Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government has no plans at present to undertake a review of the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (Scotland) (Regulations) 2021. Section 28 of the equivalent regulations in England place a duty on the Secretary of State to periodically review the provisions of the 2018 regulations. No such duty exists under the 2021 regulations.

In its role as the statutory reporter on the National Park proposal, NatureScot made recommendations on ways in which existing structures in the South of Scotland could be further strengthened. These include:

• a stronger role and a long-term funding arrangement for the Galloway and Southern Ayrshire UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, with a stronger focus on nature recovery and community wealth-building;
• a more integrated approach to the planning and management of the Galloway Forest Park, with additional funding allocated to nature restoration, recreation and tourism;
• refreshed management strategies by Dumfries and Galloway Council for the coastal National Scenic Areas, and the completion of the coastal path as a key visitor attraction for the area;
• sustained investment in access and visitor management across the area building on the existing community led approaches such as Whithorn and Loch Doon;
• progress with the implementation of the regional land-use strategy for the area; and
• on-going support for the work of the Solway Firth Partnership.

We are grateful for these suggestions and will now take time to reflect on them.

As a starting point, I undertook a visit to Newton Stewart and the Galloway Forest Park in July, where I discussed the recommendations in NatureScot’s report with the Galloway and Southern Ayrshire Biosphere, Forestry and Land Scotland and South of Scotland Enterprise. We will now take some time to give deeper consideration to the reporter’s recommendations and consider how best existing arrangements in the area could be strengthened.

Earlier this year, Galloway and Southern Ayrshire Biosphere received a new funding package from South of Scotland Enterprise to support its important work tackling the climate and biodiversity crises and supporting sustainable development in the region.

The Scottish Government has not received any information regarding the delivery of a BE FAST stroke awareness campaign; therefore, no assessment has been made.

We have recently published a sexual harassment guide to supplement the refreshed Gender Based Violence policy for NHSScotland. The guide has been developed to support employees who are currently experiencing or have experienced sexual harassment in the workplace. This includes information on how to report incidents.

Information on the incentives available in Enterprise Areas have been published on the following Scottish Government webpage: https://www.gov.scot/policies/supporting-business/enterprise-areas/

As noted, Enterprise Areas (EAs) have access to a package of financial and non-financial incentives:

Financial Incentives

• Non-Domestic Rates (NDR) relief - the main devolved incentive, as set by The Non-Domestic Rates (Enterprise Areas) (Scotland) Regulations 2016. Further information on EAs NDR Relief can be accessed here: https://www.mygov.scot/non-domestic-rates-relief/enterprise-areas-relief

or

• Full Expensing Capital Allowances, available from April 2023 until the end of March 2026. Companies can claim 100% capital allowances on qualifying plant and machinery investments. The Full Expensing Capital Allowances are within the remit of the UK Government and information on their statutory basis should be addressed to UK Ministers.

Non-Financial Incentives

• streamlined planning process,
• high-speed broadband,
• sector specific international promotion and marketing from Scottish Development International , and
• skills and training support from Skills Development Scotland.

The majority of non-financial incentives have been mainstreamed into generally available support for businesses by both the Scottish Government, and our enterprise and skills agencies and are therefore no longer exclusive to Enterprise Areas. A non-statutory planning protocol, committing all relevant partners to work together to facilitate the planning process in designated Enterprise Areas, remains in place.

There have been developments in the broader policy landscape of targeted support for economic growth alongside EAs. In 2022, the Scottish Government agreed with the UK Government to establish two Green Freeports in Scotland. Geographically focused, the Green Freeports incentives package also includes provision of NDR relief in Green Freeport tax sites, as part of a wider package of devolved and reserved incentives. This is aimed at supporting cluster building and attracting inward investment across the geographically defined tax sites within the Green Freeports’ outer boundary. A similar approach to the Enterprise Areas planning protocol was taken in developing a planning protocol for the Green Freeports.

Like EAs, both Green Freeports have a strong focus on renewable energy and there is also some geographical overlap between the EAs and the Green Freeport tax sites at Inverness, Nigg and Leith.

In addition, we have also agreed with the UK Government to establish two Investment Zones in Glasgow City Region and the North East, also comprising designated areas of land in which a package of devolved and reserved tax reliefs and spending will be available. The Scottish Investment Zones will use these incentives to support the development of clusters and drive innovation in advanced manufacturing, green energy and digital technologies.

The Scottish Government remains firmly committed to supporting small producers and empowering them to play a key role in making our Vision for Agriculture a reality. This year, up to £1 million is being invested through the Small Producer Pilot Fund to continue to support innovation, resilience, and growth across the sector.

Those individuals or groups with a holding no larger than 30 hectares (excluding common grazing), are eligible, and as we move forward with the Pilot Fund, we will further assess additional needs for local communities and this sector, and how we can support them.

The member may be aware that the First Minister visited Orkney Auction Mart in February 2025, and there he re-affirmed Scottish Government’s commitment to supporting small producers and strengthening Scotland’s food supply chain.

As an example of this support, last year nearly £300,000 in grants were awarded to several private kill abattoirs. This funding supported a wide range of vital activity – from training private kill coordinators and upskilling butchers, to improving customer engagement and developing strong business plans. These facilities are essential to a thriving food supply chain, offering accessible, high-quality services that help ensure long-term viability for small producers.

Further targeted support for this sector will be detailed in the upcoming Rural Support Plan.

The Scottish Government will issue a monitoring template to NHS Boards shortly asking them to report on their progress towards implementation of the priority now actions set out in the Delivery Framework for Miscarriage Care in Scotland.

Once the NHS Board responses have been received and analysed we will consider how best to share information on progress.

The Scottish Government has not yet received feedback from NHS Boards. We will issue a monitoring template to Boards shortly asking them to report on their progress towards implementation of the priority now actions set out in the Delivery Framework for Miscarriage Care in Scotland.

Following our 2023 consultation Ending the Sale of Peat in Scotland, we organised a series of workshops and have conducted regular engagement and site visits with industry stakeholders to gather views. This will inform the scope and timing of a ban on the sale of peat for horticulture and ensure that it is right for Scotland.

We have also undertaken or commissioned research to address gaps in the evidence needed to support development of our approach, including projects which assess peat alternatives, undertake trials for commercial production and assess the readiness of industry for transition.

The lack of clarity around UK Government's revision of timescales for regulating peat sales, alongside uncertainty regarding legislative timescales across UK and devolved governments, directly impacts Scottish Government's ability to apply effective legislation for this devolved issue, given constraints of the UKIMA. Through sustained and determined engagement with UK Government and devolved governments, we are working to overcome barriers and ensure robust legislation to protect peatlands.

The Scottish Government welcomes the policy brief produced by the Rowett Institute on the potential use of hemp cake as an animal feed source in Scotland. We recognise the value of academic research in exploring sustainable and innovative approaches that can support Scottish agriculture to reduce emissions, improve resilience, and make greater use of home-grown feed alternatives. The findings of this research will help to build the evidence base that industry can draw upon as it considers opportunities for alternative livestock feeding strategies. I look forward to discussing this work further when I visit the Rowett Institute later this year.