Chamber and committees

Scottish Ministers are considering all the available information on bovine EID and technology use across the UK. This includes the ScotEID pilot findings into UHF, the results and analysis of the consultation held on Cattle ID and Traceability earlier this year and ongoing close discussions with the livestock sector. All potential impacts, including those on trade, will be fully considered before a final decision is made.

Scottish Government does not directly hold this data. Livestock traceability systems used within GB capture all death data reported and can easily identify farms of origin prior to slaughter. Scottish Ministers will consider all evidence available before a final decision is made.

The Scottish Government keeps a range of measures under consideration as it develops and finalises its Budget. Final decisions are communicated with the Scottish Fiscal Commission (SFC) as soon as is practicable. The Scottish Fiscal Commission is undertaking work to cost the proposal to mitigate the impact of the two-child cap in Scotland for 2026-27. The SFC plan to publish their supplementary costings on 7 January 2025.

The Scottish Government has continued to engage with Dumfries & Galloway Council and the regeneration funding announced in the draft Scottish Budget will support the delivery of the community's ambitions for the regeneration of the town building on their Local Place Plan - Creating Stranraer.

Funding will be subject to the Scottish Budget being agreed by Parliament and final allocations being agreed by Ministers.

It is not possible to provide information on the number of patients who were newly diagnosed with COPD following an emergency admission.

Figures presented in Table 1 provide the number of emergency inpatient hospital stays associated with a main diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) by year.

Table 1

Scottish Ministers are currently considering all the available evidence, including on technology use. An announcement will be made once Ministers have reached a final decision.

The Independent Working Group on Antisocial Behaviour is reporting to Ministers, COSLA and Police Scotland by the end of 2024. Its remit was to: Consider the effectiveness of current approaches to understanding, preventing and tackling antisocial behaviour and if, and how, these could be improved to develop a holistic long term strategic approach which will help to improve the lives of communities across Scotland. This should include consideration of whether a preventative approach would be appropriate and how victims of antisocial behaviour are supported and whether this could be improved.

As part of its engagement work it met with a number of representatives from the transport sector who had also been invited to respond to a national data survey commissioned by the Working Group. This report will be published in the first quarter of 2025 and will be considered by Scottish Ministers, Police Scotland and Cosla prior to a formal response.

Transport Scotland is exploring legal means to suspend access to concessionary travel for perpetrators of persistent antisocial behaviour of anyone of any age. Whilst this is being progressed as a priority, the National Concessionary Travel Schemes in Scotland are provided on a universal statutory basis. Therefore, detailed and thorough consideration of any process and penalty must be undertaken to ensure consistency and fairness.

The Independent Working Group on Antisocial Behaviour is reporting to Ministers, Cosla and Police Scotland by the end of 2024. Its remit was to: Consider the effectiveness of current approaches to understanding, preventing and tackling antisocial behaviour and if, and how, these could be improved to develop a holistic long term strategic approach which will help to improve the lives of communities across Scotland. This should include consideration of whether a preventative approach would be appropriate and how victims of antisocial behaviour are supported and whether this could be improved.

As part of its engagement work it met with a number of representatives from the transport sector who had also been invited to respond to a national data survey commissioned by the Working Group. This report will be published in the first quarter of 2025 and will be considered by Scottish Ministers, Police Scotland and Cosla prior to a formal response.

The Scottish Government published the updated Marine Litter Strategy and Action Plan in 2022, aiming to address the amount of litter entering the marine environment, to achieve ecological, economic and social benefits. The strategy steers our work up to 2027 and co-ordinates the efforts of our stakeholders and partners, working at a national and international level to help prevent and remove marine litter.

On prevention, we are working across the four nations to put an end to pollution caused by wet wipes containing plastic, with legislation forthcoming. To further our efforts in tackling sewage-related debris, Scottish Water, our delivery partner, has installed more than 1000 new sewer monitors across its waste water system as part of a major programme of investment to transform its network and improve Scotland’s water environment. We contributed to the work of the European Committee for Standardisation to improve the recycling potential of fishing and aquaculture gear, with a standard for circular design of gear published in November 2024. This standard also helps us as we continue to work across the four nations and industry to develop improved waste management systems for end-of-life fishing and aquaculture gear to reduce litter and improve recycling rates, contributing to our circular economy. Our work is not limited to macro litter, and we continue to work internationally to prevent pollution from microplastic pellets, which can be found on our beaches and risk the health of our marine wildlife.

On removal, we continue to fund the work of Local Coastal Partnerships, organisations that support and co-ordinate beach cleans and local community engagement. We fund litter removal offshore through the KIMO Fishing for Litter scheme, with 400 vessels now participating in Scotland, and removal at our rivers with the Keep Scotland Beautiful Upstream Battle project, removing litter that could otherwise travel downstream and ultimately reach our seas and beaches.

Marine Fund Scotland has been available to our delivery partners and external stakeholders for projects that support the delivery of the strategy. Successful applications have supported local community litter removal activities, marine litter education projects, and investment in fishing and aquaculture gear recycling equipment.

The disposal of litter and fishing gear at sea is covered by the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) Regulations. In UK waters these are enforced by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA). Scottish Government’s Marine Directorate Compliance Officers report incidents through our intelligence system to the MCA and periodically remind vessels of their obligations under MARPOL.

The Scottish Government published the updated Marine Litter Strategy and Action Plan in 2022, aiming to address the amount of litter entering the marine environment, to achieve ecological, economic and social benefits. The strategy steers our work up to 2027 and co-ordinates the efforts of our stakeholders and partners, working at a national and international level to help prevent and remove marine litter.

On prevention of marine litter caused by the improper disposal of end-of-life fishing and aquaculture gear, we contributed to the work of the European Committee for Standardisation to improve the recycling potential of fishing and aquaculture gear, with a standard for circular design of gear published in November 2024. This standard also helps us as we continue to work across the four nations and industry to develop improved waste management systems for end-of-life fishing and aquaculture gear to reduce litter and improve recycling rates, contributing to our circular economy.

On removal of marine litter caused by the improper disposal of end-of-life fishing and aquaculture gear, we continue to fund the KIMO Fishing for Litter scheme. 400 vessels currently participate in Scotland, returning to harbour litter that is passively caught at sea during fishing operations, which includes fishing and aquaculture gear. The initiative also provides education to support better waste management practices onboard vessels.

Marine Fund Scotland has been available to our delivery partners and external stakeholders for projects that support the delivery of the strategy. Successful applications have supported investment in fishing and aquaculture gear recycling equipment, local community litter removal activities, and marine litter education projects.