Chamber and committees

Currently there are a total of 58 non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs). This compares to a total of 130 NDPBs in 1999.

The vast majority of dog owners are responsible people who take good care of their animals and enjoy the widespread benefits of dog ownership and companionship.

The Scottish Government Code of Practice on the Welfare of Dogs, approved by the Scottish Parliament, provides dog owners with information on caring for their pets. This has been promoted by various marketing campaigns in recent years working in partnership with the relevant stakeholders.

Furthermore The Scottish Government would encourage all dog owners to follow the guidance and advice from reputable organisations such as the Scottish SPCA, the Dogs Trust and others if they require assistance with the use of crates for their dogs and crate training.

Since the independent Barclay Review of Non-Domestic Rates, a range of key reforms to the NDR system have been implemented to support growth, improve administration and increase fairness.

Following the implementation of the final recommendations of the Barclay Review on 1 April 2023, a consultative sub-group on Non-Domestic Rates (NDR) was established under the New Deal for Business to advise on further enhancements to the NDR system. This sub-group provides a forum for ongoing dialogue and engagement on NDR issues with members who come from a range of business representative organisations, including the hospitality sector, as well as Scottish Assessors and local authorities who are also represented.

The Scottish Government has no plans to consult on a long-term replacement for the NDR system in advance of the next revaluation on 1 April 2026 but remains committed to the NDR sub-group and to working with the hospitality sector on the long-term issues that have been raised by the sector.

The regulatory requirement relating to training is contained in Chapter XII of Annex II of Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 on the hygiene of foodstuffs and is a general requirement that food handlers be supervised, instructed and/or trained in food hygiene matters commensurate with their work activity. Those responsible for establishing a food safety management system within a food business based on Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) principles or for the operation of relevant guides must have received adequate training in the application of those principles. Beyond this there must be compliance with any specific requirements stated in law.

Whilst much of what Food Standards Scotland (FSS) provides falls into the categories of guidance or advice, FSS does provide online training materials in relation to allergens:

• Online Allergy Training | Food Standards Scotland
• Advanced Online Allergen Training | Food Standards Scotland

FSS also offers tools for fresh produce and safe smoked fish to assist relevant food businesses produce safe food:

• Fresh Produce Tool | Food Standards Scotland
• Safe Smoked Fish Tool | Food Standards Scotland

Many food businesses make use of our CookSafe Manual, guidance and templates when planning their HACCP based management systems. Cooksafe is particularly aimed at caterers and provides instructions to develop procedures to fit the business needs.

If asked for direction to training, FSS advice is to contact the Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland (REHIS). A section of their website dedicated to training, which can be found here Community Training - REHIS.

Total spend with media agencies over the last five years (2019-2024) was £50,729,800.33, as published here Marketing spend - Marketing spend - gov.scot

Media planning and buying is placed by call-off from the Media Planning, Buying and Associated Services framework (Ref: SP-23-05). The work is competed through the Framework and tenders are evaluated for value and quality. Framework suppliers when bidding are required to provide full detailed costs against indicative volumes, using the price guarantees set under the Framework.

Where appropriate media spend is audited for value against the Framework pricing as well as quality by an independent media auditor on a six monthly basis.

Scotland was the first country in the world to run a dedicated Year of Young People in 2018. It aimed to inspire Scotland through our young people by celebrating their achievements, valuing their contributions to communities and creating new opportunities for them to shine locally, nationally and on the international stage.

During Year of Young People 2018 the Scottish Government made a commitment to give young people in Scotland greater opportunities to have their voices heard and listened to by decision makers.

That commitment has been honoured. Last year, Scotland became the first country in the UK and the first devolved nation in the world to incorporate the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) into its domestic law. Among the rights in the UNCRC is the right for all children under the age of 18 to express a view in relation to decisions that affect them, and for their views to be given due weight in accordance with their age and maturity.

As set out in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Incorporation) (Scotland) Act 2024, we are committed to ensuring that children and young people across Scotland have access to actively participate in decision making processes, which directly affect them. We recognise the importance of meaningful and robust engagement with children and young people so that they are empowered, involved and included. This means working in partnership with them, their representative organisations and other public bodies, to ensure that their voices are central to informing policy that is child friendly, youth led, inclusive and representative.

In addition, recognising the shared responsibility to respect and protect children’s rights and embed child rights practice into all of our everyday work, the Scottish Government has published non-statutory guidance on Taking a children's human rights approach: guidance to assist this work.

The Scottish Government’s own commitment to meaningfully engage with children and young people is demonstrated by the annual meetings between children and young people and the Scottish Government Executive Team and Cabinet. These provide an opportunity for decision makers at the highest level of government to hear to the voices of children and young people and understand the issues that matter most to them.

Work since 2018 has also included initiatives to celebrate the contribution that young people make to society. This has included the Scottish Government’s Saltire Awards, which celebrate youth volunteering, and the Young Scot Awards, which celebrate the outstanding achievements of young people in Scotland.

There are therefore no current plans for future Themed Years, or to repeat another dedicated Year of Young People. Instead the Scottish Government will continue to celebrate the contribution that young people make, strengthen their voices, and importantly ensure their views continue to be heard directly by decision makers.

The powers required to legislate in respect of company acquisition and ownership are reserved to the UK Parliament.

Growing the economy has been identified as one of the Scottish Government’s four strategic priorities. Our approach to growing Scotland’s economy requires balance. It is important that we focus on both strengthening Scotland’s domestic industries and ensuring our economy is open and internationally focused. Attracting foreign investment that aligns with our values and supports our net-zero goals helps create jobs and prosperity for Scotland.

The Scottish Government recognises the economic importance of the Scotch Whisky industry, with over 150 distilleries, employing around 20,000 full time equivalent staff and exporting £5.4 billion worth of products globally.

Scottish Government Ministers and officials have a close and collaborative working relationship with the Scotch Whisky Association, and have regular engagement with them to discuss areas of mutual interest and explore how best to support the sector.

Our 2025-26 budget includes funding of over £300 million for heat and energy efficiency measures. This includes for the Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan Scheme which is a significant driver of heat pump installations. Since April 2023, the scheme has supported the installation of over 4,000 heat pumps and paid out over £50 million of funding for these measures.

The Green Heat Installer Engagement Programme supports businesses to become accredited in the installation of heat pumps, while the New Build Heat Standard will boost heat pump demand for new build properties.

We are considering issues raised in response to our Heat in Buildings Bill consultation and will confirm next steps as soon as practicable.

Since 2021, the Scottish Government has provided £1,672,922 of funding to Intercultural Youth Scotland (IYS) across various funding streams.

IYS receive funding from the Equality and Human Rights Fund (EHRF) to enable and support participation and representation of young Black and People of Colour (BPoC), ensuring they are represented in decision-making that affect their lives in a range of areas.

IYS also receive funding from the Employability and Advancement Project (formerly the Restless Natives Project). This funding is to ensure equitable support for young BPoC school leavers as they prepare for and take their first steps into the world of work.

The Curriculum and Qualifications Division has provided funding to IYS to support schools with embedding anti-racism and to ensure they are better equipped to respond to racist incidents, and that curriculums are decolonised.

During 2021-22, IYS received funding for a programme to expand the quality and quantity of support to marginalised BPoC children and young people, tackling social isolation and loneliness.

During 2023-24, IYS received funding to conduct a series of workshops over a nine-month period with children and young people. This was to scrutinise the Anti-Racism in Education Programme’s (AREP) four workstreams and provide recommendations for each of them.

2020 £22244.75

2021 £17596.71

2022 £18675.86

2023 £34395.19

2024 £35329.33