Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government’s Palliative Care Strategy 2025-2030 - Palliative Care Matters for All – was published on 10 September 2025, alongside an initial three year delivery plan containing 23 actions intended to deliver on the eight strategy outcomes.

Whilst specific cost estimates, financial modelling or resource assessments relating to the implementation of the overall strategy have not been published, we have worked closely with delivery partners to agree the work plans and project costs associated with the delivery of the actions.

We are also committed to publishing annual strategy progress reports providing updates on the delivery of the actions. The first of these will be published before the end of the year and will outline how we are seeking to ensure value for money and best use of resources throughout delivery of the strategy.

I wrote to the Parliament’s Rural Affairs Committee on 3 September 2026 to notify them of my intention to bring forward a Scottish statutory instrument which, subject to Parliament’s consideration, will amend the number of Land Commissioners at the Scottish Land Commission from five to four. We expect the instrument to be laid in early October. The letter can be found on Parliament’s website: https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/committees/current-and-previous-committees/session-7/rural-affairs-committee/correspondence/2026/land-reform-scotland-act-2016-of-3-september

Following Dr Calum MacLeod's resignation earlier this year, there are currently four Land Commissioners serving as members of the Scottish Land Commission. The Tenant Farming Commissioner also serves as a member of the Commission.

SEPA has provided the following information on Fixed Monetary Penalties (FMPs) and Variable Monetary Penalties (VMPs) paid in relation to waste related activities under relevant legislation. The value of penalties paid in each of the last five financial years is set out in Table 3 in below.

Monetary Penalties paid 3S7W-02905.docx#_msocom_1">[AD1]

3 Any monies paid to SEPA in response to issued monetary penalties are transferred to the Scottish Consolidated Fund. SEPA do not receive Court Fine payments or Proceeds of Crime Confiscations.

In addition, where penalties remain outstanding, debt recovery action is initiated or repayment plans agreed. All outstanding unpaid Penalties have been referred to debt collection as of 7 September 2026.

The current cumulative value of outstanding penalties subject to recovery action or repayment arrangements is £66,003.67 for VMPs and £20,180 for FMPs.

These figures relate to the issuance of any FMP or VMP by SEPA for offences under Control of Pollution Act 1989, Environmental Protection Act 1990, Environment Act 1995, and Environmental Authorisations (Scotland) Regulations 2018. These figures do not include fines imposed by the Courts or confiscations through Proceeds of Crime for criminal proceedings in relation to illegal waste offences.

Survivors show great bravery and trust in our justice system when they come forward to report sexual violence. There has been a long-term increase in the reporting and prosecution of sexual offence cases, which in part reflects the growing confidence victims have in reporting, as well as the success of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) in prosecuting these cases.

The Scottish Government and COPFS meet regularly at both Ministerial and official level, and improving the experiences of survivors of sexual offences is a key area of focus. Through the Victims Taskforce, co-chaired by myself and Lord Advocate, we are working with justice partners to improve the experiences of victims and survivors, including those affected by sexual violence - in particular COPFS are members of the Trauma-informed Workstream of the Taskforce, dedicated to implementing the trauma informed knowledge and skills framework, and the Communications Workstream, which focuses on improving communication with victims and witnesses. The Taskforce’s work is informed by the Victims and Survivors Advisory Board, ensuring that lived experience is central to the development of a trauma-informed and person-centred justice system that better meets the needs of victims and survivors.

The Scottish Government has also significantly increased investment in COPFS over recent years, recognising the growing volume and complexity of casework, including the increase in sexual offence cases. The Crown Office budget allocation for 2026-27 is £259.9 million – more than double the Service’s published budget for 2019-20.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) has provided data on the number of illegal waste sites containing more than 20,000 tonnes in Scotland and this is set out in the following table. The data provided is based on the investigation progress as of 7 September 2026.

SEPA seeks to disrupt identified illegal activity as quickly as possible using an interventions approach to minimise the occurrence of ‘super sites’ as far as possible.

Further Information is available from SEPA.

Illegal waste sites identified with an excess of 20,000 tonnes of waste^[1]evidenced 

^[1]Waste remains in-situ with investigation ongoing. Tonnage not yet determined as deposits are above and below ground.

It should be noted that where SEPA investigations are still active, the tonnage may not yet be fully determined or it may be part of the evidence. As such, any data released into the public domain could compromise the investigation, influence witness statements, affect future court proceedings or impact the privacy of those involved. The data provided is set out to protect detection and investigative processes.

Throughout an investigation the calculated tonnage on site may increase or decrease, e.g. it may be determined that the illegal deposit initially identified as being above ground extends below ground level upon further investigation, resulting in an increase in tonnage. The actual tonnage of waste on a site can only be fully known once the waste has been removed and Waste Transfer Notes / Special Waste Consignment Notes / Invoices provide the definitive weight.

SEPA has advised that it uses a risk model that provides a score to allow prioritisation. At the start of 2026-27 there were 76 sites classified as high priority. Of these, 45 sites were identified as deposit of waste or disposal of waste by burial. Investigation and Enforcement action has concluded at one site with full compliance achieved and this will not be included in the data set.

Since the start of 2026-27 a further six high-priority illegal waste sites have been identified, providing a total of 50 high-priority waste sites being actively investigated. Of these 50 sites, 7 have been sufficiently disrupted to reduce the risk to the environment and communities however, investigations will continue until the identified outcome has been achieved.

 High priority 1 monitored illegal waste sites.

1 For prioritisation purposes SEPA do not record exact or estimated tonnages. SEPA record estimated financial benefit so a calculation using estimated financial benefit and the UK landfill tax rate of £130.75 per tonne has been used to estimate tonnage. SEPA’s Digital Transformation Project will improve the data captured as part of a centralised repository of investigations. Where SEPA investigations are still active the tonnage may not yet be fully determined or it may be part of the evidence. As such, any data released into the public domain could compromise the investigation, influence witness statements, affect future court proceedings or impact the privacy of those involved. The data provided is set out to protect detection and investigative processes.

Throughout an investigation the calculated tonnage on site may increase or decrease, e.g. it may be determined that the illegal deposit initially identified as being above ground extends below ground level upon further investigation resulting in an increase in tonnage. Definitive tonnages of waste on significant waste disposal sites will only ever be available following site removal of the waste.

The data provided is based on the investigation progress as of 7 September 2026.

Further Information is available from SEPA.