Chamber and committees

Whilst regulation for decommissioning of offshore oil and gas infrastructure is a reserved matter, the Scottish Government supports this vital activity happening in a way that facilitates an orderly, managed and just transition to net-zero and maximises the benefits for Scotland’s businesses and communities.

Through the Decommissioning Challenge Fund, the Scottish Government invested over £10 million over the period 2017 to 2020 to support innovation and build capacity in the Scottish decommissioning sector.

Since the independent Barclay Review of Non-Domestic Rates, a range of key reforms to the NDR system have been implemented to support growth, improve administration and increase fairness.

Following the implementation of the final recommendations of the Barclay Review on 1 April 2023, a consultative sub-group on Non-Domestic Rates (NDR) was established under the New Deal for Business to advise on further enhancements to the NDR system. This sub-group provides a forum for ongoing dialogue and engagement on NDR issues with members who come from a range of business representative organisations, including the hospitality sector, as well as Scottish Assessors and local authorities who are also represented.

The Scottish Government has no plans to consult on a long-term replacement for the NDR system in advance of the next revaluation on 1 April 2026 but remains committed to the NDR sub-group and to working with the hospitality sector on the long-term issues that have been raised by the sector.

Since 2021, the Scottish Government has provided £1,672,922 of funding to Intercultural Youth Scotland (IYS) across various funding streams.

IYS receive funding from the Equality and Human Rights Fund (EHRF) to enable and support participation and representation of young Black and People of Colour (BPoC), ensuring they are represented in decision-making that affect their lives in a range of areas.

IYS also receive funding from the Employability and Advancement Project (formerly the Restless Natives Project). This funding is to ensure equitable support for young BPoC school leavers as they prepare for and take their first steps into the world of work.

The Curriculum and Qualifications Division has provided funding to IYS to support schools with embedding anti-racism and to ensure they are better equipped to respond to racist incidents, and that curriculums are decolonised.

During 2021-22, IYS received funding for a programme to expand the quality and quantity of support to marginalised BPoC children and young people, tackling social isolation and loneliness.

During 2023-24, IYS received funding to conduct a series of workshops over a nine-month period with children and young people. This was to scrutinise the Anti-Racism in Education Programme’s (AREP) four workstreams and provide recommendations for each of them.

The Scottish Government provides funding for the National Concessionary Bus Travel Schemes for Older and Disabled People and for Young People which provide free bus travel throughout Scotland for eligible National Entitlement Card holders.

We have no plans to extend the Young Persons Free Bus Travel Scheme to Edinburgh trams or the Glasgow subway.

Local authorities have discretionary powers under the Transport Act 1985 to provide and fund local concessionary travel schemes for their residents. The extent and terms of any such scheme are for individual local authorities to decide.

Although the Scottish Government contributed to the cost of the trams and the Glasgow Underground, it is for City of Edinburgh Council and Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) to determine whether to offer travel concessions for those travelling on these services.

Scottish Trans is funded by the Equality and Human Rights Fund through the Equality Network. The Equality Network’s funding covers their general LGBTI project and the Scottish Trans Alliance project. The Equality Network received £503,322 in 2021-22, £503,207 in 2022-23, £503,265 in 2023-24 and £503,265 for the period 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025.

Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) is the executive agency which manages Scotland’s national forests and land. The majority of deer management on land owned by the Scottish Government is undertaken by FLS. Alongside land owned by the Scottish Government, public bodies also manage deer on public land they are responsible for. This includes NatureScot and Scottish Water. Further detail on the deer management activities of these organisations is set as follows.

Forestry and Land Scotland

The number of deer culled on Scotland’s National Forests and Land (SNFL) 640,000 hectares in each of the last five complete culling seasons is as follows:-

Deer numbers in forested or woodland environments are very difficult to estimate due to dense cover and the mobile nature of deer.

Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) is the executive agency which manages Scotland’s national forests and land. The majority of deer management on land owned by the Scottish Government is undertaken by FLS. Alongside land owned by the Scottish Government, public bodies also manage deer on public land they are responsible for. This includes NatureScot and Scottish Water. Further detail on the deer management activities of these organisations is as follows.

Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS)

FLS estimate Scotland’s National Forests and Land’s (SNFL), deer population to be around 130,000 deer. This estimate is based on culling data. The break-down by species is as follows:

The Scottish Government own 126 bulls to operate the crofting cattle improvement scheme, however for the majority of the year these bulls are kept on crofters own holdings.

We do not hold information on the numbers of livestock owned and managed by our farm and croft tenants.

We do not hold this information.

The Scottish Government is committed to modernising deer management to tackle high deer numbers, specifically in order to help us to achieve our biodiversity and carbon objectives. We continue to pursue a range of actions to deliver this commitment.

The Scottish Government’s future legislative programme has been set out as part of the 2024-25 Programme for Government. The Natural Environment Bill was introduced to parliament on 20 February 2025 and will bring forward significant reforms to the Deer (Scotland) Act 1996.

In addition to this we are working on the Deer Working Group recommendations that do not require primary legislation through the Strategic Deer Board.

Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS), is the executive agency which manages Scotland’s national forests and land. The majority of deer management on land owned by the Scottish Government on behalf of the nation is undertaken by FLS. Alongside land owned by the Scottish Government, public bodies also manage deer on public land they are responsible for. A number of these bodies are represented on the Strategic Deer Board.