Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government has no plans to review the licensing framework regulating cat breeding; nor do we have any current plans to reduce the threshold for licensing from 3 litters in any 12-month period to 2. Responsibility for enforcing the legislation regulating cat breeding sits with local authorities and it is the responsibility of local authorities to ensure that cat breeders are licensed. Any member of the public can report cat breeders suspected of operating without a licence to the appropriate local authority and this can already be done on an anonymised basis, so we do not believe that a separate reporting system is necessary.

On 11 June 2026, the First Minister will announce £400,000 to support Craig Ferguson’s impressive Tartan Trek across America to raise money for Scottish Action on Mental Health (SAMH) ahead of the World Cup. This money will help SAMH to deliver The Nook.

The Scottish Government is delighted to support the Tartan Trek campaign to help SAMH continue its important work around mental health and wellbeing.

We are committed to expanding access to mental health support across Scotland, including through the development of community-based mental health hubs like the Nook. This initial investment will support SAMH as it expands its network across Scotland.

We congratulate Craig Ferguson on his Tartan Trek and thank him for his work to raise awareness about the importance of talking about mental health issues and on encouraging people to access support for mental health.

The Scottish Government has extended the Whole Family Wellbeing Funding Programme (WFWF) into 2026-27, this includes providing £38.1 million for Children's Services Planning Partnerships (CSPPs) to continue the transformation of holistic whole family support in local communities. To ensure funding is tailored to meet local needs, each CSPP is responsible for deciding how to spend their allocation.

Beyond this financial year, the Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan: Next steps and timeline - Fairer Futures Partnership Programme: evaluation strategy - gov.scot sets out our intention to integrate the WFWF, alongside the Fairer Future Partnerships and Early Adopter areas, including Dundee, into a single Whole Family Support system change programme from April 2027.

Existing funding arrangements will continue during this transition year, during which, we are working closely with partners on the design of the newly integrated programme; to ensure it works for them and for the families who need holistic whole family support most.

The Scottish Government’s running costs are reported in the annual consolidated accounts in note 5f Outturn Income and Expenditure - Operating Costs (2019-20: note 6f). The consolidated accounts can be found here: Financial reports and accounts - Government finance - gov.scot.

The table within the 2022-23 annual consolidated accounts restates the 2021-22 figures, therefore this should be used instead of the data in note 5f to the 2021-22 accounts.

Information is provided on a financial year basis which is consistent with our annual accounts publications. Therefore, the running costs for 2025-2026 will be published in the same location when available.

In 2019-20, a change in approach to operating costs was implemented, which means that comparable figures for earlier years cannot be provided. Previously, costs, including staffing, were held centrally as part of the administration budget and also as part of portfolio budgets for staff who were implementing and delivering specific public services. Since 2019-20, Total Operating Costs have been aligned with the portfolio budgets they support, replacing the dual system where both administration and portfolio budgets funded operating costs.

Assessors, who are responsible for the valuation of domestic and non-domestic properties, are independent of Scottish Government and Local Government. They are all chartered surveyors accountable to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, and are accountable for individual valuation decisions through the appeals function delivered by the Scottish Courts and Tribunals System.

Assessors use the established legal framework to determine premises’ rateable values based on the notional rental value that they could be expected to attract on the open market if they were vacant and to let. They follow applicable statute and case law in making their decisions on non-domestic property valuations

The Scottish Government supports the principle of assessor independence and the value of a property valuation system that is founded on local knowledge and expertise. A property valuation system based primarily on rental values is likely to produce valuations that reflect evidenced differences in rents in different parts of Scotland.

We recognise, however, the disquiet expressed by some business sectors about non-domestic rates. We will soon undertake a comprehensive review of non-domestic rates which builds on our commitment to examine the impact and configuration of all our reliefs in advance of the next revaluation on 1 April 2029, and we will engage with businesses, working with them to shape the rates system into the future.

The Scottish House Condition Survey provides a snapshot of the Scottish housing stock in each survey year including the construction age, built form and primary heating fuel of Scottish domestic buildings.

Local Authority level analysis uses a three year pooled sample in order to mitigate the smaller sample sizes involved when analysing sub-national geographies. In this case, survey data from the period 2022-2024 are averaged.

The total number of dwellings using Oil or LPG as their primary heating fuel by Local authority over the 2022-2024 period is presented in the following table.

Table 1: Number of dwellings using Oil or LPG as their primary heating fuel by Local authority 2022-2024.

Train ownership and operational costs over the asset’s lifespan constitute a substantially greater share of total expenditure than the initial purchase price. It is therefore essential to explore a range of financing and procurement options to ensure best value for money and long-term affordability.

As the First Minister has set out in the previous government, we are making good progress towards initiating a programme of bond issuances from 2026-27, with a total programme of around £1.5 billion over the next parliamentary term, subject to market conditions.

As set out in the published outline business case (https://www.gov.scot/policies/investment-finance/scottish-government-bonds), this programme will support capital investment within our existing borrowing powers and limits. Any proceeds will be used exclusively for capital spending and infrastructure, in line with our legal powers.

The business case considers a range of borrowing options, including continued use of the National Loans Fund and other sources, and concludes that a bond programme can represent value for money while supporting our wider economic objectives.

ASLEF’s recent report on Green Bonds provided a useful contribution, and we remain open to further discussion and analysis alongside current Scottish Government policy for the procurement of significant contracts in the future.

In terms of bond structures, we are keeping our options open, including the potential use of green bonds alongside conventional or unlabelled issuances.

A number of factors can impact on the ability of individuals to secure legal assistance, for example the type of case and the existing workload of a solicitor. Being registered to provide legal aid does not require a solicitor to take an individual case that is a matter for the individual solicitor, and it is not possible to compel them to take a case. The Scottish Government recognises that this can be frustrating and has taken some steps to provide additional support to that provided by private solicitors.

The Scottish Legal Aid Board (SLAB) monitors the availability and accessibility of legal services, and The Civil Legal Assistance Offices (CLAO) can provide certain types of legal service to people who are eligible for legal assistance. CLAO both offers a casework service and also refers people other sources of advice and support, including solicitors who offer services funded by legal aid.

Solicitors can take on cases in other areas and applicants are able to instruct solicitors outside their own council area. This reflects both the flexibility of the legal assistance schemes and the willingness of solicitors to travel to rural and remote parts of Scotland to provide services where local provision is limited, meaning that individuals do not have to rely on local provision alone when seeking publicly funded legal assistance.

Funding this year is provided to provide specific support to Scottish Women’s Aid of up to £160,498 and the Scottish Women’s Rights Centre of up to £239,200 to provide bespoke legal advice and representation. A series of grants of £2 million to third sector organisations across the country has been provided to support early advice and resolution in communities.

In addition, the Scottish Government is providing funding of up to £1.5 million to support up to 40 additional legal aid trainees through the Legal Aid Traineeship Fund. Further information is available on the Law Society of Scotland’s website: https://www.lawscot.org.uk/qualifying-and-education/qualifying-as-a-scottish-solicitor/the-traineeship/scottish-government-legal-aid-traineeship-fund-2026/.

The recent Regulation of Legal Services (Scotland) Act 2025 removes restrictions which previously prevented charities, law centres and Citizens advice bodies from directly employing solicitors to provide certain legal services. Commenced on 5 March 2026, this change enables third sector organisations to deliver reserved legal services, including representation of vulnerable clients in court, without reliance on external law firms.

Legal aid fees were also increased by 13% from 1 September in regulations passed by the Scottish Parliament in February 2026. Regulations recently passed also made changes to criminal and children’s legal aid to make the process less complex, support early resolution, and guarantee timely representation for those most in need.

Finally, the Scottish Government is bringing forward a consultation on a Legal Aid Bill within the first 100 days of this parliament to explore how the legal aid system can become more responsive and user centred, and how it can better deliver outcomes in line with what we expect of a modern public service, while ensuring transparency and accountability in the use of public funds. Responses will shape the content of the Bill and inform the timing of its introduction.

I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-00543 on 10 June 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.

I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-00543 on 10 June 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.