The Scottish Parliament

Question reference: S6F-02735

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 22 January 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 January 2024

To ask the First Minister whether he will provide an update on how the Scottish Government will continue to protect tenants in the private rented sector after the expiry of the rent cap under the Cost of Living (Tenants Protection) (Scotland) Act 2022.

Question reference: S6F-02733

Asked by: Douglas Ross, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 22 January 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 January 2024

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6F-02734

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 22 January 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 January 2024

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6W-24418

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 12 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 22 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what action (a) SEPA and (b) Marine Scotland has taken to reduce the level of (i) sea lice infestation, (ii) gill disease and (iii) fish deaths in the salmon farming industry since 2018.

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 .

Question reference: S6W-24417

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 12 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 22 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what improvements have been made to fish health and mortality monitoring in the salmon farming industry since January 2018.

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 .

Question reference: S6W-24469

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 12 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 22 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to support renewables manufacturing that is not within sites designated as Greenports.

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.

Question reference: S6W-24420

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 12 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 22 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what research it has undertaken since 2018 on the potential impact that poor health of farmed salmon could have on Scotland’s wild salmon stocks.

Question reference: S6W-24495

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 12 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 22 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what support its Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy directorates are providing for the life sciences sector to increase research into brain tumours.

Public sector support for research and development does not sit within the Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy portfolio. This support is directed and delivered by the Scottish Funding Council (SFC).

SFC strategic initiatives, such as Alliances for Research Challenges, Innovation Centres, and Research Pools, aim to harness our research and knowledge exchange capabilities across a number of priority areas, including Life Sciences.

The Scottish Government continues to support high-quality research and innovation across Scotland, and has increased the investment in higher education capital to over £350m for 2024-25.

Within the Scottish Government, funding of Health and Care Research comes under the remit of the Chief Scientist Office (CSO). CSO provides funding support through NHS Research Scotland who are currently supporting 13 Brain Tumour Clinical studies with over 190 patients recruited.

Additionally, Scottish Enterprise are an active investor and collaborative partner supporting the life sciences sector.

Question reference: S6W-24414

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 12 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 22 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what research it has undertaken since 2018 to investigate the potential impact that environmental standards in the salmon farming industry have on the health of farmed fish.

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.

Question reference: S6W-24474

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 12 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 22 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government by what date it expects to have confirmed a university to lead the Centre of Teaching Excellence.

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Question reference: S6F-02735

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