Chamber and committees

The UK Pesticides National Action Plan (NAP) was published on 21 March 2025.

The NAP is a UK-wide document which sets out the shared ambition of the Scottish Government, Defra, the Welsh Government and the Northern Ireland Executive. It aims to minimise the risks and impacts of pesticides to human health and the environment, while ensuring that our land managers in the agriculture, horticulture and amenity sector have effective tools to manage pests and pesticide resistance.

Supporting uptake of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is central to the actions set out in the NAP. This includes targeting use of conventional chemical pesticides to when environmentally and economically justified. It also includes equipping pesticide users with the knowledge and support needed to adopt a range of sustainable crop protection practices, including innovative precision application technologies, to continue to reduce the use of conventional chemical pesticides whilst retaining the ability to address the crop protection challenges arising from climate change. The NAP also commits to improving and supporting compliance with regulations to ensure that pesticides are used safely.

Measuring progress is a key commitment of the NAP and as such sets the first domestic reduction target for pesticides in the UK, with an aim of reducing a suite of representative pesticide load indicators by 10% by 2030. The target is designed to measure progress against reducing environmental pressure from pesticides, rather than representing a simple usage reduction target. This reduces the potential for unintended consequences, which could risk the removal of important tools for farmers, growers and other land managers. The NAP sets a target for the arable sector, using data from the existing pesticide usage surveys, but also acknowledges that we want to improve our understanding of the nature of pesticide use in the amenity and amateur sectors in future.

We welcome publication of this plan, which commits us to measuring our progress over the next five years, and we look forward to working with stakeholders during the implementation of these actions.

The plan can be viewed at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-pesticides-national-action-plan-2025.

The Scottish Government has no powers over the Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS).

Ofgem and Energy UK are leading a cross-industry response to the RTS shutdown which includes a public awareness campaign. However, progress has been slow. Ofgem’s data from suppliers show that between October 2024 and January 2025 around 18,700 RTS meters were replaced in Scotland. As of January 2025, there were still 146,302 RTS consumers in Scotland who need to have their meters replaced. The switch-off date has already been extended three times and a further extension is not expected.

People who rely on the RTS will experience real and considerable detriment unless meters are replaced by the switch-off date. This is especially true for those in our rural and island communities where expensive electric storage heaters are more prevalent. The Scottish Government continues to consistently convey this message to the UK Government, Ofgem, and suppliers.

Since the creation of the RTS Taskforce in autumn last year, the energy industry has progressed a series of pilot projects in areas with high numbers of RTS customers. These pilots have been intended to target several upgrades at once while understanding and addressing technical challenges. However, many still wait for engineers who simply do not turn up or are insufficiently trained to upgrade the meter in question. The Scottish Government has asked for additional enforcement action to be put in place to reduce these instances and ensure that every household is fitted with a fully functioning meter before the deadline.

While we do not hold the necessary powers to direct Ofgem or suppliers, we are committed to raising awareness and working with those responsible to ensure consumers are not negatively affected by the switch-off. This includes contributing to RTS related engagement, consultations, and roundtables as well as raising the media profile of the switch-off. We have written to the UK Government, Ofgem, and industry on several occasions to press them to take the necessary steps to protect consumers in Scotland from detriment – highlighting the specific needs of rural and island communities and the availability of working smart meters as a viable solution – and continue to advocate for Scottish RTS users at every opportunity.

Any consumers experiencing difficulties with their supplier should contact Advice Direct Scotland (ADS). ADS receives funding from the Scottish Government as part of our devolved responsibilities for consumer advocacy and advice. Services include the free national energy advice helpline, available on 0808 196 8660 or at energyadvice.scot.

With just over three months to the deadline, and no clear Plan B, the UK Government and Ofgem must use their relevant powers to take urgent and proportionate action to substantially increase the number of properties upgraded. This is particularly pressing in rural and island areas where the number of RTS meters is disproportionate and where the impact on already high levels of fuel poverty could be significant.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-35647 on 21 March 2025. 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.

Our ambition is that ‘women and girls enjoy the best possible health, throughout their lives’. We want to improve health outcomes for all women and girls in Scotland and working to improve access to health services which meet the needs of women is central to this.

The Scottish Government’s National Carers Strategy sets out a cross-government approach to tackling issues that affect carers, including through health and social care policies. A range of services are in place to support unpaid carers to better access healthcare. Some have a carer-specific focus, while others are more general. The Scottish Government will continue to raise awareness of these services among unpaid carers and will ensure that our health services consider the needs of carers.

As we develop the next phase of the Women’s Health Plan, we are listening to women’s voices and lived experience to seek to meet the needs of women across Scotland, including unpaid female carers.

A conditional marketing authorisation was granted by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency for givinostat (Duvyzat®) on 20 December 2024. A conditional marketing authorisation is an early temporary licence.

The pharmaceutical company that markets Duvyzat® has offered a national Early Access Programme which provides free of charge access to the medicine for the treatment of ambulant young people aged six years and older with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. This has been in place since late December 2024.

It is for individual Health Boards to consider the implementation of any new medicine, and ultimately for the clinician in charge of a person’s care to advise on suitable treatment options. The Scottish Government is aware that Health Boards are currently considering how to schedule offering this medicine in the most fair and equitable manner.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-35647 on 21 March 2025. 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 is committed to improving health and reducing health inequalities, and supporting our more vulnerable communities, which can include our former coalfield communities.

We know that poverty and unemployment are key drivers of ill health and health inequalities. That is why, we continue to support the health of Scotland’s population through a number of measures including:

• allocating around £3 billion a year since 2022-23 to tackle poverty;
• initiatives to promote healthy lifestyles through tobacco control, preventing alcohol related harm, promoting healthy eating and physical activity; and
• the creation of a Population Health Framework to take a preventative approach in which we address health problems at the root as well as build a Scotland in which our places and communities can positively support health and wellbeing.

In addition, we deliver significant investment through a range programmes to support economic growth and regenerate communities, which contribute to addressing underlying poverty by creating jobs and employment opportunities. Our regeneration programmes are delivered through established relationships with local government and communities, focussing investment in areas of priority need including former coalfield communities. These programmes include our Investing in Communities Fund, which is being delivered over 2023-24 to 2025-26 with an annual budget of circa £9m. It is currently supporting 20 projects in coalfield communities investing nearly £3.5 million to date.

Public Health Scotland (PHS) are responsible for the delivery of the Fracture Liaison Services (FLS) audit which was commissioned by Scottish Government in July 2024. PHS has informed Scottish Government that there was a delay in recruitment required for audit development, however this has now been completed. PHS are now working at pace in line with the business case requirements to establish this new audit.

The current procedure for applications for exhumation has been in place for many years. It involves the engagement of a solicitor who will apply to the sheriff court for a warrant to disinter. The process can be lengthy, complex and incur significant cost.

The Scottish Government is developing regulations on exhumation which will remove applications from the sheriff court, making the process more straightforward and less expensive for applicants.

The Scottish Government regularly discusses a wide range of fire safety topics with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) including battery energy storage systems (BESS). A dedicated working group within SFRS continues to monitor the number of BESS applications and their development, alongside the Service’s role in the planning, consultation, and progression of these sites.