Chamber and committees

The 38% previously referred to was the sustainability indicator, as outlined in the Scottish Sustainable Fishing Indicator (SFI). This indicator tracks the status of Scotland’s commercial fish stocks and is based on the estimated percentage of commercial stocks that are fished at sustainable levels. It provides a sliding scale for how sustainable fishing levels are.

An updated version of the SFI will be published in the near future, this will provide up to date sustainability indicators for all available stocks.

The full list of stocks assessed in 1995 are outlined below.

• Anglerfish (North Sea, Rockall and West of Scotland, Skagerrak, Kattegat)
• Greater silver smelt (Northeast Arctic, North Sea, Skagerrak, Kattegat)
• Greater silver smelt (Faroes grounds and west of Scotland)
• Blue ling (Celtic Seas, western Hatton Bank, and Faroes grounds)
• Brill (North Sea, Skagerrak, Kattegat, English Channel)
• Cod (North Sea, West of Scotland, eastern English Channel, Skagerrak) NW substock
• Cod (North Sea, West of Scotland, eastern English Channel, Skagerrak) SO substock
• Cod (North Sea, West of Scotland, eastern English Channel, Skagerrak) VK substock
• Spurdog (Northeast Atlantic and adjacent waters)
• Greenland halibut (Iceland and Faroes grounds, West of Scotland, North of Azores, East of Greenland)
• Haddock (North Sea, West of Scotland, Skagerrak)
• Haddock (Rockall)
• Herring (the Northeast Atlantic and Arctic Ocean)
• Herring (North Sea, Skagerrak, Kattegat, eastern English Channel)
• Hake (Greater North Sea, Celtic Seas, northern Bay of Biscay)
• Horse mackerel (Northeast Atlantic and adjacent waters)
• Megrim (northern North Sea, West of Scotland)
• Megrim (Rockall)
• Mackerel (Northeast Atlantic and adjacent waters)
• Norway lobster (West of Scotland, South Minch)
• Norway lobster (West of Scotland, Firth of Clyde, Sound of Jura)
• Norway lobster (northern North Sea, Fladen Ground)
• Plaice (Pleuronectes platessa) i(North Sea) and (Skagerrak)
• Saithe (North Sea, Rockall and West of Scotland, Skagerrak, Kattegat)
• Pollack (Celtic Seas, English Channel)
• Golden redfish (Iceland and Faroes grounds, West of Scotland, North of Azores, East of Greenland)
• Sole (North Sea)
• Turbot(North Sea)
• Blue whiting (Northeast Atlantic and adjacent waters)
• Whiting (North Sea, eastern English Channel)
• Whiting (West of Scotland)
• Witch (North Sea, Skagerrak, Kattegat, eastern English Channel)

Using the supplier registration address information from Public Contracts Scotland, the following table shows the total number of awarded procurement frameworks and contracts over the last two years:

At 1 December 2023:

• the total number of people registered to vote in Scottish Parliamentary and local government elections was 4,241,800;
• just under 189,500 qualifying foreign nationals resident in Scotland were registered to vote in Scottish Parliamentary and local government elections.

Updated information on the electoral register at 1 December 2024 is due to be published on the National Records of Scotland website: People registered to vote - National Records of Scotland (NRS) at 9.30am on 24 April 2025.

The draft 2025-26 Scottish Budget provides additional investment of £139 million for NHS infrastructure. This provides increased core capital funding for NHS Boards and, as a first step to lifting the capital pause, allows work on the replacement of some acute facilities to resume, as well as providing funding to address NHS Boards’ priority areas for infrastructure investment.

Despite this additional investment, the capital funding position remains challenging and there remains uncertainty in the longer-term funding position, as we await the outcome of the UK Government’s spending review. All due consideration will be given as to which projects are affordable, deliverable and provide best value, following the outcome of that review, this will include the National Treatment Centre in Livingston.

The original National Treatment Centre (NTC) programme included 6 centres with an initial cost estimate of £200 million, though budgets were not allocated for individual projects at that point.

The Thistle operates like any other NHS facility, working closely with community safety partners to prevent and address antisocial behaviour, including the abandonment of drug paraphernalia. While the Scottish Government does not directly collect data on this, local partners such as Glasgow City Council and Police Scotland monitor and report on related public safety concerns. For example, the Council records incidents of discarded needles, and in 2024 Police Scotland reported the disposal of approximately 5,000 needles across two city locations. This data is used by local agencies as part of a coordinated approach to ensure safety.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-36120 on 10 April 2025, there is significant uncertainty in the economic outlook and economic forecasts can be subject to revision. 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.

Public sources of information indicate that BAE Systems is among the contenders to supply new frigates for the Royal Norwegian Navy. No discussions have taken place between BAE Systems and the Scottish Government on whether a successful tender would produce subcontracting opportunities for manufacturing or fabrication businesses based in Scotland.

Net Zero Technology Centre will continue to be in receipt of funding from both Scottish and UK Governments through the Aberdeen City Region Deal until 2026-27. Discussions continue between Governments and the centre around its operations once Deal funding concludes. The economic impact NZTC has made to date within the region and the role it plays in the wider energy transition will be a feature of those discussions. This is alongside value for money considerations and the evolving delivery landscape in North East Scotland.

An interim evaluation of all Deal projects, including NZTC, is currently being carried out by regional partners. This will evaluate progress towards projects achieving objectives and outcomes as specified in approved business cases. An evaluation will also take place following conclusion of the Aberdeen City Region Deal.

There is significant uncertainty in the economic outlook and economic forecasts can be subject to revision. The Scottish Fiscal Commission provides the official forecasts for the Scottish economy. Their latest forecast from December projects Scotland’s economic growth to strengthen to 1.5% in 2025 and 1.6% in 2026. The forecast will be updated in May. In March, the Office for Budget Responsibility revised down its UK growth forecast for 2025 to 1%, half the 2% forecast previously in October 2024.

The Scottish Government continues to support a just transition for Aberdeen and North East Scotland as outlined in the answer to S6W-36119 on 10 April 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.