Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government is working with law enforcement partners such as Police Scotland, the National Cyber Security Centre as well as the financial industry in combatting fraud.

Police Scotland has established a cyber and fraud specialist division to enhance their response in Scotland, working with UK law enforcement and partner agencies. They will develop capability through cyber and online training, ensuring support and guidance for officers and staff. We encourage everyone to report suspicious sites to NCSC using the reporting tool on their website. We also encourage anyone who believes they have been the victim of a crime to contact Police Scotland.

Partners will continue to share knowledge and learning around fraud activity. Fraud is committed by a broad range of criminals, from domestic lone actors to complex international organised crime groups.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde deliver annual health checks via a nurse led team and in the most recent reporting period offered 1,468 annual health checks and completed 743. The full publication for the most recent reporting period can be accessed here; https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-annual-health-checks-for-people-16-with-learning-disabilities-2024-25/

The Place Based Investment Programme (PBIP) was established in 2021 as a five year commitment from 2021 to 2026 to support Local Government in delivering long term ambitions for place, town centre revitalisation, 20 minute neighbourhoods, community led regeneration and community wealth building.

The Scottish Government is currently progressing a Spending Review and, as part of this, we will consider future budget implications from 2026-2027 and how our regeneration capital programmes may be best delivered to achieve greatest impact.

The Scottish Government is providing £2 million towards the development of the Grangemouth Sustainable Manufacturing Campus as part of the Falkirk and Grangemouth Growth Deal. The project is being led by Scottish Enterprise and Falkirk Council, with Scottish Enterprise currently assessing the most effective approach to move the project forward, in order to develop the project business case.

(a) Total FTE – 281.4, which includes (b) Part-time staff 64.4 FTE; and (c) 59 temporary roles.

It is important to note that as a registered charity, the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh receives multiple income streams that contribute towards its headcount. This can include, for example, Scottish Government Grant in Aid, funding from research grants or self-generated income.

Information on funding provided to the Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh (RBGE) is available, within published annual reports and accounts. These are available at Accounts | Corporate Information | What We Do | Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-39888 on 9 September 2025. 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 Scottish Government is aware of the UK Government’s consultation on Landfill Tax reforms, and of the potential relevance for Scotland.

Any assessment of the impact in Scotland would depend on the detail of decisions taken following the consultation. The Scottish Government would therefore welcome early certainty from the UK Government on its plans, particularly regarding the arrangements for the lower rate of Landfill Tax.

Decisions regarding Scottish Landfill Tax policy will be announced as usual as part of the Scottish Budget.

The Scottish Landfill Tax and the planned Scottish Aggregates Tax play complementary roles in encouraging the substitution of recycled and secondary aggregates for primary aggregates.

Research commissioned by the Scottish Government, Scottish Landfill Tax: Lower Rate Review (May 2025) highlights in particular that the introduction of the Scottish Aggregates Tax presents an opportunity to reassess how taxation influences the volume of lower-rate aggregates sent to landfill.

Further consideration of the alignment and interaction between the two taxes will be undertaken once the Scottish Aggregates Tax is operational.

All applications for planning permission are decided on their own merits and, by law, must be determined in accordance with the development plan, unless material considerations indicate otherwise. The development plan consists of both National Planning Framework 4 and the local development plan for the area. It would not be appropriate for the Scottish Government to make comment about decisions made by a planning authority.

Through the Planning (Scotland) Act 2019, the Scottish Parliament legislated to allow planning authorities to designate short term let control areas (‘control areas’). Under these provisions, City of Edinburgh Council has designated the entirety of its administrative area as a control area. Within control areas, certain changes of use from a dwellinghouse to short-term letting are automatically deemed to be material changes of use requiring planning permission. It is for the planning authority to consider on a case-by-case basis whether changes of use that occurred before the designation of a control area constitute material changes of use requiring planning permission.

The planning system and the licensing system have different and distinct regulatory purposes. The purpose of planning is to manage the development and use of land in the long term public interest, whereas the purpose of short-term let licensing is to ensure the safety of guests and safeguard Scotland's reputation as a high quality tourist destination. Scottish Government guidance encourages anyone who is considering using a house or flat as a short term let to check with the relevant planning authority whether planning permission is required.