Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government does not hold information on the total number of reported knife crime incidents as the data we receive from Police Scotland is a simple count of the number and type of crimes and offences recorded. We do not in general hold further details as to whether any of these crimes included a knife or other bladed/pointed instrument.

There are two exceptions to this. The first are crimes of homicide, where information is available on method of killing (including by sharp instrument). Table One presents this by local authority area for the latest three years. The next Accredited Official Statistics on Homicide (for 2024-25) will be published in October.

The second area where information is held in relation to knife crime are for those types of crime that specifically reference the presence of a knife or bladed/pointed article. This includes the police recorded crimes of (i) having in a public place an article with a blade or point, (ii) having in a prison an article with a blade or point, (iii) having in a school an article with a blade or point and (iv) possession of certain dangerous knives in a private place. Table Two presents information on these types of crime. Again, this is split by local authority area for the latest three available years. The next Accredited Official Statistics on recorded crime (for year ending March 2025) will be published on the 24th June.

To support the expansion of funded early learning and childcare (ELC) to 1140 hours per eligible child, the Scottish Government provided £476 million of capital funding to local authorities between 2017-18 and 2020-21. Supplemented by local authorities’ own funding, the 1140 expansion infrastructure programme includes 583 refurbishment projects, 124 extension projects and 157 new build projects. Over the course of the 1140 expansion infrastructure programme, no local authority has reported to the Scottish Government that its ELC estate is not fit for purpose. Statutory requirements for the fitness of premises to be used for the provision of ELC are set out in Section 10 of The Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland (Requirements for Care Services) Regulations 2011.

The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government. The Scottish Social Services Council may be able to assist with this question and can be contacted at:[email protected].

The most recently published annual workforce data (Scottish Social Service Sector: Report on 2023 Workforce Data) shows that the number of people working in daycare of children services and childminding reduced by 660 from 45,140 in 2021 to 44,480 in 2023.

The Scottish Government is committed to supporting a sustainable future for our livestock sector - one that reduces emissions while maintaining high-quality food production and rural livelihoods. We are investing in a just transition that helps farmers adopt low-emission practices without simply offshoring our environmental responsibilities through increased imports of high-emission meat and dairy.

However, trade is reserved to the UK Government, and recent UK trade deals risk seriously undermining Scottish producers by allowing imports of food produced to different environmental, animal welfare and food safety standards. These agreements threaten to undercut our farmers and increase the consumption of products with a higher carbon footprint. It is deeply disappointing that neither the current nor previous UK Governments consulted the Scottish Government or undertook any impact assessment that reflected Scotland’s specific circumstances - despite our repeated calls for this. Scotland’s agriculture sector faces unique challenges and must be fully considered when trade deals are negotiated. We will continue to press the UK Government to properly consider the needs of Scottish agriculture and to protect the high standards our farmers and consumers expect.

Forecasts for the Scottish economy, including inflation, are produced by the independent Scottish Fiscal Commission. Their most recent forecasts were published on 29 May (https://fiscalcommission.scot/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Scotlands-Economic-And-Fiscal-Forecasts-May-2025.pdf).

The Scottish Government has costed the one percentage point above inflation that the Agenda For Change pay deal for 2025-26 and 2026-27 guarantees and is monitoring monthly.

The Scottish Government is committed to supporting rural employment and providing ongoing opportunities for those involved or wanting to be involved in our land-based sectors, which each contribute to climate action. We do this through many different initiatives.

As set out in the Land Based Learning Review Implementation plan, which was published on 29 January 2025, acting on the recommendations of the independent review will contribute to attracting and equipping more people with the right skills and knowledge that are vital for economic growth, building sustainable communities and addressing the nature and climate crises.

We fund LANTRA Scotland, to contribute to increasing the number and diversity of skilled employees in the land-based, aquaculture and environment sectors by promoting the diverse and rewarding careers available and the economic and environmental benefits of investing in skills.

We support initiatives such as the Farm Advisory Service, the Knowledge Transfer and Innovation Fund, the New Entrants programme, the Next Generation Practical Training Fund, and the Land-based Pre-apprentice Programme.

Within the forestry sector, examples include: supporting the Industry Leadership Skills Group to establish Forestry Training Services (UK); the delivery of the Women in Forestry and Future Foresters practical training funds; and the Working Woods Scotland course available through the Association of Scottish Hardwood Sawmillers.

Through the publication of our upcoming Land use and Agriculture Just Transition Plan and Rural Delivery Plan, we also seek to cover a wider range of key areas that impact on rural employment, such as agriculture, marine, land reform, transport, housing, skills, digital connectivity, economic development, and health and social care.

As the way we use our land evolves and adapts to meet the climate challenge, these activities will ensure the people who work in our agricultural industry and other land-based sectors are supported to continue to deliver both sustainable food production and improved integrated land use.

Scottish Government does not hold this information.

The Scottish Government takes the welfare of farmed fish very seriously and has committed to exploring options for how to best to set welfare standards for production.

We are developing guidance for the welfare of farmed fish at the time of slaughter, which has been developed with the industry and animal welfare bodies.

As stated in my previous response the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) are responsible for considering welfare complaints and investigating potential breaches in welfare legislation, and will continue to apply their professional knowledge and training to assess fish welfare against the provisions set out in The Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006.

The Scottish Government remain committed to publishing its Medium Term Finance Framework and are working towards a publication date of late 2025-26.

The information requested is not held centrally. Decisions about where to locate an early learning and childcare (ELC) setting are the responsibility of the service provider. The Scottish Government does not routinely collect or hold information about the characteristics of buildings from which ELC services are provided. Statutory requirements for the fitness of premises to be used for the provision of ELC are set out in Section 10 of The Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland (Requirements for Care Services) Regulations 2011.