Chamber and committees

All homes and businesses across Scotland can currently access a superfast broadband service. The R100 contracts are going beyond that by extending access to gigabit-capable broadband – over 30 times faster than our original commitment.

The contracts remain on track to complete build in 2028. So far, over 36,100 of the 114,869 premises currently expected to receive R100 contract build have been connected. This means that approximately 68% of the total premises remain scheduled for build between now and 2028.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-24110 on 18 January 2024. 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 .

Improving fish health, reducing mortality to lowest possible levels, and ensuring satisfactory measures are in place for the prevention, control or reduction of sea lice is the responsibility of aquaculture production businesses. The Fish Health Inspectorate’s main objective is to prevent the introduction and spread of listed and emerging fish and shellfish diseases in Scotland. This is achieved by statutory inspection and sampling programmes, providing advice and implementing regulatory functions in accordance with the relevant animal health regulations. Details of strengthened regulation of sea lice on fish farms introduced by the Scottish Government’s Marine Directorate is provided in the response to S6W-24417 on‎ 22 January 2024.

Furthermore, over the time period the Scottish Government has also taken a collaborative approach to working with the sector, regulators, fish vets and innovation centres to better understand and address key health and welfare issues.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) does not have responsibility for the regulation of fish health. In October 2021 the Scottish Government identified SEPA as the lead body responsible for managing the risk to wild salmonids from sea lice from marine finfish farms. SEPA has subsequently developed a risk based framework for regulating sea lice emissions from fish farms which will be implemented from 1 February 2024.

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 .

Our commitment of up to £500 million strategic investment over the next five years, with investment of £67 million in the next financial year, will allow the Scottish Government to capitalise on offshore wind supply chain opportunities across the country.

This commercial and grant investment will help stimulate and support private investment in the infrastructure and manufacturing facilities critical to the growth of our world-leading offshore wind sector, underlining our absolute determination to truly maximise the economic opportunities and benefits from our offshore wind potential.

The Scottish Government continues to work closely with the UK Government on the planned delivery for their Advanced Manufacturing Plan which outlines £960 million for a Green Industries Growth Accelerator focused on expanding manufacturing capacity across the country.

Our National Strategy for Economic Transformation (NSET) also sets out our ambition for Scotland to continue to take global leadership in the design, development and operationalisation within the renewables sector.

Our Making Scotland’s Future (MSF) programme helps ensure a coherent and focused approach to the provision of support to the manufacturing sector.

Centred within the MSF lies the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland which represents investment of £75 million from the Scottish Government and its agencies to which drives an industry-led research and development group with the mission to make Scotland a global leader in advanced, sustainable manufacturing.

In 2019 the Scottish Government strengthened its regulation of sea lice on fish farms by reducing the levels of sea lice per fish at which the Fish Health Inspectorate (FHI) increases monitoring of sea lice on a farm, or takes enforcement action. The Fish Farming Businesses (Reporting) (Scotland) Order 2020 introduced, for the first time, mandatory obligations on production businesses to report average sea lice numbers per fish on a weekly basis. This better supports the Fish Health Inspectorate’s assessment of whether satisfactory measures for the prevention, control or reduction of sea lice are in place. The data is published one week in arrears to promote transparency.

Mortality reporting was introduced in 2015 and I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-24419 on 22 January 2024. From 2020 the FHI have altered their operational practice in relation to risk based surveillance and fish farm inspections, whereby inspectors will review documentation remotely in advance of onsite inspections, enabling inspectors to spend more time inspecting fish and farm operation.

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 Government takes animal welfare very seriously and is committed to the highest possible welfare standards. We welcome Ms Grahame’s effort with the Welfare of Dogs (Scotland) Bill and support the general principles of the Bill. We need to emphasise to people that they must be responsible owners and act responsibly when deciding to buy a dog or take one into their lives.

The Scottish Government and its relevant agencies proactively consider the potential impacts of any introduction of, or changes to, regulatory controls in place to prevent damage to the marine environment. When a new regulatory control is being considered for the purpose of maintaining the environment, consultation is the standard approach applied by the relevant body prior to explore all potential impacts, including those relating to fish health. Recent examples include consultation by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) throughout its development of the forthcoming spatial framework for managing interactions between sea lice from marine fish farm developments and wild Atlantic salmon, SEPA published its response to its most recent consultation on 7 December 2023. In addition, the Scottish Government undertook consultation on the implementation of the new Environmental Quality Standard for Emamectin Benzoate. This consultation closed on 24 July 2023 and responses are being carefully considered.

Research into sea-lice infestation dynamics is an ongoing area of interest for the Scottish Government’s Marine Directorate. Most notably, in 2015 we initiated a ten-year programme of research to investigate any potential risk to wild salmon from sea lice in the Scottish coastal environment titled ‘The interactions and effects of sea lice on wild salmon’ (project number FW0050).

The Scottish Government takes a serious and proactive approach to road safety and has a specific procedure (Management of Occupational Road Risk (MORR) contained within the organisation’s Health and Safety Management System (HSMS) policy.

The purpose of the MORR procedure is to ensure the organisation meets its obligations under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, to protect not only staff, but also other road users.

Included in the procedure are a number of steps to identify, mitigate and manage the risks associated with occupational driving, including: promotion of correct mode of transport e.g. consideration if driving is the most appropriate option, conducting and regularly reviewing risk assessments for all aspects of driving activities, annual e-learning Driver Safety Awareness training, completion of annual self-declaration forms, and being formally authorised to drive for official business prior to driving for work purposes.

Staff specifically employed to drive as their main work objective are required to complete an initial driver assessment as part of the recruitment process, and are also provided with additional training and work towards ROSPA advanced driver certification.

This delivers a proactive, supportive approach to the associated risks, and promotes transferable skills and experience which can be utilised outwith the work environment.

All new fleet vehicles are specified with the latest driver safety aids, wherever possible, and vehicles are maintained, as a minimum, in accordance with manufacturers recommended guidelines, and are frequently inspected to ensure they are in a safe and serviceable condition at all times.

We also have a policy where tyres are replaced when they reach below 3mm, which is well above the legal threshold of 1.6mm.

There are currently 5 Cabinet Sub-Committees in operation, the titles and membership of which are set out in the following table.