Chamber and committees

Research has shown that employee-owned businesses and other inclusive ownership models are fairer, more inclusive places to work and as a result enjoy greater financial and social resilience.

The Scottish Government’s commitment to increase the number of employee owned businesses seeks to widen the benefits of employee ownership to as many businesses and as many employee-owners as possible across Scotland. For this reason the number relates to businesses operating in and based in Scotland.

The Scottish Government does not currently have guidance for people who may be trapped in a cult, or for those who believe their loved ones are trapped in a cult.

We are aware of the recently published UK Government Faith review “Does Government do God” which recommends that Government should fund a programme that supports vulnerable people to leave high demand groups or high-control movements (often referred to as Cults) or religious groups. We will continue to build our understanding on how the Scottish Government can best support vulnerable people and communities.

However, if any criminal activity is suspected in relation to a cult this should be reported to Police Scotland immediately. Any form of exploitation or criminal coercion is completely unacceptable, and we condemn it in the strongest terms.

The latest census on employee owned businesses was undertaken in March 2022. At that time there were 146 Scottish-registered employee-owned businesses and worker co-operatives and 49 non-Scottish registered employee-owned businesses.

Co-Operative Development Scotland, funded through Scottish Enterprise, continues to work to raise awareness of the value of co-operative and employee ownership models and provides specialist advice and support to businesses making the transition to employee ownership.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-17176 on 9 May 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

Preparing for Sustainable Farming (PSF) provides funding to farmers to undertake soil testing and analysis. Preparing and implementing a nutrient management plan on the basis of results encourages balanced fertiliser use for all plant nutrients. In addition, the Scottish Government-funded Farm Advisory Service (FAS ) offers a significant amount of high quality advice and support on a range of topics, the vast majority of which is free to the user. This includes the Soil and Nutrient Network, which is considering how to protect and improve farm soils and make the best use of both organic and inorganic fertilisers, saving money, benefitting yields and improving farm efficiency and resilience.

The relevant statutory requirements for land managers fall under the Action Programme for Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (Scotland) Regulations 2008 and the Water Environment (Controlled Activities) (Scotland) Regulations 2011 (CAR) General Binding Rule 18 – Storage and application of fertilisers.

Objectives/ targets for improving the water environment in relation to phosphorus and nitrogen impacts are set through River Basin Management Planning.

SEPA is responsible for monitoring phosphorus and nitrogen in the water environment. RPID audits farms for compliance with Nitrate Vulnerable Zone (NVZ) requirements and there are penalties through the cross compliance scheme for non-compliance. SEPA enforces CAR through its priority catchment work and other regulatory activities and can serve fixed penalty notices on land managers for non-compliance or in severe cases take a case to the Procurator Fiscal for prosecution. There can potentially be cross compliance penalties for breaches of CAR GBRs as well.

There is no statutory duty on the Scottish Government to achieve a biodiversity net gain.

Scotland’s draft biodiversity strategy published in December 2022 sets out a clear ambition for Scotland to be nature positive by 2030, and to have substantially restored and regenerated biodiversity by 2045. Five year delivery plans will set out the actions we need to take to achieve that ambition. We will consult on the first delivery plan in the summer. We will also bring forward a Natural Environment Bill, which will put in place key legislative changes to restore and protect nature, including, but not restricted to, targets for nature restoration.

The National Planning Framework also places a strong emphasis on securing positive effects for biodiversity as one of its six statutory outcomes (as identified in section 3A(3)(c) of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997, as amended). The recently adopted National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) includes a cross-cutting theme to improve biodiversity and our strategy and policies support development that helps to secure positive effects for biodiversity. NPF4 Policy 3 sets out that development proposals will contribute to the enhancement of biodiversity, including where relevant, restoring degraded habitats and building and strengthening nature networks.

Table 1 below provides the gross teaching funding allocations per Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) place in college in cash and real terms (2022-23 prices), since 2007-08. Please note that data between the periods of 2007-08 to 2012-13 and 2013-14 to 2022-23 are not directly comparable due to a change in methodology of how FTEs in college were calculated.

Glasgow Prestwick Airport periodically receives expressions of interest regarding purchase of the Airport. The management team at Glasgow Prestwick Airport follow due process in reviewing proposals to ensure that offers are credible and provide value for money.

It is important that we safeguard the integrity of confidential and commercial discussions to avoid any detrimental impact on any negotiations, therefore further disclosure would not be possible.

We have committed to updating Parliament at the appropriate time on the sale of Glasgow Prestwick Airport.

The information on number of households supported by our delivery partners through the Fuel Insecurity Fund (FIF) for 2023-24, has been built into our grant offer letters and will be monitored and captured through regular engagement and dialogue with partners across the year, with subsequent end year evaluation reports next year.

FIF partner 2022-23 evaluation reports are due to be received by end of June.

The Scottish Government plans to publish a draft of the next Climate Change Plan in November 2023, with a final version due by March 2025.