Chamber and committees

As I set out in my previous response, the UK Government did not provide a detailed policy design or a full assessment of the potential impacts of zonal pricing on consumers, communities and businesses in Scotland.

We engaged with a broad range of stakeholders and noted that the available evidence on the impact of introducing zonal pricing was mixed. Some organisations highlighted the potential for zonal pricing to reduce electricity costs in parts of Scotland – but this would not materialise for another 10 years. Renewable energy developers and wider industry stakeholders raised significant concerns about the potential impact on investor confidence and associated risk premium which could erode any benefit.

Given these competing considerations, and the absence of a clear, evidence-based policy framework from the UK Government, the Scottish Government has not adopted a formal position either in support of or against the introduction of zonal pricing. Rather the Scottish Government calls on the UK Government to take immediate action to reduce the high cost of energy bills today – for example through introducing a social tariff.

The responses provided to previous questions reflect this position and are in line with the commitment in the Scottish Ministerial Code to be as open as possible with Parliament, setting out both the limits of the available evidence and the basis on which the Scottish Government has engaged on this issue.

The Women’s Health Plan sets out the Scottish Government’s ambition for Women’s Health which is that ‘women and girls enjoy the best possible health, throughout their lives’.

Phase Two of the Women’s Health Plan, published in January 2026, commits to transforming gynaecology services and taking action to reduce diagnosis times for all menstrual health conditions, including endometriosis.

As part of the work to transform gynaecology services, a National Gynaecology Plan will be developed and implemented. This plan will initially focus on addressing waiting times challenges, moving towards sustainable change, redesign and improvement for gynaecology services across Scotland. The plan will explain how women will increasingly receive high quality and effective care closer to home. As we redesign these services, we will work to reduce inequalities in access and outcomes, particularly for women in rural and island areas.

Youth work falls within the scope of The Requirements for Community Learning and Development (Scotland) Regulations 2013. This regulation, in effect, requires local authorities to identify need and plan provision of Community Learning and Development (CLD) in their areas.

As the regulatory requirements for CLD are placed with education authorities, the Scottish Government does not collate information on youth workers.

The independent review of Community Learning and Development (Learning: For All. For Life.) report was published in July 2024 and recommended that the CLD Standards Council should lead on work to develop a CLD Workforce Plan.

The CLD Standards Council have established a working group with representation across the CLD sector to progress the recommendation and have also undertaken a National CLD Workforce Survey which will provide more detailed information on the youth work workforce.

We are carefully considering the recommendations made by the Long Term Conditions advisory groups, established under the previous government, to inform our way forward for long term conditions. Our Programme for Government for 2026-27 will be put to the Parliament in due course.

Youth work falls within the scope of The Requirements for Community Learning and Development (Scotland) Regulations 2013. This regulation, in effect, requires local authorities to identify need and plan provision of Community Learning and Development in their areas.

As the regulatory requirements for Community Learning and Development are placed with education authorities, the Scottish Government does not collate this information.

I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-01058 on 13 July 2026. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.

At present, the Scottish Government has no plans to ask the Animal and Plant Health Agency or the UK Government to routinely publish fish welfare inspection reports.

However, the Scottish Government’s Marine Directorate Fish Health Inspectorate publishes reports of its inspections and visits, including information on fish health cases, sea lice levels and fish farm mortalities. For convenience, I have included the link below: Fish Health Inspectorate: inspection and farm health data - gov.scot.

A press release regarding the upcoming ban on rodent glue board traps in Scotland was issued on 24 June 2026 to the Press Association and included our main national media, local media and environment lists. Stakeholder organisations were notified as referenced in the answer to question S7W-01330 on 13 July 2026. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.

Information on the ban has been published on the Scottish Government’s website: https://www.gov.scot/news/glue-trap-ban-comes-into-force/.

Promotional materials, including flyers highlighting the ban were displayed and distributed from the Scottish Government’s Partnership for Action Against Wildlife Crime (PAW) Scotland Stand at the Royal Highland Show and GWCT Scottish Game Fair.

Furthermore, Scottish Government officials met with the British Pest Control Association (BPCA) in the months prior to the ban, which enabled the BPCA to produce communication material for their members in advance of the ban.

Of the £4.1 billion Scottish Government investment in affordable homes, we have now published Resource Planning Assumptions (RPAs) totalling £2.94 billion and within that the four year RPA for Angus Council area is £42.332 million. Planned budgets beyond 2029-30 have not been agreed.

The Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Act 2024 includes the option to introduce an authorisation scheme through regulations as set out in Section 5 of the Act, to allow the use, supply or possession of glue traps. However, we have received no evidence to date that introducing an authorisation scheme is necessary.