfare protection under the 2006 Act; and that this is an area for future policy consideration. Further, the outputs from the 2024 review confirmed our commitment to work collaboratively with Defra to undertake a gap analysis to identify gaps in current research and evidence, and to explore potential solutions to the specific welfare challenges linked to decapods and how they may best be addressed.

The Scottish Government engages regularly with LGBTQI+ stakeholders, including organisations representing trans people, and has discussed the draft Code of Practice as part of that ongoing engagement.

The First Minister and I also hosted a roundtable with community members in March to discuss trans lives in Scotland today and the issues currently affecting trans people.

This engagement will continue as we consider the revised Code, including with trans people, LGBTQI+ stakeholders and other groups who may be impacted.

Scottish Ministers wrote to the previous UK Government to raise the issue of decapod welfare, including highlighting concerns about live transport through the postal service, and proposing joint working to address these issues.

In its statutory review of the Animals and Wildlife (Penalties, Protections and Powers) Act 2020 the Scottish Government committed to undertaking, in collaboration with Defra and other devolved administrations, a gap analysis to identify the specific welfare challenges faced by decapods (including live transportation), what evidence there is to inform potential solutions to these challenges, and where further research may be needed.

The Scottish Government’s assessment is that the reduction in Adult Disability Payment approval rates is primarily associated with a substantial increase in the number of applications received. While authorisation rates have reduced over time, the number of approved applications has remained broadly stable over the last year.

Social Security Scotland is committed to ensuring people can access the support to which they are entitled and has taken steps to make the application process as accessible as possible, in line with the principles of the Scottish Government's Benefit Take-up Strategy.