Chamber and committees

As set out in the 2024-25 Programme for Government, the Scottish Government has committed to introduce the Natural Environment Bill as part of the year four legislative programme. Due to parliamentary procedure, we are unable to provide the precise date for introduction. The Scottish Parliament will announce the introduction date shortly before the introductory process begins.

When introduced, the Bill will establish the framework for statutory targets to restore and protect nature. It will also include provisions to modernise the way in which national parks and deer are managed and provide powers to update environmental impact assessment and habitats legislation to support delivery of our net zero and biodiversity goals.

As set out in the 2024-25 Programme for Government, the Scottish Government has committed to introduce the Natural Environment Bill as part of the year four legislative programme. Due to parliamentary procedure, we are unable to provide the precise date for introduction. The Scottish Parliament will announce the introduction date shortly before the introductory process begins.

When introduced, the Bill will establish the framework for statutory targets to restore and protect nature. It will also include provisions to modernise the way in which national parks and deer are managed and provide powers to update environmental impact assessment and habitats legislation to support delivery of our net zero and biodiversity goals.

As I set out in response to questions S6W-30360 on 9 October 2024 and S6W-30743 on 11 November 2024 we are providing a range of support and funding to work that aims to promote red squirrel populations.

A total grant of £1,052,796 has been awarded to the Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels (SSRS) partnership project by the Scottish Government’s Nature Restoration Fund, from April 2024 to March 2026.

A breakdown of how this £1m funding is being distributed across projects and localities is not held centrally.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

The Scottish Government will undertake a Habitats Regulations Appraisals (HRA), for relevant special areas of conservation, ahead of the 2025 Wrasse fishing season opening. The HRA will consider the fishery against the relevant conservation objectives of the sites.

The SPCB recognises the pressures staff face in effectively balancing the responsibilities of work with their personal commitments and is committed to providing appropriate support for staff. A comprehensive range of measures are available to support staff in relation to fertility and other family planning areas. 

The SPCB will, as good practice, support staff by granting non-statutory special leave with pay for assessment or treatment relating to fertility.  MSPs, as employers, also have access to the same time off arrangements for their staff.  Recognising that no two cases are the same, individual circumstances are taken into account.  For example, the SPCB recognises that staff may require time off to attend appointments for IVF/fertility treatment.  Staff may also want to accompany their partner if they are undergoing treatments. 

Time off is provided equal to the duration of an appointment for preparing for treatment, undergoing treatment and accompanying a partner who is undergoing treatment.  MSPs, their staff and parliamentary staff (and their partners) also have access to a free and confidential counselling service which can support those in these circumstances.

The free online Primary Care cancer education platform, Gateway C, was launched in Scotland on 30th of April 2024. Courses focus on cancer symptoms and referral, and we have seen uptake across all of Scotland's Health Boards, in wide ranging job roles in primary care.

The brain tumour course specifically aims to assist primary care staff in effectively assessing and managing patients with a potential brain tumour diagnosis. The course includes interactive video consultations based on patients with differing symptoms, alongside a range of activities to reinforce key learning points. In addition to online courses, there are podcasts and webinars that can be accessed at any time. The latest podcast recorded, 26 November 2024, discussed brain tumours and a communication has been sent out to make registrants aware of this.

In Scotland we will continue to push communications on Gateway C, to build momentum on the successful launch earlier this year.

We are currently considering all the issues raised in response to our recent consultation on proposals for a Heat in Buildings Bill. We will confirm our decisions and the nature and timing of next steps as soon as practicable.

The Scottish Government does not hold this information.

The following data was aggregated to create a broad national picture of the scale of land across Scotland with consent which has not yet been built out. It is not intended for comparison at authority level. The national figure provided contextual information for the development and publication of our Planning and the Housing Emergency Delivery Plan.

We will shortly publish new guidance on Housing Land Audits, to help build a clearer picture of the availability of housing land across Scotland.

The source data is the published schedules of the most recently available Housing Land Audit for each local authority (in most cases this is the 2023 audit), where those schedules included site level data on both planning/construction status and remaining site capacity.