Chamber and committees

In our response to the recent report by the Rural Affairs and Islands Committee, we committed to prioritising progress to introduce penalties for fish farm escapes in 2026-2027 and to publishing a revised Technical Standard for Scottish Finfish Aquaculture in 2027-2028.

The escape of fish from a fish farm is not a statutory offence. However, the Fish Health Inspectorate assesses whether satisfactory measures are in place on farms for the containment of fish. Where they are not, Scottish Ministers may serve an enforcement notice and failure to comply with this is an offence.

The Scottish Government has published some information already on costs. Final costs in relation to the case are still being determined and are not yet available. We will publish the total cost of the case when it is fully complete.

Legal costs for judicial review on gender representation on public boards: FOI release - gov.scot

Inner House appeal on the statutory guidance for the Gender Representation: FOI release - gov.scot

Legal costs of Supreme Court case against For Women Scotland: FOI release - gov.scot

In our response to Rural Affairs and Islands Committee Salmon Farming in Scotland report, we committed to prioritising progress to introduce penalties for fish farm escapes in 2026-2027.

In terms of environmental non-compliance, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency has powers to issue fixed and variable monetary penalties. Further details can be found on SEPA’s website: Enforcement | Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA).

A tribunal was constituted under section 21 of the Courts Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 to investigate and report on whether Part-time Sheriff Halley is unfit to hold judicial office. Under Section 24(2) of that Act, the First Minister must lay the report of the tribunal before the Scottish Parliament. The First Minister is currently making the necessary arrangements for the report to be laid before the Scottish Parliament within the next two weeks.

The Funeral Support Payment helps towards funeral costs, it is not intended to cover the full cost of a funeral.

There is a statutory duty to uprate the payment annually in line with inflation, unlike the UK Government equivalent which does not increase annually.

The Scottish Government published the Funeral Support Payment evaluation in July 2022, which found that the payment reduced the need for people to borrow money to arrange a funeral.

We are committed to continually improving Scottish benefits and last year made improvements to the payment, further supporting bereaved people.

The content of any legal advice is confidential.

Civil servants were involved in work related to For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers as part of their role to support and advise Ministers.

Public sources of information indicate that BAE Systems is among the contenders to supply new frigates for the Royal Norwegian Navy. No discussions have taken place between BAE Systems, the UK Government and the Scottish Government on partnership in the Type 26 Norway frigate campaign. However, given the potential industrial and employment opportunities for Scotland are significant, officials from the UK and Scottish Governments have held constructive informal discussions around how the bid might be best supported.

This information is not held centrally. The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

In respect of offshore wind farms, three consents have been issued since 1 January 2022. All three have requirements for ornithological monitoring via a condition for a Project Environmental Monitoring Programme (PEMP). In the event that further potential adverse environmental effects are identified, for which no predictions were made in the application, the Scottish Ministers may require the developer to undertake additional monitoring through the PEMP condition.

All information related to determinations made by Scottish Ministers in respect of onshore wind farm developments, including related conditions, is publicly available on our Energy Consents website: Scottish Government - Energy Consents Unit - Application Search . In cases where deemed planning permission is granted, any conditions of that deemed planning permission would be discharged by the Planning Authority.