Chamber and committees

It is up to individual owners to consider how they manage their pets whilst evacuating their home with consideration given on how to keep them safe and secure. We would encourage pet owners to consider what to do with their pets as part of a home escape plan. However, escape should not be delayed in order to locate or evacuate distressed animals. The last known location of your pet can be given to the fire service on arrival who will consider this in their plan.

SFRS provide information on fire safety in the home on their website: Fire Safety in the Home | Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. They also provide information and guidance regarding wildfires: Wildfires | Scottish Fire and Rescue Service as well as advice on making an escape plan: Escape plan | Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.

The provision of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for firefighters is an operational matter for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS). SFRS is responsible for ensuring that appropriate PPE is available to support firefighters in carrying out their duties safely, including when responding to wildfire incidents.

The Chief Fire Officer has provided assurances to the Scottish Government that firefighter safety is an absolute priority and that both the specialist wildfire PPE and the existing standard PPE available to firefighters are safe for operational use when responding to wildfires.

Scottish Ministers expect SFRS to keep its operational equipment and PPE requirements under review and to have appropriate arrangements in place to assess the suitability of equipment for the risks faced by its workforce. This includes considering any requirement for additional or enhanced PPE in response to emerging operational risks such as wildfires.

Launched in 2023, SFRS’s wildfire strategy is supported by a £1.6 million investment in vehicles, equipment, and training to help respond to wildfire incidents around the country. SFRS remains committed to continual improvement of wildfire capability, informed by operational learning, staff feedback, evolving risk and technological development.

The latest Public Health Scotland statistics show that 4.4 million courses of treatment were delivered under the new dental payment system in the year up to 31 March 2026, highlighting that our significant and continuing investment in NHS dentistry is supporting access at a national level. However, we recognise areas of challenge remain, including rural and island areas such as Shetland. The 2025 NHS Scotland Operational Improvement Plan therefore committed to reviewing and refreshing existing financial incentives for the dental sector, to better support patient access in areas like Shetland, and this work is progressing well. The Scottish Government’s National Islands Plan also includes a commitment to explore alternative models of care and workforce incentives to further support the role of the Public Dental Service (PDS) in island areas. Additionally, in 2025-26, the Scottish Government provided £265,000 of extra funding to NHS Shetland to provide a temporary dental therapist and locum dentist support.

The Scottish Government is committed to supporting high standards of animal health and welfare and to ensuring that regulatory systems operate in a transparent and proportionate manner. Any decisions on the routine publication of inspection reports must balance transparency with legal obligations, including the protection of personal data and commercially sensitive information.

Scottish Government officials engage regularly with APHA on animal health and welfare matters. However, The Scottish Government has no plans to request that the Animal and Plant Health Agency or the UK Government routinely publish fish welfare inspection reports.

The Scottish Government does not hold this information. Operational security concerns, including data breaches are a matter for the Chief Constable and the Information Commissioner, who are operationally independent of the Scottish Government.

The Scottish Cyber Coordination Centre continues to monitor the incident and will engage with Police Scotland and any other Scottish Public Sector Body that may be affected if there are any developments.

Areas where large number of bathers are expected to use the water are designated as Bathing Waters for the protection of public health. This is typically throughout the summer months. SEPA convenes a Bathing Water Panel each year which makes recommendations on the duration of the bathing season and we would welcome any evidence, such as user surveys, of large numbers of bathers outside of the traditional bathing season (1 June – 15 September) to inform future decisions.

We have not undertaken analysis of the public health benefits of extending the bathing season.

An eight-week investigation by the Mining Remediation Authority has now confirmed that the cause of recent ground movement affecting housing in Coalsnaughton is linked to historic coal mining. This means that remediation and compensation is a statutory responsibility of the Mining Remediation Authority (MRA) as the relevant UK regulator.

We considered both paying Carer Support Payment in full to carers receiving state pension and a recognition payment for those with underlying entitlement, including those receiving State Pension, as part a Multi Criteria Analysis that informed proposals in our 2022 consultation on Scottish Carer’s Assistance. It found that while such payments would have a positive impact on recognising the contribution of these carers, it would require significant investment not targeted at carers on the lowest incomes. Many carers with ‘underlying entitlement’ receive State Pension which is typically paid at a much higher rate than Carer Support Payment.

The 2022 consultation and our response considered a recognition payment for long term carers that could be available to those with underlying entitlement. No decision has been taken on this proposal to date. Any decisions on increasing support for carers will need to take affordability and sustainability into account.

While the law covering the sale of fireworks is mainly reserved, the Scottish Government has taken steps wherever possible to strengthen the law around access to, and use of, fireworks. The Scottish Government’s most recent legislation, the Fireworks and Pyrotechnic Articles (Scotland) Act 2022, introduced a package of measures intended to reduce harmful and antisocial use of fireworks and pyrotechnic articles, while supporting the safe and responsible enjoyment of fireworks. Animal welfare matters were considered and the Act introduced new discretionary powers for local authorities to designate firework control zones. In some areas, zones have been used to minimise the impact of fireworks on animals during the Bonfire Night period.

The UK Government has recently launched a consultation on fireworks and pyrotechnics in the UK which can be found at: Fireworks and pyrotechnics in the UK - GOV.UK. Within the consultation animal welfare considerations are referred to and views are sought on a number of issues, including on restricting the availability of noisier fireworks to the general public.

The Marine (Scotland) Act 2010 provides the wider statutory framework for sustainable marine planning and management in Scotland. The allocation of fishing opportunities is, however, governed more specifically by section 25 of the Fisheries Act 2020 and by the Joint Fisheries Statement.

The Joint Fisheries Statement requires UK fisheries policy authorities to keep policies on the distribution of fishing opportunities under review. The Scottish Government has done so, including through the Future Fisheries Management programme and subsequent work on the allocation of Scotland’s share of Additional Quota.

That work has considered the role of the Fixed Quota Allocation system and how Scotland’s fishing opportunities can support environmental, social and economic outcomes, including for coastal and island communities. Following consultation, the Scottish Government introduced revised arrangements for Additional Quota, including allocations based on historic track record, targeted support for the non-sector fleet, and a pilot application-based approach for West of Scotland cod.

Separately, the Scottish Government also uses the Economic Link licence condition to help ensure that the benefits from access to Scottish fishing opportunities are realised in Scotland’s coastal and island communities, including through landings into Scotland.

The Scottish Government is considering the timing and scope of further consultation on the allocation of Additional Quota.

We will continue to keep quota management arrangements under review, including longer-term options such as community quota initiatives, to support sustainable fisheries management and the continued contribution of fishing to Scotland’s coastal and island communities.