Chamber and committees

I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-02777 on 15 September 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

The Scottish Government has no current plans to establish a pilot network of static-gear reserves in the Firth of Clyde Nephrops Functional Unit, including reserves with agreed environmental, fisheries, employment and community objectives and independent monitoring.

While there is no legal mechanism to take into account the cultural significance of the guga hunt when considering licence applications, the cultural importance of this activity has been recognised both by the Scottish Government and through the continuing specific provision that exists within the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to enable it to take place, subject to assessment by NatureScot as licensing authority. The Scottish Government has no current plans to change the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to remove this exception.

In considering an application for a licence to take guga, NatureScot must assess any application in accordance with the existing legal framework and based on the most recent scientific evidence. Before granting a licence, NatureScot must conclude that the activity would not adversely affect the integrity of the North Rona and Sula Sgeir Special Protection Area, including the gannet population. Having considered the evidence, NatureScot decided that the licence application for 2026 should be refused due to potential population impacts. This does not prevent future applications from being made, and any such application would be considered in full.

The Scottish Government does not conduct ghost gear retrieval activities and has no record of gear recovered by other organisations.

We fund KIMO’s Fishing for Litter initiative through our Marine Fund Scotland which supports fishers in bringing ashore and disposing of marine litter they catch at sea while conducting normal fishing activities. The waste brought in is mixed and includes old ghost gear.

Fishing for Litter waste since 2021

2021 – 195 tonnes

2022 – 139 tonnes

2023 – 185 tonnes

2024 – 214 tonnes

2025 – 176 tonnes

2026 – until 9 September 2026 – 79 tonnes

The Public Sector Food Procurement Taskforce has been established to make recommendations to Ministers on strengthening public sector food procurement of local food.

The Taskforce's remit includes identifying barriers to local procurement, considering the capacity and capability of Scottish producers and processors to meet public sector demand, and identifying opportunities to strengthen routes to market for local suppliers.

Whilst decisions on menu content are made locally, the Scottish Government is undertaking a range of activity to support greater uptake of venison across the public sector. The Scottish Government is already working with industry partners to support growth in the venison sector and explore opportunities to increase demand, including through public sector catering and procurement routes.

The Scottish Government is supporting activity to strengthen the Scottish venison sector and increase market opportunities. This includes funding of £75,000 in
2026-07 to Scottish Venison and Scottish Agricultural Organisation Society (SAOS), for a range of marketing and supply chain activities including work to increase awareness of venison amongst public sector buyers.

Alongside this, recent awards through the Food and Drink Processing Scheme Scotland have provided over £200,000 to three venison processing businesses to support equipment and infrastructure upgrades.

A range of voluntary processes are in place to assist prisoners to engage with appropriate support services following their release. These include the national third sector throughcare service Upside, who offer support to short sentence prisoners leaving custody, should they wish to receive it.

The SPS notifies each local authority of upcoming prisoner releases to their area twelve weeks in advance, to help inform the future operation of public housing and other local government services and social work activity, including local authority voluntary throughcare services (should the individual request that assistance).

Individuals who have no fixed abode upon release from custody are considered to be involuntarily homeless. It is the responsibility of each Local Authority to address the needs of potential homeless people in their area – balancing local need of all types, to local resources. The Scottish Government, Scottish Prison Service and housing partners developed the SHORE standards (“Sustainable Housing On Release for Everyone”) to highlight good practice in addressing the housing needs of individuals entering and leaving prison.

Prison based healthcare services will notify relevant community-based healthcare services in advance of a prisoner’s release. SPS officers and Prison Link Centre staff will assist individuals who are seeking to engage with public and third sector services prior to their release.

Department of Work and Pensions also deploy staff within prisons to help prisoners with benefit matters, including assistance to obtain their benefit entitlement after their release.

Where a prisoner’s sentence requires them to be subject to mandatory supervision following their release, the necessary preparations will be made by Justice Social Work services to align with the prisoner’s release date.

Prisoners who reach the automatic early release date for their custodial sentence cannot be detained further due to their status regarding accommodation or other forms of support.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring everyone has access to a safe, secure and affordable home. We are supporting this through investment in affordable housing, action to improve the quality and energy efficiency of homes, measures to prevent and alleviate homelessness, and strengthened rights and protections for tenants.

The Scottish Government, through the Affordable Housing Supply Programme has allocated £123.283 to Glasgow City Council and £32.384 million to South Lanarkshire Council. This supports the delivery of affordable homes and helps meet local housing needs.

The Scottish Government supports the application of the 3Rs principles through ongoing engagement with stakeholders, including researchers, academic institutions and organisations working to advance alternatives to animal use.

Through this engagement, we encourage the development and uptake of scientifically valid approaches that replace, reduce and refine the use of animals in research and testing.

The Scottish Government recognises the importance of improving awareness and understanding of Postural Tachycardia Syndrome PoTS among healthcare professionals to reduce delays in diagnosis and variation in the advice and support that patients receive.

Healthcare Improvement Scotland has completed a rapid evidence review on PoTS, and an interim signposting document has been developed to guide clinicians to current evidence-based resources for the management of PoTS in adults with Long Covid and post-viral syndromes. While PoTS is not limited to these contexts, this resource may be helpful where it is clinically relevant. The document is available on the NHS Scotland Long Covid Network website at: https://www.nn.nhs.scot/longcovid/for-professionals/.

The Scottish Government committed in the Preventing Harm, Promoting Recovery: Scotland's Alcohol & Drugs Strategic Plan to the publication of the range of actions it will take in line with World Health Organization advice as part of a future Alcohol Harm Prevention Plan. That plan will set out action to prevent alcohol harm in Scotland, building on the impact of policies such as Minimum Unit Pricing.

Whilst no decision has been yet been taken, the Scottish Government has continued to consider the appropriate next steps for minimum unit pricing. This will be set out as part of the Alcohol Harm Prevention plan in due course.