Chamber and committees

The main piece of legislation that controls the sale of alcohol is the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005 (“the 2005 Act”) and it covers situations where alcohol is sold online and dispatched from Scottish premises.

While the Scottish Government has responsibility for the overarching legislation, the day to day administration of the licensing regime, as set out in the 2005 Act, is devolved to independent Licensing Boards – in effect the 32 Scottish local authorities. Licensing Boards have wide discretion to determine appropriate licensing arrangements according to local needs and circumstances, and their own legal advice.

The Scottish Government will continue to generally engage with a range of licensing stakeholders to help keep the alcohol licensing framework under review.

The 2005 Act makes provision for the licensing of premises in Scotland where alcohol is sold online and despatched from Scottish premises. Licensing legislation also imposes a requirement for a delivery book or invoice to be held by anyone delivering alcohol. There are offences in relation to delivering without such records, and refusal to co-operate with a constable or local authority Licensing Standards Officer (LSO) if they want to inspect their vehicle (or any other form of transport used to conduct deliveries), or records.

The 2005 Act also prohibits late night deliveries of alcohol to a premises – other than a licensed premise – between the hours of midnight and six am. Any person who delivers alcohol or who knowingly allows the alcohol to be delivered commits an offence.

It is an offence to supply alcohol to an under 18 and delivery companies must verify age when delivering alcohol to avoid committing an offence.

Further information is available in this Scottish Government alcohol licensing guidance document for Licensing Boards and local authorities. I would refer you to Chapter 12 ‘Sale and Supply of Alcohol to Children and Young Persons’ and Chapter 13 ‘Other Offences’: https://www.gov.scot/publications/licensing-scotland-act-2005-section-142-guidance-licensing-boards/

The Scottish Government is committed to reducing avoidable food waste across the supply chain and in households, to help work towards UN Sustainable Development Goal 12.3 to halve food waste by 2030.

Our recent Circular Economy Strategy for Scotland, available on the Scottish Government website at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/circular-economy-strategy-scotland/, identifies the food system as a priority sector. Actions being taken to reduce food waste include the Government working with stakeholders on effective options to implement mandatory reporting of food waste and surplus by businesses. Requiring business to report on their food waste and surplus is intended to improve understanding on where and why food waste arises and what action can be taken to prevent it.

In addition, Zero Waste Scotland is developing an intervention plan to support long-term household food waste reduction. This includes identifying, testing and refining a range of interventions to help reduce avoidable food waste in households.

We have also commissioned research through ClimateXChange on circular economy opportunities in agriculture, including reducing on-farm food loss, and will explore how these findings can inform future action.

These actions will support Scotland's efforts to reduce avoidable food waste and make progress towards the 2030 UN target.

Local authorities are responsible for the development and delivery of flood protection schemes in their area. Since 2016, the Scottish Government has provided £612m to local authorities to support the delivery of flood protection schemes and wider flood resilience activities.

Funding for flood resilience is provided through the local authority general capital grant. This means that decisions related to it are agreed jointly by Ministers and COSLA Leaders following principle-based recommendations from the jointly attended Settlement and Distribution Group. Through this process, a new, more flexible, funding allocation was agreed for financial year 2026-2027. This means that local authorities can invest in local needs and priorities from their local Flood Risk Management Plans.

In parallel we have funded SEPA to develop a Flood Advisory Service that will improve the governance and delivery of high value flood protection schemes across Scotland, learning the lessons from delivery over the last 10 years. Work is ongoing with COSLA to ensure a new funding model is in place to support the delivery of the next programme of high value flood protection schemes once the Flood Advisory Service is operational.

The Scottish Government is committed to sustainable and resilient food supply chains and is taking a range of actions to support local producers and increase opportunities for Scottish and locally produced food to be enjoyed.

The Scottish Government has established a Public Sector Food Procurement Taskforce, which will consider how public procurement can better support local and sustainable producers. The Taskforce will work at pace to provide recommendations to Ministers.

This work supports the ambitions of our Local Food Strategy, “Local Food for Everyone: Our Journey”, particularly Pillar Three on harnessing public sector procurement to increase the use of quality, fresh, seasonal and locally produced food.

I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-01934 on 4 August 2026. 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

I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-01913 on 3 August 2026. 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

This would be an operational matter for Scottish Water. It publishes information on its website at https://www.scottishwater.co.uk/About-Us/What-We-Do/Urban-Waters-Routemap.

This would be an operational matter for Scottish Water. It publishes information on its website at https://www.scottishwater.co.uk/About-Us/What-We-Do/Urban-Waters-Routemap.

The Scottish Government is committed to giving the people of Scotland the information they need to make an informed choice about their constitutional future. The publications, ‘A Fresh Start with Independence’ and the ‘Building a New Scotland’ series set out this government’s proposals for how Scotland could become independent, and what Scotland could do with the powers of independence. The UK’s approach to managing public finances means that it is paying higher interest rates than other comparable countries.

The full powers of an independent country will give Scotland the opportunity to develop a new economic model, one that is tailored to our circumstances, opportunities and strengths. When Scotland becomes an independent country, our fiscal policy would be designed to support improved economic competitiveness and resilience, underpinned by the principle of fiscal sustainability. As with any independent country, the macroeconomic framework would evolve over time to adapt to changing economic circumstances, but with all fiscal levers in the hands of the people of Scotland.

However, fundamentally, the benefit of an independent Scotland is that decisions about Scotland are made by those who live there and they will be the ultimate arbiters in deciding policy matters with Independence just like other independent states.

Four of the six measures provided for in the Act have been implemented. These are:

• A prohibition on providing or making available fireworks or pyrotechnic articles to children;
• A statutory aggravation for courts sentencing offenders where fireworks were used to attack emergency workers;
• New discretionary powers for local authorities to designate firework control zones; and
• New offences of possession of pyrotechnics in public places and at designated events.

Two remaining measures have not yet been commenced. These are:

• A firework licensing system: whereby anyone who wishes to buy, use or possess fireworks will be required to apply for a licence. As part of the licence application process, applicants will be required to complete a mandatory training course on the safe, lawful and appropriate use of fireworks.
• Restrictions on the days fireworks can be supplied to or used by the public.

Implementation of these measures has been paused in light of the significant challenging financial context and operational and resource implications associated with their introduction. The position remains under review as the Scottish Government continues to consider in the context of how existing measures are impacting the nature and pattern of disorder.

It is not within the power of the Scottish Parliament to legislate for a complete ban on the sale of fireworks as this is reserved to the UK Government and Westminster Parliament.