Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government fully recognises the need to tackle drug supply and organised crime groups. Police Scotland works with agencies in Scotland, the UK and internationally to take illegal substances, including synthetic opioids, off Scotland’s streets, and to dismantle the groups responsible and hold them to account. They continue to have notable success with the number of senior organised crime group members in prison indicative of operational success.

Our Alcohol & Drugs Strategic Plan, Preventing Harm, Promoting Recovery aims to prevent harm from alcohol and drugs, promote recovery and save lives. Grounded in human rights, the Plan sets out a clear long term direction for addressing alcohol and drug harms through a public health, evidence informed approach. The Plan builds on the progress made throughout the National Mission, and sets out a renewed focus on prevention and early intervention, whilst continuing to support vital harm reduction measures and improving treatment and care pathways to support long term recovery.

In light of the changing drug trends and emerging threats, the Plan commits to strengthening surveillance and early response measures, and expanding the approach of what has been achieved through the Medication Assisted Treatment standards (currently primarily for opioid use) to cover all substances including alcohol.

Since 1 January 2021, a total of 15 planning appeals for renewable energy developments in the rest of Scotland have been allowed and 11 have been dismissed.

The breakdown of that total by year and by planning authority are set out in the following table. The information includes appeals dismissed for context.

National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) places climate and nature at the centre of our planning system and makes clear our support for all forms of renewable, low-carbon and zero emission technologies, including new and replacement transmission and distribution infrastructure, whilst ensuring that potential impacts on our communities and natural assets, including cumulative impacts, are important considerations in the decision-making process.

The Non-Domestic Rates (Liability for Unoccupied Properties) (Scotland) Act 2026 (the Act) clarified the legal basis for local authorities to levy rates on the owners of unoccupied properties, subject to any reliefs that local authorities may choose to put in place, with retrospective effect from 1 April 2023. The Act gives effect to the original policy intention and the system as understood by local authorities and ratepayers, and applied by local authorities.

The Scottish Government does not hold information on any claims for refunds received by local authorities. This matter has not however been raised specifically by local government with the Scottish Government.

As a key provider of air services in Scotland, the Scottish Government regularly engages with Loganair on a variety of issues, including in relation to fares. Fare levels are, however, entirely a matter for the airline and the Scottish Government has no power to directly intervene in the operation of air services. The Scottish Government continues to operate the Air Discount Scheme which provides residents of Shetland, Orkney, the Western Isles, Islay, Jura, Colonsay, Caithness and north-west Sutherland with a 50% discount on the core air fare on eligible services. We currently expect the scheme to provide support to registered scheme members of around £15 million in 2026-27.

There are no national reporting frameworks for identifying and highlighting gaps in bridge inspections or asset knowledge.

Each bridge is inspected every two years as set out in the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges. For bridges within the trunk road network, which fall under the responsibility of Transport Scotland, our Operating Companies are contractually obliged to validate every piece of information we hold on every structure. This amounts to approximately 3 million data points and is currently underway.

The Scottish Government published The Implementation Guide for 20 mph Speed Limits in Scotland in October 2024.

This national guidance is in place to support a consistent, evidence-led roll out of 20 mph speed limits on appropriate roads across Scotland. This can be viewed at: The Implementation Guide for 20 mph Speed Limits in Scotland | Transport Scotland

The Non-Domestic Rates (Liability for Unoccupied Properties) (Scotland) Act 2026 clarified the legal basis to levy non-domestic rates on the owners of unoccupied properties, subject to any reliefs that local authorities may choose to put in place, with retrospective effect from 1 April 2023. The Act brought the statute book into line with the original policy intention and the position as understood by local authorities and ratepayers, and applied by local authorities.

The Financial Memorandum accessible for the Non-Domestic Rates (Liability for Unoccupied Properties) (Scotland) Bill set out the estimated costs associated with the measures introduced by the Bill including costs for local authorities.

Local authorities have not specifically reported any exceptional costs in relation to this Act to the Scottish Government.

As set out in our manifesto, we will work in partnership with others, including administering authorities in the Scottish Local Government Pension Scheme, to progress funding models that safeguard fiduciary duties, provide secure inflation linked returns, and can accelerate the delivery of affordable homes.

Contracts for Difference are long-term private law contracts that would continue to operate according to their agreed terms, unless and until amended in accordance with those terms.