Chamber and committees

As required by the Deer (Scotland) Act 1996 (the Act) NatureScot must have regard to Deer Code of Practice when exercising their functions under the Act, including when exercising functions under section 7(1) (control agreements) and section 8(1) (control schemes).

The documentation relating to this case explicitly states that regard was had to the Deer Code when exercising their section 7 functions. This documentation was published at the following link: Deer (Scotland) Act 1996 - section 8 control scheme: Loch Choire Estate - gov.scot.

Since May 2021, Ministerial oversight of the National Library of Scotland (NLS) has been led by the Minister for Europe and International Development until January 2022, then the Minister for Culture, Europe and International Development from January 2022 until May 2024. I took over Ministerial oversight of NLS in May 2024.

In that time period, I have not attended any board meetings of NLS. However, the Ministers and I have met when required with the Chief Executive as is normal convention for non-departmental public bodies.

I was the only Scottish Minister in attendance at COP30 in Belem, Brazil. I was supported by three Scottish Government officials. The delegation attended COP30 in Belem from 10 - 13 November 2025. No Special Advisors attended.

Details of all Ministerial engagements and expenses are proactively published by the Scottish Government, including the costs of travel and accommodation. The proactive release covering November 2025 will be published in due course.

However, the programme included meetings and events with the Under2 Coalition and Regions4 Climate Networks, where the Scottish Government is co-Chair and President respectively, Global South civil society partners and youth leaders, and Climate Justice Fund Partners and funding recipients.

The Scottish Government’s objectives for engagement at COP30 were to:

• Strengthen Scotland’s climate finance and justice leadership,
• Continue to position Scotland as a leader in just transition,
• Build recognition of, and strengthen the voice of, states, regions and devolved governments, and;
• Enhance Scotland’s diplomatic and economic standing.

I undertook a full programme of bilateral and multilateral meetings, roundtables and speaking engagements in support of Scotland's climate priorities, including:

• Strengthening the influence of devolved, state and regional governments within international climate discussions,
• Ensuring climate justice and debt justice is at the heart of international climate action; and
• Showcasing Scotland’s leadership in renewable energy as part of an equitable, just and inclusive transition to net zero.

In support of international efforts to address the impacts of climate change, the Scottish Government confirmed funding for loss and damage, human rights and adaptation projects, as part of the £36 million Climate Justice Fund. Recognising that communities in the Global South, who have contributed least to global warming, are being hit hardest by the impacts of the climate crisis, £540,000 Climate Justice funding will be awarded to nine Latin American organisations supporting indigenous groups.

The remaining funding will help communities prepare for the known impacts of climate change – such as flooding and drought. It includes:

• £150,000 grant funding through the Climate Justice Fund to support a UN Special Rapporteur on Climate Change and Human Rights.
• £100,000 funding to Regions4 to deliver a pilot project aimed at helping a community in the Global South reduce its vulnerability against climate impacts, such as extreme weather or food and water insecurity, in a way that tackles existing inequalities.

More information on this can be found here: Supporting global climate action - gov.scot

Evaluation of COP30 engagement outcomes is a continuous process undertaken by Scottish Government Officials and Ministers. This evaluation takes place through the ongoing management of relationships with stakeholders that the Scottish Government engaged with at COP30. A full summary of the my activities at COP30 will be published in due course, in line with our standard transparency reporting on Ministerial international engagements.

The Scottish Government will draw on the discussions, learning and outcomes from COP30 to help guide Scotland’s approach to reaching net zero, including our Climate Change Plan, taking account of international perspectives and emerging global solutions. As always, officials will continue to engage directly with our international partners in a reciprocal programme of learning and capacity building to ensure that the Scottish Government’s domestic climate change policies are ambitious and effective.

My overseas travel for COP30 was approved in line with ministerial travel policy.

Associated costs for supporting officials in Belem, COP30, were:

• Flights x3 Officials - £19,060
• Accommodation x3 Officials - £18,698
• Subsistence and travel x3 Officials - £414
• Other associated costs (vaccinations) - £252

Any business flights taken by Scottish Government ministers and employees are offset by a carbon levy. The levy is used to fund carbon reduction projects that compensate for the carbon emissions generated.

Since May 2021, Ministerial oversight of the National Galleries of Scotland (NGS) has been led by the Minister for Europe and International Development until January 2022, then the Minister for Culture, Europe and International Development from January 2022 until May 2024. I took over Ministerial oversight of NGS in May 2024.

In that time period, I have not attended any board meetings of NGS. However, Minister and I have met when required with the Chief Executive as is normal convention for non-departmental public bodies.

This is a matter for NHS Highland and Highland HSCP.

It is important that young people are supported to develop an understanding of the history, heritage and culture of Scotland, and an appreciation of local and national heritage within the world. While the curriculum in Scotland does not mandate specific areas of history to be taught in schools, the experience and outcomes cover a range of key themes which are relevant to the Enlightenment.

For example, the social studies curriculum at second level states that pupils should be able to investigate a Scottish historical theme to discover how past events or the actions of individuals or groups have shaped Scottish society. The social studies curriculum at third level states that pupils should be able to show my understanding of how people and events have contributed to the development of the Scottish nation. Further detail on these and other Experiences and Outcomes is available at:

Curriculum for Excellence: Experiences and outcomes.

Within the social studies curriculum framework, it is then for teachers and schools to determine detailed courses of learning. The number of pupils in Scotland who sat Advanced Higher History was 1,305 in 2025. The Scottish Government does not hold data on the extent to which schools cover the Scottish enlightenment within the Broad General Education.

In the senior phase history qualifications, there is a further option to focus on Scotland: from the Treaty of Union to the Enlightenment, 1707–1815 as a field of study in Advanced Higher. Pupils also have an opportunity to undertake an assignment as part of qualifications in the senior phase and have the option to focus on an area of history which is of interest to them. The SQA’s Advanced Higher History course specification provides further detail on the Scottish enlightenment field of study, confirming that it covers cultural achievements of the Enlightenment, including: education and attitudes towards improvement; history, philosophy, social commentary; contacts with England and Europe; architecture, painting, literature; poetry and the languages of Scotland.

The Scottish Government and Public Health Scotland continue to support NHS Highland and Highland HSCP to ensure consistent, safe and timely access to vaccination across the area under the new model. The detailed timetable is a matter for NHS Highland and Highland HSCP.

NatureScot staff continue to engage with officials from the Highland Council Steering Group that is dealing with the issues of seagull management.

NatureScot staff are due to attend a Steering Group meeting with Highland Council in December. This was originally proposed to take place in November but has been rescheduled due to the unavailability of some staff.

The SMC | Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) appraisal is undertaken independently of Scottish Ministers. Making decisions about whether or not to recommend that people should routinely have access to new medicines is a complex task, and the independent SMC bases its decisions on the best available evidence provided to it.

Where licensed medicines, such as elacestrant and capivasertib, are not routinely available on the NHS in Scotland, doctors can use the PACS Tier Two system to request access on a case-by-case basis. The cost of the medicine is not a decision-making criterion when considering PACS Tier Two applications.

A Wholesale Distribution Authorisation (WDA) is typically required to legally supply a medicinal product to another legal entity, for example for a Health Board to supply a GP Practice. There is no requirement to hold a WDA where medicinal products are being transferred between different locations within the same legal entity, for example from a Health Board managed pharmacy department to a Health Board managed vaccination clinic.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is responsible for the granting of WDAs. The MHRA fees are in the public domain and vary depending on factors such as the number of distribution sites. In addition to the MHRA fees, there are resource implications in meeting the obligations and conditions of a Wholesale Distribution Authorisation, for example appointment of a suitably qualified Responsible Person.

NHS Highland is currently reviewing its distribution arrangements for vaccines. NHS National Services Scotland (National Procurement) and Scottish Government officials are providing assistance.