Chamber and committees

126 pedigree bulls are kept at the Scottish Government’s Knocknagael farm, near Inverness for the crofting cattle improvement scheme.

We do not hold information on the numbers and types of livestock owned and managed by our farm and croft tenants.

When leasing agricultural land, the Scottish Government endeavours to use the Farming Opportunities for New Entrants (FONE) Group scoring matrix wherever possible.

Food Standards Scotland (FSS) has an established Risk Analysis process in place to assess, manage and communicate evidence-based advice on food safety risks. It is a joint process with the Food Standards Agency (FSA) to ensure the UK maintains high standards of food and feed safety.

The aim of the risk analysis process is to provide confidence that FSS and FSA advice delivers public health protection; is informed by science and evidence; considers consumers’ other interests in relation to food; and is independent. The process follows globally recognised frameworks for risk analysis. It is open and transparent and provides for a four nations approach.

When an issue is identified a risk assessment is conducted to estimate the risk to human and/or animal health. This may be done in consultation with external experts from independent Scientific Advisory Committees and Joint Expert Groups. Risk assessments will generally be conducted on a four-nation basis, with capacity for nation-specific risk assessments where required. Risk managers then consider which approaches could be implemented to manage and control the risk. Interested parties are consulted and other factors are considered alongside food safety, such as animal welfare, environment, economic impact, and any nation-specific factors that are relevant. The risk management advice can be used to inform ministerial decisions on changes to legislation, or to provide guidance on issues affecting businesses and consumers.

As part of its competent authority role Food Standards Scotland monitors and enforces regulations in marine waters, slaughterhouses, standalone cutting plants, game handling establishments, feed, and wine business, throughout the length and breadth of Scotland, this includes on the Islands and all rural areas where a business is located.

Food Standards Scotland (FSS) ensures consumers have access to accurate, science-based information on food safety. FSS focusses on digital engagement, stakeholder partnerships, and incident response to maintain public awareness. FSS continues to fulfil its statutory duty to protect public health by prioritising incident response, stakeholder collaboration and targeted digital engagement.

In developing policy and introducing new regulations and guidance, Food Standards Scotland (FSS) places an emphasis on engaging with stakeholders, in particular small businesses. In gathering evidence for policy changes, FSS follows the Scottish Government Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment (BRIA) process which requires proposals to be discussed with a selection of businesses. FSS also provides a variety of resources free of charge on its website including guidance and online training from advice to new business start-ups to technical matters such as providing allergen information to consumers and how to apply for a regulated product authorisation.

While our response to the Independent Review of Audiology is implemented, we continue to work with the NHS, Third Sector and private providers to identify an appropriate model of community care for any future service reform, and ensure that the voices of those with lived experience inform this work.

The Scottish Government does not hold any information relating to individual NHS Board delivery of audiology services.

Food Standards Scotland (FSS) uses a data-driven approach to measure the effectiveness of its public awareness campaigns, ensuring they drive meaningful change in consumer behaviour and food safety awareness. The evaluation methods include:

Consumer Tracking & Surveys FSS Consumer Tracker: Regular surveys assess consumer awareness, understanding, and trust in FSS. Recent results show 8 in 10 adults in Scotland have heard of FSS.

Pre- and Post-Campaign Research: Evaluates shifts in public perception and behaviour before and after key campaigns.

Social Media Metrics: Engagement rates (likes, shares, comments) and reach help measure the impact of online campaigns.

Website Analytics: Tracking page views, dwell time, and downloads of guidance materials indicates audience interest and information retention.

Media Coverage Analysis: Volume, sentiment, and audience reach of press and broadcast coverage provide insights into campaign effectiveness.

Food Safety & Fraud Reporting: Changes in public reporting of food safety concerns and food crime cases following awareness efforts.

Public Sentiment Analysis: Social listening tools help gauge real-time reactions to food safety incidents and misinformation.

Quarterly Reporting to the Executive Management Board & Finance and Business Committee (FBC): Key performance indicators (KPIs) track campaign success.

Lessons Learned Assessments: Inform future improvements to communications strategy.

a. Food Standards Scotland liaises extensively with the Food Standards Agency, who are responsible for food safety in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, before advising Scottish Ministers of the need to amend any food safety legislation in Scotland. This is undertaken in line with the provisionally agreed Common Framework for Food Safety and Hygiene.

b. The UK is an active member of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex), the body responsible for developing international food standards, guidelines and codes of practice. Codex standards aim to harmonise national food safety regulations to ensure safety, quality and fairness in international food trade and to protect consumers. Food Standards Scotland and the Food Standards Agency liaise with the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the lead UK Government Department for Codex, to represent the UK position in Codex on food safety matters within our remit, such as food hygiene, food additives, methods analysis and sampling, food contaminants and imports import and export certification systems.

Food made from Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) is classed as a regulated product. Therefore, it must undergo rigorous pre-market safety and risk analysis before sale in Scotland. This analysis will inform Food Standards Scotland (FSS) risk management recommendations to Scottish Ministers who decide whether to authorise a product. The FSS Regulated Products Service monitors all GMO products, and all businesses are legally required to report any new/emerging information that may affect the safety of an authorised product. The FSS Website contains guidelines for GMO’s including labelling and traceability and links to the register of authorised GMO’s.