Chamber and committees

The Marine Directorate continuously reviews to ensure that its duties and functions are being discharged in accordance with all relevant existing regulatory regimes and legislative requirements. This includes all requirements under the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010. No dedicated review or reform of the Directorate is therefore expected in this regard as it is already considered as part of the Directorate’s business as usual approaches.

Marine Directorate - Licensing Operations Team (MD-LOT) has concluded enquiries into the possible pollution incident at Loch Hourn. The outcome is currently under review and findings will be confirmed by the end of August 2026.

Transport Scotland has reviewed the Detailed Options Appraisal Report for the Newburgh Transport Appraisal produced for SEStran and the Newburgh Train Station Campaign.

I expect to receive official advice soon, which will determine further action and next steps.

Please find the following tables setting out Environment and Forestry Directorate research funding provided by Scottish Government to our Main Research Providers, The James Hutton Institute, Moredun Research Institute, Scotland's Rural College and The Rowett Institute in each of the last 10 years. Also provided is proposed allocations for the Scottish Government’s 5 year Strategic Research Programme 2027-32. It should be noted that additional Scottish Government funding has and will be available in future to agricultural institutes through wider initiatives including, but not limited to, City Deals and the Just Transition fund.

Strategic Research Funding 2016-26 (£)

Scottish Government’s expectations regarding Caledonian Sleeper performance are set out in https://www.sleeper.scot/media/rerpktgb/caledonian-sleeper-grant-agreement-current.pdf.

In addition, Caledonian Sleeper agrees its business plans annually with Scottish Rail Holdings (SRH), who manages and oversees Caledonian Sleeper services on behalf of Scottish Ministers and is required to hold Caledonian Sleeper to account for meeting its agreed targets. The Member may wish to contact SRH for this information.

The Scottish Government is providing increased funding of £14.6m in 2026-27 financial year to support local authorities to maintain the School Clothing Grant. This includes a £400k inflationary increase on the previous year’s funding and represents an increase of £2.8m since 2021-22. We have committed to uprating funding in line with inflation during this Parliament.

Final decisions on tenor will be confirmed closer to issuance.

The Scottish Government is taking a range of actions to promote and support sustainable fishing practices in Scotland’s waters through the implementation of Scotland’s Fisheries Management Strategy 2020-2030 as set out in the Strategy's 2025 Delivery Plan . Scotland already has a strong fisheries management framework based on quotas, effort controls and technical regulations, and we continue to build on these foundations through measures that support sustainable fishing practices while balancing economic, environmental and social objectives.

We use quota management to encourage sustainable fishing, including dedicated allocations for the non-sector fleet such as 1,000 tonnes of North Sea mackerel for handline fishing. In 2025, we also introduced an initiative that provides access to additional west of Scotland cod quota for vessels using selective fishing gear and techniques or demonstrating a reduced environmental impact.

We are further strengthening sustainable fisheries management through the development of 21 of the UK’s 43 Fisheries Management Plans, the introduction of mandatory remote monitoring on high-risk fishing vessels, and work to improve fishing selectivity and reduce bycatch. The Inshore Fisheries Management Improvement Programme will also deliver a step-change for fisheries management — supporting a resilient, evidence-led and regionally tailored approach for the diverse and innovative inshore fisheries sector. All these measures demonstrate our commitment to ensuring Scotland’s fisheries remain productive, resilient and environmentally sustainable for future generations.

Caledonian Sleeper Limited (CSL) is responsible for the assessment of rolling stock on its services, with oversight from Scottish Rail Holdings (SRH). The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) is responsible as the safety regulator for ensuring that the rolling stock is maintained in line with the safety management system. The Member may wish to contact these organisations directly regarding this matter. The Scottish Government does not hold the information centrally.

Responsibility for assessing grid stability, system inertia and generational adequacy rests with the UK Government and the National Energy System Operator (NESO), as electricity security of supply is a reserved matter.