Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government is still in the process of developing its position on the keeping of exotic animals as pets. To ensure our position is balanced and informed by evidence, we continue to engage with relevant stakeholders and review available research, reports, and data, including reports produced by the Scottish Animal Welfare Commission and Scotland's Rural College.

International trade is reserved to the UK Government. The Scottish Government regularly engages with the UK Government on trade negotiations and has consistently emphasised that agri-food trade agreements should uphold Scotland’s high animal welfare and food standards.

We have also highlighted the importance of trade to Scotland’s food security. The Scottish Government welcomed the outline UK-EU SPS and Veterinary Agreement announced on 19 May 2025 and will continue to press for Scotland’s interests, including high agri-food standards, to be reflected in future trade negotiations.

The Scottish Government is committed to meeting its obligations under the Equality Act 2010, including the Public Sector Equality Duty. Responsibility for the accessibility and affordability of outdoor areas is shared across Scottish Government and a range of other public bodies.

Equality and human rights considerations are taken into account throughout Government with an expectation that the impacts of policies on protected groups, including disabled people and minority ethnic communities are assessed. This is supported through impact assessment processes, stakeholder engagement and the use of equality evidence. Closing the gaps in participation in the use of outdoor spaces is challenging, but the Scotland’s People and Nature Survey (SPANS), commissioned by Nature Scot, has showed some progress in the last ten years with respect to equalities groups and it remains an important priority for this Government.

Registers of Scotland maintains the Land Register, which, together with the older Sasines Register, record who owns land and property in Scotland. The Land Register is map-based and includes the statutory cadastral map. Further information on the cadastral map is available on the Registers of Scotland Knowledge Base.

Scotland’s Land Information Service (ScotLIS), maintained by Registers of Scotland, provides online public access to information on land and property in an accessible map-based format combining information from the Land, Sasines, Crofting and Judicial Registers.

The Scottish Government has not announced any policy to change the Land Register or introduce a different land information system.

S7W–02015, answered on 7 August 2026, sets the Scottish Government’s position on the regulation of fireworks.

The Scottish Government has engaged with the Scottish Animal Welfare Commission on mitigating against the impact of fireworks, including how the noise affects animals.

The Scottish Government will consider the UK government’s consultation on fireworks and pyrotechnics in the UK which covers reserved matters relating to fireworks and pyrotechnics regulation, including the noise of fireworks.

The statutory guidance for Local Authorities that supports Firework Control Zones, Firework control zones: guidance for local authorities - gov.scot incorporates a section relating to animal welfare matters, which should be considered. This includes evidence as to how animals are impacted by fireworks and references are provided within this guidance.

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 use of antibiotics as growth promoters was banned in 1991 across the whole of the European Union. That ban has been in force continually since then, including in Scotland.

The Scottish Government recognises the important contribution that co-operatives make to Scotland's economy and communities. Through the Community Wealth Building (Scotland) Act 2026, Ministers are required to develop measures that promote and support the development of co-operatives, alongside employee-owned businesses and social enterprises, as part of our wider approach to building a fairer and more resilient economy. We will work with enterprise agencies, delivery partners, and representative bodies to support that ambition.

The latest figures for co-operatives, from 2025, indicate that there are 593 co-operatives now operating in Scotland, with 800,000 memberships and a combined turnover of £2.1 billion.

In terms of support with a particular focus on food production, the Scottish Government has committed to £6M funding over two years for the Fruit and Vegetables Aid Scheme, which funds groups of growers, known as Producer Organisations, to encourage collaboration and increase competitiveness.

I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-01848 on 7 August 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

I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-01848 on 7 August 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

I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-01848 on 7 August 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