Chamber and committees

Responsibility for health and safety arrangements rests with individual colleges, which are required to meet their legal obligations and maintain safe environments for staff and learners.

Whilst health and safety regulation and enforcement is a matter for the Health and Safety Executive, the Scottish Government expects colleges to have robust policies and procedures in place.

The Scottish Funding Council (SFC) seeks assurance on this through its ongoing engagement and monitoring of the sector.

The Scottish Government expects colleges to comply with all relevant health and safety legislation and to follow relevant guidance issued by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), including in relation to the management of risks from welding fumes and other hazardous substances. Responsibility for setting and enforcing health and safety standards rests with the HSE, while implementation remains a matter for individual institutions.

Individual colleges in Scotland are responsible for their own operational decisions, such as ensuring systems are in place to assess and manage health and safety risks, and working with the relevant bodies to ensure they meet their legal responsibilities. The Scottish Government understands that City of Glasgow College has accepted the Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) findings in full and are implementing all corrective actions identified, which has resulted in the HSE’s intervention being closed.

As part of its ongoing monitoring and assurance processes, the Scottish Funding Council will continue to monitor the college’s progress to ensure improvements are followed through and that staff concerns are addressed.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-43793 on 26 February 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.

We are now carefully considering the recommendations made by the advisory groups, established under the previous government, to inform our way forward for long term conditions. Our Programme for Government for 2026-27 will be put to the Parliament in due course.

I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-01058 on 13 July 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.

British Heart Foundation (BHF) Scotland chaired Long Term Conditions Advisory Group 1 on cardiometabolic and kidney conditions. We are grateful to all the third sector organisations, including BHF Scotland, who have engaged with our work to date and welcome continued engagement with BHF Scotland as our work on long term conditions develops.

The consultation carried out as part of the compulsory purchase reform programme included questions on Compulsory Sale Orders and responses are currently being analysed. The Scottish Government will publish a summary of responses to that consultation and associated analysis report, as well as an update on the compulsory purchase reform programme shortly.

The Scottish Government has no plans at this time to amend the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006 to extend statutory animal welfare protections to decapod crustaceans.

The Scottish Animal Welfare Commission (SAWC) is currently carrying out a review of the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006, with the report scheduled for completion by the end of 2026. The Scottish Government will give full consideration to SAWC's report in due course.

Whilst the UK Government is yet to share any detailed impact assessment with Scottish Ministers, we are continuing to work closely with the UK Government to assess the costs and benefits of the deal, including the implications of recently announced implementation measures and pilot programmes.

When the impact assessments are made available, we will consider the implications the price changes for medicines will have on the NHS in Scotland.

In April 2025 the Scottish Government published a review of the Animals and Wildlife (Penalties, Protections and Powers) (Scotland) Act 2020, considering the provisions of the 2020 Act and any requirements for additional animal welfare, animal health and wildlife offences. The review concluded that the closely targeted provisions in the 2020 Act are functioning as intended and that no legislative changes are required.

Additionally, the Scottish Animal Welfare Commission (SAWC) is currently carrying out a review of the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006, with the report scheduled for completion by the end of 2026. The Scottish Government will give full consideration to SAWC's report in due course.