- Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Submitting member has a registered interest.
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 July 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Fairlie on 24 July 2025
To ask the Scottish Government was assessment it has made of any impact on cross-border trade of measures introduced to prevent the bluetongue virus entering Scotland.
Answer
The Scottish Government's Centre of Expertise on Animal Disease Outbreaks (EPIC) have undertaken studies into the levels of cross border trade between Scotland and England, with input from the Institute of Auctioneers and Appraisers Scotland (IAAS) to determine an economic evaluation of that trade on a monthly basis. EPIC have also conducted a study to assess the impacts on Scottish livestock movements in response to the England-wide restriction zone, with consideration to the control strategy which includes the requirement for pre-movement testing. The findings of these reports have been shared with key industry stakeholders in Scotland, devolved administrations and Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) colleagues for further analysis and discussion.
- Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 July 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 24 July 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how much it has allocated in total to the Islands Cost Crisis Emergency Fund in each year since it was established.
Answer
To date, £4,400,000 has been allocated to the Islands Cost Crisis Emergency Fund since it was established in 2022-23. This can be broken down as follows:
2022-2023
£1.4 million
2023-2024
£1 million
2024-2025
£1 million
2025-2026
£1 million
- Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 July 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 24 July 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how many applications to the Islands Cost Crisis Emergency Fund have (a) been approved and (b) not been approved in each year since it was established, broken down by local authority area.
Answer
The Islands Cost Crisis Emergency Fund is distributed as part of the General Revenue Grant to island local authorities which decide where, and how, funding will be directed based on their local knowledge and understanding of the impacts of the cost crisis on their island populations.
There is no requirement for local authorities to use an application process to distribute monies, although some may choose to. The Scottish Government does not, therefore, hold this information.
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 July 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Kate Forbes on 24 July 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether it is considering introducing a new offence of misconduct in public office.
Answer
The Scottish Government is aware of the Law Commission’s report on the common law offence of misconduct in public office in England and Wales and its recommendation that this is replaced with two statutory offences. The common law offence of misconduct in public office does not exist in Scots law. However, there is a comparable common law offence in Scots law of wilful neglect of duty. The Government is actively considering the Law Commission’s recommendations. Any changes to this area of law will require further examination.
- Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 July 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Fairlie on 24 July 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported concerns that Scottish SPCA guidance stating that, in the event of an animal requiring euthanasia, a vet should perform the injection rather than Scottish SPCA staff could result in increased animal suffering due to difficulties accessing a vet for the animal.
Answer
The Scottish Government is aware of the changes introduced by the Scottish SPCA in respect to how it deals with the euthanasia of wild animals. The Society has assured the Scottish Government that it is taking every step to ensure that animal welfare is not compromised by its recent decision and that its National Wildlife Rescue Centre is operating normally and continues to receive animals in need of care.
- Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 July 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 24 July 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what interim mechanisms are being used to monitor the performance of fracture liaison services while work on the national audit is ongoing.
Answer
Public Health Scotland (PHS) is responsible for implementing and delivering the Fracture Liaison Service (FLS) audit. They are working with NHS Boards across Scotland, to provide the necessary support as they develop the audit in line with Scottish National Audit Programme (SNAP) governance.
Scottish Government expects that everyone with a long-term condition to be able to access the care and support they need to be able to live well. As such, we expect that all NHS Boards have monitoring procedures in place to manage the performance and effectiveness of their services.
- Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 July 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 24 July 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-36002 by Jenni Minto on 1 April 2025, whether it or Public Health Scotland can provide an update on the timeline for the introduction and delivery of the Fracture Liaison Service audit.
Answer
Public Health Scotland (PHS), is responsible for implementing and delivering the Fracture Liaison Service (FLS) audit. While they identified some initial recruitment-related delays, these have been addressed and completed.
Scottish Government is satisfied that the FLS audit is on track as expected, and within the guidance set out by Scottish National Audit Programme (SNAP).
More details on the SNAP guidance and governance process can be found here - Scottish National Audit Programme (SNAP).
- Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 July 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Kate Forbes on 24 July 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what mechanisms it has in place to monitor any potential impact of the Scottish National Investment Bank’s investments on housing supply, including the number of homes delivered as a result of those investments.
Answer
The Bank publishes an annual Impact Report which illustrates the Bank's progress against its impact objectives. The most recent can be accessed at: Impact Report 2025 | Scottish National Investment Bank
As per the Bank's 2025 Impact Report statistics, since launch, the Bank's investment has supported the building of 742 Scottish homes.
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 July 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Siobhian Brown on 24 July 2025
To ask the Scottish Government which actions in the 2025 Report from the Independent Working Group on Antisocial Behaviour have been implemented, and whether it will provide an update on which of the remaining actions will be implemented, and when.
Answer
The Scottish Government remain committed to addressing anti-social behaviour in partnership with COSLA and Police Scotland who have statutory responsibility for developing strategies to tackle antisocial behaviour at local level.
Recent actions of the Scottish Government contribute to a number of recommendations. For example, we recently announced a £26 million investment in the next phase of the CashBack for Communities programme. The programme’s focus on supporting projects that divert young people from anti-social behaviour and towards positive opportunities is closely aligned with the report’s findings and overall direction.
Further actions from the report are currently under active consideration, and we will provide a full update on implementation plans and timelines in due course. A formal response to the report is expected to be published later this summer.
- Asked by: Clare Haughey, MSP for Rutherglen, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 July 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Kate Forbes on 24 July 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has given to Clyde Gateway in each year since it was established, broken down by the purpose of the funding.
Answer
The Scottish Government has awarded over £213 million of regeneration funding to Clyde Gateway Urban Regeneration Company (URC) from 2007 for the purpose of supporting the delivery of its 20-year operating plan. This includes direct support through annual capital and resource funding to develop and regenerate key sites identified in the plan, support core running costs and other activities it delivers in support of local communities.
Grant awards were made in each financial year are provided in the following table:
Financial Year | Capital funding £000 | Resource funding | Comment |
2006-07 | 3,022 | | |
2007-08 | 5,000 | | |
2008-09 to 2010-11 | 57,000 | | Three-year funding from 1 April 2008 to 31 March 2011 |
2011-12 | 11,554 | 746 | |
2012-13 | 17,725 | 1,525 | |
2013-14 | 19,525 | 1,525 | |
2014-15 | 9,290 | 1,850 | |
2015-16 | 1,816 | 184 | |
2016-17 | 3,070 | 500 | |
2017-18 | 5,000 | 500 | |
2018-19 | 5,000 | 500 | |
2019-20 | 6,130 | 500 | |
2020-21 | 6,000 | 1,000 | £500k revenue funding provided to support COVID-19 response. |
2021-22 | 9,000 | 500 | |
2022-23 | 5,500 | 500 | |
2023-24 | 5,000 | 500 | |
2024-25 | 1,000 | 500 | |
2025-26 | 3,000 | 500 | |
Additionally the Scottish Government agreed to a contribution of £3.8 million in capital funding from the Net Zero portfolio in 2024-25 toward the ongoing remediation works at Shawfield.
We understand that Clyde Gateway in delivering their strategic operational plan have, since their formation in 2007, developed numerous projects to support the communities. Information on all of the grants Clyde Gateway may have received from various funding bodies supported with Scottish Government funding is not held centrally in the format requested