Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government has claimed £669m to date from the European Structural and Investment Funds, equating to 83% of the original allocation from the European Commission in 2014.

All regulators of aquaculture in Scotland have a duty to consider biodiversity. Additionally, National Planning Framework 4 introduces requirements for fish farm developers to consider biodiversity enhancement within development proposals as far as is possible.

The Scottish Government’s Vision for sustainable aquaculture - gov.scot sets out a number of outcomes to be realised, including collaboration between the aquaculture sector and other stakeholders to protect and restore biodiversity in the freshwater and marine environments.

The scottish-biodiversity-delivery-plan-20242030.pdf contains specific actions focused on the protection and recovery of salmon and other migratory fish populations, such as implementation of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency sea lice risk assessment framework, and work through our Wild Salmon Strategy and accompanying Implementation Plan to improve habitats in the marine and freshwater environments which are crucial to sustaining and recovering the wild salmon population.

The independent evaluation of the fish farm pre-application consenting pilots is in progress.

The final report had been expected in April 2025, however this timescale has been delayed to allow for the completion of the gathering and analysis of important data on the pre-application consenting pilots.

The Report is now expected to be finalised and published in the summer.

NHS 24 have robust practices in place to ensure patient safety is paramount and that the appropriate procedures are in place for assessing risk.

Scottish Government monitor the performance of NHS 24 and regularly engage with the service to discuss performance related issues. Should NHS 24 feel that their ability to meet demand was presenting any risk to patient safety we would expect them to contact Scottish Government immediately in line with agreed processes.

Scottish Government have had no recent discussions with the British Medical Association (BMA) regarding clinical risks associated with NHS 24 services.

This is a matter for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. The information requested is not held centrally.

Attraction, recruitment and retention are a matter for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS). The Scottish Government Fire and Rescue Framework 2022 asks SFRS to actively strive to be an organisation that is more representative of the people and communities of Scotland that it serves.

The health, safety and wellbeing of staff is a matter for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) as the employer. Within SFRS, employees all have access to a wide range of support services, including to support mental health which can be accessed during pregnancy, during maternity leave, and upon return to work.

The Health and Safety of firefighters is a matter for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS). In recognition of the potential risks which could be caused by contaminants, it is SFRS policy for firefighters who are breastfeeding to not undertake any operational activity.

The Scottish Government does not operate a compensation scheme for those affected by wildfires. Standard UK home insurance policies generally cover fire damage to both the building and its contents. Coverage can include structural repairs, personal belongings, damage caused by emergency services, and temporary accommodation if required.

During a large multi agency incident a local Emergency Liaison, Local or Regional Resilience Partnership (RRP) may be stood up by any agency. These are established by multi-agency partnerships comprising representatives from local public services, including emergency services, local authorities, the NHS, and others. These partners, known as Category 1 Responders, are mandated by the Civil Contingencies Act. RRPs also collaborate with Category 2 responders, such as utility companies and the Highways Agency, to ensure comprehensive preparedness, response and recovery to emergencies.