Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government recognises the importance of having a Power of Attorney (PoA) in place and is currently considering implementation options for the recent Audit Scotland recommendation, regarding the promotion of PoA, published in Delayed discharges: A symptom of the challenges facing health and social care, January 2026. Implementation is expected to increase public awareness and uptake.

The Scottish Government has collaborated with NHS 24 to update relevant NHS inform content, which provides guidance on the process and benefits of setting up a Power of Attorney. Available here: https://www.nhsinform.scot/care-support-and-rights/health-rights/access/power-of-attorney-guardianship-and-intervention-orders/

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.

The Scottish Government acknowledges the importance of Taxis and Private Hire Car (PHC) vehicles, and wheelchair accessible vehicles in particular, for disabled people.

The Scottish Government’s vision is that all disabled people can travel with the same freedom, choice, dignity and opportunity as other citizens. Scotland’s Accessible Travel Framework is at the heart of achieving that. Alongside this national vision, the Framework provides specific outcomes for accessible travel and a high level action plan to tackle the key issues facing disabled people.

It is important to note that the Scottish Government does not have powers to enforce accessibility requirements on Taxi operators or licensing authorities. This remains reserved to the UK Parliament under the Equality Act 2010.

Nevertheless, the Scottish Government has actively sought opportunities to improve the accessibility of Taxi services where we can, and we would like to see the number of wheelchair accessible vehicles increase.

Taxis and PHCs are licensed in Scotland under the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982. The aim of the licensing system is to ensure that Taxi and PHC customers have a safe, reliable and accessible service.

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

While the Scottish Ministers do not have any specific functions in relation to the day to day operation of the Taxi/ PHC licensing regime in any given local authority area, the Scottish Government can provide best practice guidance to inform and assist local licensing authorities in their decision making.

In May 2023 the Scottish Government published updated best practice guidance for local licensing authorities and Taxi and PHC operators on the licensing of Taxis and PHCs and their drivers. (https://www.gov.scot/publications/taxi-private-hire-car-licensing-best-practice-licensing-authorities-taxi-private-hire-car-operators-3rd-edition/).

I would refer you to Chapter 4 of the guidance, which specifically relates to accessibility requirements. That chapter of the best practice guidance contains information on issues such as legal duties for drivers and operators under the Equality Act 2010.

Written in conjunction with Transport Scotland, local authorities and the Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland (MACS) the Scottish Government best practice guidance was produced to ensure the provision of Taxis and PHCs meet the needs of disabled people.

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/

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.

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.

The UK’s telecommunications regulator, Ofcom, regularly publishes information in relation to full fibre and gigabit-capable broadband coverage in Scotland as part of their Connected Nations updates. The most recent update was published on 13 May 2026, showing coverage figures for January 2026.

Latest figures show that, as of January 2026, a total of 35,261 homes across Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley can access a full fibre connection, which equates to 87% of all eligible homes across the constituency.

More detailed information can be found through Ofcom’s interactive dashboard at https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/coverage-and-speeds/connected-nations-update-spring-2026#interactive-report

The Scottish Government does not hold information on the delivery timelines for commercially funded broadband infrastructure projects. However, gigabit-capable full fibre deployment is being delivered in Scotland through Project Gigabit, including within the Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley constituency. Project Gigabit delivery is currently expected to be completed by 2030.

The Community Wealth Building (Scotland) Act 2026, passed by the Scottish Parliament on 10 February, requires public bodies to work together and actively implement the approach more systematically across Scotland by producing local Community Wealth Building Action Plans, and reporting progress. While Co-operative Development Scotland is not a specified public body in the Act, Scottish Enterprise, of which CDS is a part, must work with local authorities and other public bodies within local ‘community wealth building partnerships’ across Scotland to produce local action plans within three years of commencement of the Act. The local partnerships also have a duty to implement the community wealth building plans and report on progress.