As part of the Bill process we have consulted on the intent to continue to support all registered agricultural businesses in Scotland to continue to benefit from accessing high-quality advice through the Farm Advisory Service.

As is convention, following consultation on proposed legislation, Ministers are considering the views received to inform a new Agriculture Bill, which will be introduced in 2023. In turn, Parliament will consider the proposals and provide further comment on draft proposals, accordingly.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-21029 on 13 September 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-21029 on13 September 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

There are currently a number of Scottish Government working groups that fall under the remit of Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands (RALRI). The following non-exhaustive list includes currently active groups that would fall under RALRI portfolio and are managed by the Scottish Government.

Peatland Science and Technical Advisory Group (Peatland STAG)

• Soils Working Group

• Wild Salmon Strategy Implementation Plan Advisory Group

• Scottish Forestry Customer Reps Group (CRG)

• Scottish Forestry CRG Tree on Farms sub group

• Scottish Forestry CRG Technical sub group

• Scottish Forestry National Stakeholder Group

• Scottish Forestry Phytopthora ramorum review working group

• The Land Reform Bill Oversight Group

• Academic Advisory Panel to Agriculture Reform Implementation Oversight Board

• Partnership for Action against Wildlife Crime in Scotland

• Scottish Government National Goose Forum

• Small Producers Pilot Fund Steering Group

• Scottish Agricultural Wages Board

• Rural Delivery Plan: Ministerial Working Group

• SRDP 2014 - 2020 Rural Development Operational Committee

• National Islands Plan Delivery Group

• Islands Strategic Group

• Farming opportunities for new entrants (FONE)

• Agriculture Reform Implementation Oversight Board

• Agriculture and Rural Development Stakeholder Group

• Crofting Bill Group

• Bovine EID Industry stakeholder working group

• Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (BVD) Advisory Group

• Bee Health Improvement Partnership (BHIP)

• Varroa Working Group

• Strategic Management Board (SMB)

• Pesticide Stakeholder Group (PSG)

• Horticultural Round Table

• Environment and Economy Leaders' Group (EELG)

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-21029 on 13 September 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 annual local government settlement will continue to be distributed in full using the needs based formula, which is discussed and agreed each year with COSLA on behalf of all their local authority members. The Scottish Government is always open to any suggestions on how to make the formula fairer, however any such requests must, in the first instance, come from COSLA.

The Scottish Government are funding partners of the UK Bycatch Monitoring Programme, which deploys dedicated observers onboard UK fishing vessels, with the purpose of recording protected species bycatch across UK fisheries. Numbers of bycaught cetaceans are reported in the programme’s annual reports. Reports from 2012-2017 can be accessed on the MB5203 project webpage: Science Search (defra.gov.uk) and reports from 2017 onwards can be accessed on the ME6004 project webpage: Science Search (defra.gov.uk) .

The Marine Directorate and Scottish Fishermen’s Federation also operate a Joint Observer Monitoring Programme, which records numbers of protected species bycaught in specific fisheries across Scottish waters. Between 2015 and 2022, this programme observed one incident of harbour porpoise bycatch.

In addition to at sea monitoring programmes, information collected through the Scottish Marine Animal Strandings Scheme (SMASS) can be valuable in investigating the cause of death of marine animals stranded around the Scottish coast. While the scheme has recorded bycatch and entanglement as a cause of death in some strandings, it can be difficult to distinguish between active and lost or discarded fishing gear. Annual reports can be found on the SMASS website: Published Reports - SMASS (strandings.org) .

Yes, on 8 November 2021 the Scottish Government published A Review of the Existing Literature and Evidence on Young People Experiencing Harms from Alcohol and Drugs in Scotland.

The review can be found here: A Review of the Existing Literature and Evidence on Young People Experiencing Harms from Alcohol and Drugs in Scotland (www.gov.scot)

I will update Parliament in November and the Investor Panel recommendations will be published on the Scottish Government website by the end of 2023.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-21029 on 13 September 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 .