Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government takes the welfare of farmed fish seriously and expects full compliance with legislation, quality assurance schemes and industry standards.

The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) is operationally independent and has a range of enforcement tools available. Enforcement decisions are made on a case-by-case basis, taking account of the available evidence and circumstances.

The Scottish Government is committed to supporting continuous improvement in farmed fish welfare. We are progressing the development of official welfare guidance under the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006 to support APHA's inspection and enforcement activity.

The Scottish Government has recently strengthened its service level agreement with APHA and now requires 10% of the approximately 50 land-based sites to be inspected annually, as well as 10 sea-based sites. This is in addition to demand led inspections carried out in response to concerns raised by either the Fish Health Inspectorate or the public, providing further oversight of fish health and welfare.

I recognise concerns that have been raised regarding fish mortality and the significant amount of investment made by producers of farmed fish to understand and mitigate these challenges. It is clear mortality must be driven down to the lowest possible level, and the sector must continue to improve public confidence and public understanding of its practices.

Public procurement and grants are subject to different requirements.

In relation to public procurement, the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015 (2015 Regulations) do not apply from a threshold of £50,000, but from the relevant threshold set out in regulation 5 of the 2015 Regulations. In the case of a public supply contract, and most public service contracts, the relevant threshold is £135,018 for central government authorities, or £207,720 for sub-central authorities. For public works contracts, the relevant threshold is £5,193,000.

Regulation 58 of the 2015 Regulations sets out the grounds on which bidders may, or must, be excluded from procurement exercises. These include convictions for certain criminal offences, non-payment of taxes, and bankruptcy. Regulation 59 sets out the selection criteria which authorities may impose for the purposes of ensuring that a bidder has the necessary: suitability to pursue a professional activity; economic and financial standing; and technical and professional ability. The precise criteria imposed will depend on the nature of the contract in question.

Regulation 60 sets out that bidders should, in the first instance, complete the Single Procurement Document, consisting of a self-declaration that they are not in one of the situations which constitute grounds for exclusion, and that they meet the relevant selection criteria. Authorities may require bidders to provide supporting documentation at any time when it is necessary to ensure the proper conduct of the procurement procedure. Full due diligence is only required when a preferred bidder has been identified. For this purpose, authorities may require bidders to produce certificates, statements and other means of proof as evidence for the absence of grounds for exclusion and for the fulfilment of the selection criteria. This can include, but it is not limited to: certificates; bank statements; previous work carried out over the past five years; samples, descriptions or photographs of products to be supplied; financial statements; and the qualifications of relevant staff.

The Procurement (Scotland) Regulations 2016 make similar provision in relation to contracts subject to the Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 (the Act). The Act applies to public supply and public service contracts worth at least £50,000 and to public works contracts worth at least £2 million.

In relation to grants, due diligence forms an integral part of the Scottish Government’s established grant management process, where preventative checks are required to be performed before awarding a general grant. Assessments cover financial viability and governance arrangements of prospective recipients, and the process is supported by internal guidance and checklists. There is no financial threshold for undertaking due diligence for a grant.

I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-01276 on 14 July 2026. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Scottish 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 S7W-01290 on 14 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/questions-and-answers .

I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-01290 on 14 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/questions-and-answers .

I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-01276 on 14 July 2026. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Scottish Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.

While ministerial responsibility for delivery is shared across portfolios to ensure alignment with Scottish Government’s wider economic strategy and climate commitments, overarching responsibility lies with the Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Tourism and Transport. Link: Green industrial strategy - gov.scot.

We recognise that many people are facing significant challenges due to the rising cost of living, with households across Scotland finding it increasingly difficult to afford healthy and nutritious food. The final list of items to be covered by the legislation will be determined by consultation and engagement.

The Scottish Government is committed to delivering a universal breakfast club offer for primary school age children by August 2027.

Engagement with COSLA, Local Government and other key stakeholders is underway as part of ongoing work to support delivery, which includes assessment of workforce planning. This is being informed by existing delivery models, how these could be expanded and enhanced and how provision can be established where none currently exists. Engagement and analysis of existing data will inform workforce planning to support implementation of a national offer.

The Scottish Government is committed to delivering a universal breakfast club offer for primary school age children by August 2027.

Many primary schools across Scotland already deliver breakfast offers using a range of delivery models. Work is underway with delivery stakeholders to assess existing models, explore how these can be expanded and enhanced, and identify how best to establish provision where none currently exists. This work is informing national delivery plans including recognising the importance of elements of local flexibility for individual schools.