Chamber and committees

We are working to overcome a number of complex issues that currently impede peatland restoration on common grazings. The Crofting and Scottish Land Court Bill will address a number of legal barriers, giving crofters and grazing committees greater control over how their land is used. In addition, we are working to address complexities around the long-term monitoring and funding of peatland restoration projects to encourage wider uptake of peatland restoration on crofting land across Scotland. This includes working with Peatland Action to develop incentives and tackle any barriers we identify when taking forward peatland restoration projects on common grazings on the Scottish Ministers’ estates.

NatureScot will also be trialling a new approach to support crofting and community demonstration projects this year.

The Scottish Government commissioned a study to support understanding of the challenges facing less favoured areas and to support future decision making in this area. This forms part of the evidence base that will inform on-going work within Agricultural Reform.

We have committed that in future LFA support will sit within Tier 2 to ensure that we continue to support those in constrained areas to deliver more for climate and nature.

Scotland’s Natural Capital Market Framework sets out our principles for responsible investment in natural capital. These include the principles that investment should deliver public, private and community benefit, and that investment should support diverse and productive ownership. The Framework includes public sector actions to implement the principles, however, the apportionment of any financial benefits arising from investment in carbon sequestration and other ecosystem services is negotiated on a case-by-case basis.

The changes to legislation proposed in the Crofting and Scottish Land Court Bill, in relation to undertaking environmental projects on common grazings, will strengthen the role of grazings committees and encourage crofters and their communities to have a greater say in how their land is used. By introducing these changes we hope to ensure access for common grazings to future funding schemes that incentivise environmental uses.

We considered recommendation 12 of the Deer Working Group (DWG), noting the importance of a balanced approach to statutory rights to preventing damage by deer and how best to balance the needs of occupiers with the rights of landowners. We have taken forward recommendations made by the DWG to improve the rights of occupiers in specific circumstances. Officials are due to meet with the Scottish Tenant Farming Association (STFA) to discuss this further, and will then provide further advice on the options available. This could include broadening the land on which tenant farmers can cull deer.

Thriving businesses are key to Scotland’s prosperity, and their success is critical to delivering the First Minister’s priorities.

The statistics for Scotland’s gross domestic product (GDP) cannot be split precisely into separate contributions from the public and private sectors. This is because they are produced using data classified by industry and there are public sector bodies in many part of the economy. As an approximation, the contribution to GDP growth over the last two years from the public sector dominated industries of public administration and defence, education, health and social work is presented in the following table. Note that there are some public sector bodies in the rest of the economy, and the education, health and social work industries also contain private sector businesses and organisations. These contributions are calculated using the latest quarterly GDP statistics available at https://www.gov.scot/publications/first-estimate-of-gdp-2025-q2/.

Decisions regarding the selection and specification of materials must be made by qualified design and construction professionals, based on the specific performance requirements of each individual project. This approach ensures that materials are chosen appropriately and responsibly, in alignment with the intended outcomes of the building standards.

The Scottish Government actively encourages innovation within the construction sector, including the use of home-grown and sustainable materials. However, it would be inappropriate for the Technical Handbooks to promote or endorse any single material, product or technology.

The following table provides data on proceedings and convictions for ‘having an article with a blade or point’. It is not possible to disaggregate these figures by the specific type of weapon involved.

The most recent information on proceedings and convictions is available for the financial year 2022-23.

Number of people prosecuted in Scottish courts for crimes related to having an article with a blade or point, where main charge, 2013-14 to 2022-23.

The battery-electric trains that will be procured for Fife, which will replace the current ScotRail diesel fleet that operates on Fife Circle services, will be deployed on services operating within the North East Fife constituency.