Chamber and committees

As an independent non-departmental body, the Care Inspectorate operates at arm’s length from Government and issues its own guidance independently from the Scottish Government to maintain its role as an impartial and objective regulator.

The Scottish Government provides funding to a range of organisations through several different funding streams. Each fund has its own set of monitoring and reporting requirements to assess that the recipient is meeting the criteria of the fund. We expect all organisations in receipt of Scottish Government funding to comply with the law.

Funding has been identified in the 2025-26 budget for a potential contract start on NIFS Freighter replacements. The outline business case work has identified a Freight Flex option as the preferred concept for the two replacement vessels, with higher freight capacity, higher operating speed, and ability to carry up to 200 passengers. CMAL will be progressing a two stage competitive procurement starting soon with a view to signing contracts in early 2026, subject to relevant processes and approval of the final business case.

The delivery of two new vessels for the NIFS routes from Aberdeen to Orkney and Shetland will support the communities and businesses using this service for years to come, providing additional capacity, particularly during the peak summer and livestock movements periods.

All public bodies must comply with the law. It is not for the Scottish Government to direct public bodies in matters relating to compliance with reserved matters in the Equality Act 2010, for which the EHRC is the regulator and enforcer.

Public bodies and service providers with questions regarding how the law may affect them in their circumstances should contact the EHRC as it is the body responsible for regulating and enforcing the Equality Act 2010.

As the Care Inspectorate is an independent non-departmental body, it operates at arm’s length from Government. The Care Inspectorate issues its own guidance independently from the Scottish Government to maintain its role as an impartial and objective regulator.

There are many ways in which the Scottish Government consults citizens and organisations. For example, through written consultations, which are open to anyone who is interested in contributing their views, public and stakeholder meetings, focus groups, and questionnaires. In addition, the Scottish Government engages regularly with a wide range of stakeholders, including organisations working to promote gender equality and women's rights.

We will shortly begin engaging with stakeholders and women with diverse lived experience on the development of a strategy to tackle gender inequality and realise the rights of women and girls and we will take steps to ensure that we hear the perspectives of a range of organisations that work with women and girls and advocate for their rights.

Scotland already produces a wide range of fruit and vegetables; the Scottish Government provides funding through the Fruit and Vegetables Aid Scheme enabling groups of growers, recognised as Producer Organisations (POs), to increase their competitiveness in the supply chain. We have confirmed that support for the Fruit and Vegetables Aid Scheme in Scotland will continue for another round of operational programmes from 2026, and remain committed to supporting the valuable fruit and vegetable sector in Scotland.

The Scottish Government recently carried out a consultation looking to review livestock feed controls. We are currently analysing responses to our proposals to relax rules to allow wider use of processed animal protein (PAP) in animal feed. These changes would allow our legislation to reflect current scientific evidence and advice, and allow business innovation in the animal feed sector. They would also allow the Scottish Government to support industry in achieving sustainable farming goals by reducing reliance on imported Soyabean and fishmeal protein for poultry and pig feed.

The Scottish Government’s Land Use Strategy supports our ambition to achieve sustainable land use in Scotland.

The third Strategy was published in March 2021 and resets our focus on the integrated nature of land use, by showcasing the range of demands and benefits we get from our land.

It is through understanding these multiple and sometimes conflicting relationships that we can look to secure the fine balance that will be needed to allow our land to contribute sustainably to our multiple long term national priorities.

The initial development of Scotland’s fourth Land Use Strategy began in late 2024, with the final strategy due for publication in 2026. It will continue our focus on integration and deriving multiple benefits from land.

We are currently working to finalise the Bioenergy Policy Statement (BPS).The draft BPS sets out the ambition for the future of bioenergy, including outlining principles and priorities for biomass use, pathways for bioenergy with carbon capture and storage, and the potential to scale up the domestic planting of perennial energy crops. Developing a thriving and homegrown market for the domestic production of energy crops can help deliver a just transition for our energy sector and provide opportunities for rural communities.

Our draft BPS highlights that expanding the domestic planting of energy crops must only be done where it does not negatively impact wider land use needs, and requirements, such as sustainable food production, and development of the bioenergy sector must align with and support Scotland’s goals for protecting and restoring nature.

The Scottish Government is grateful for the latest advice from the Climate Change Committee on Scotland’s Carbon Budgets.

We will carefully consider the Committee’s advice before bringing forward regulations to set carbon budget levels for Scotland. This will include consideration of the target setting criteria set out under the act, and an assessment of whether the pace of decarbonisation is appropriate for people, sectors and businesses across Scotland. Any carbon budgets proposed via secondary legislation must provide an achievable pathway to net zero in 2045.

Work is ongoing on the development of the next Climate Change Plan which will cover the period 2026-2040. Parliament will be updated once the new timetable for the next Climate Change Plan is finalised. The forthcoming Climate Change Plan will outline policies and proposals which will set out in further detail how we intend to deliver action to tackling climate change across all key areas of the economy, including land use. It will, of course, be subject to all necessary impact assessments to ensure rural and island interests are fully considered.

The Scottish Government is fully committed to continuing to support our agricultural industry with both the core role of sustainable food production and in terms of integrated land use, we are also in the process of developing our Land Use and Agriculture Just Transition Plan. This plan will focus on the wider livelihoods, skills, health, and wellbeing of those who live in and rely on Scotland’s land and agricultural sector for their livelihoods and wellbeing, as well as focusing on supporting thriving rural and island communities.

Scotland has a strong record in attracting foreign direct investment and our Inward Investment Plan (IIP) plays a central role in supporting this by targeting key sectors including HealthTech, energy transition and advanced manufacturing.

Scotland’s IIP outlines a plan for Scotland to be a leading destination for inward investment aligned with Scotland’s values of fair work, net zero and inclusive prosperity. It takes an evidence-led approach to identifying Scotland’s strengths, aligning these with current and projected global investment flows, and set out a series of actions to attract high quality inward investment to Scotland.

The Scottish Government and Enterprise Agencies work closely with both domestic and international businesses to secure and grow their operations in Scotland, ensuring long-term economic benefit and job creation.

ZeroAvia’s recent investment at Glasgow Airport, is one example of how our approach to inward investment, aligned with our values and net zero goals, is delivering real results, and creating high-value jobs. Scotland remains the top UK location for inward investment outside of London for the ninth year running, securing a record 142 projects in 2023 – a testament to the strength of our strong investment approach.