Chamber and committees

We recognise the importance of the shipbuilding sector for Scotland’s economy including its strategic importance in shaping Scotland’s future workforce. That is why we are already undertaking a major programme of reform to the skills system to ensure that it meets Scotland’s needs, including investing up to £2 million to develop engineering skills in the Glasgow City Region, designed by the Clyde Maritime Cluster in partnership with Skills Development Scotland. We are also actively engaging with the UK Government on the development of its forthcoming Industrial Strategy and its planned review of the National Shipbuilding Strategy, emphasising Scotland's strengths in shipbuilding and maritime technology. However, the Scottish Government’s long-standing policy position is that neither the Government nor its agencies use public money to support the manufacture of munitions.

The Scottish Government’s Enterprise Agencies have a key role in promoting economic and business growth in Scotland. As this is an operational matter, I have asked each of their Chief Executives to write to you with a full response.

This was an operational decision for Scottish Enterprise in the context of the Scottish Government’s long-standing policy position of not using public funding to support the manufacture of munitions. Although no formal application for support was received, Scottish Enterprise discussed its assessment of the proposal against that policy with Scottish Government officials.

As the Care Inspectorate is an independent non-departmental public body, it operates at arm’s length from Government. Therefore, it is for the Care Inspectorate, not the Scottish Government, to decide which organisations they work with.

As the Care Inspectorate is an independent non-departmental public body, it operates at arm’s length from Government. The Care Inspectorate therefore issues its own guidance independently from the Scottish Government to maintain its role as an impartial and objective regulator.

We have undertaken a full policy development process in order to reach a finalised position on onshore conventional oil and gas in Scotland, in line with statutory requirements.

Having considered stakeholders’ views and the evidence received alongside wider Scottish Government energy and climate change policies, our preferred policy position of no support for onshore conventional oil and gas development in Scotland was confirmed in January 2023.

The preferred policy position was subject to statutory and other assessments before the policy-making process was completed, including in our draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan, and our National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4).

Following this comprehensive policymaking process, the Scottish Government’s finalised policy position is of no support for onshore conventional oil and gas in Scotland. The finalised policy statement can be viewed here: www.gov.scot/publications/onshore-conventional-oil-and-gas-policy-position.

The Scottish Government is a partner in the Save a Life for Scotland Partnership, which is working to ensure that all school aged children in Scotland will be given the opportunity to be equipped with CPR skills and increase defibrillator familiarisation across Scotland.

This has included delivery of Restart a Heart Day Live last year. This was a live stream CPR training event targeted at school-age children, which included information on defibrillation. The Scottish Government has committed to working with Save a Life for Scotland to support Restart a Heart Day Live again in 2025.

Scottish Government holds regular discussions with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) about Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) sites. SFRS continually review and develop their operational response to any new and emerging technology to keep communities safe.

SFRS is responsible for enforcing general fire safety under the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005, while process-related fire risks at Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) sites fall under the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) via the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. Monitoring these sites is the duty holder’s responsibility.

No national impact assessment has been conducted in relation to fire risk of BESS applications and developments. Where new development proposals come forward, our Fourth National Planning Framework (NPF4) ensures the impacts of proposals on communities and nature, including cumulative impacts, are important considerations in the decision-making process. All applications are subject to site specific assessments.

We have undertaken a full policy development process in order to reach a finalised position on coal extraction in Scotland, in line with statutory requirements.

Having considered stakeholders’ views and the evidence received alongside wider Scottish Government energy and climate change policies, we confirmed our preferred policy position of no support for coal extraction in Scotland in October 2022.

The preferred policy position was subject to statutory and other assessments before the policy-making process was completed, including in our draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan, and our National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4).

Following this comprehensive policymaking process, the Scottish Government’s finalised policy position is of no support for coal extraction in Scotland. The finalised policy statement can be viewed here: Onshore conventional oil and gas: policy position - gov.scot

Coal exploitation is a matter reserved to the UK Government, and the Mining Remediation Authority is responsible for licensing coal mining activity in Scotland. Scotland’s planning system is fully devolved to the Scottish Government. Scottish Ministers have today written to UK Ministers to set out our finalised position on coal extraction.

I am pleased to confirm that we have now laid the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 (Scottish Carbon Budgets) Amendment Regulations 2025 in Parliament.

The proposed regulations, if approved by the Scottish Parliament, will amend the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 to set an emissions reduction trajectory through a carbon budget framework for the five year periods between 2026 and 2045.

The levels of proposed carbon budgets mirror the advice on targets from the independent Climate Change Committee, and will provide a pathway for Scotland to achieve net zero by 2045.