Chamber and committees

The Food Standards Scotland (FSS) approach to recruitment is consistent with Civil Service rules on open and fair recruitment. A staff Engagement Survey is undertaken every year to understand staff views on working for FSS and that informs their approach to retention. FSS’ current staff engagement score is 72% which places them 5th across the UK civil service compared to organisations of a comparable size and 9th overall. FSS jobs that are advertised either internally or externally are open to Aberdeen residents to apply.

Food Standards Scotland has a statutory duty to improve the extent to which the Scottish population have diets conducive to good health. Their unique position, independent from government, allows them to report and publish evidence to inform policy across a wide range of actions in diet and nutrition.

In 2024 FSS published the Public Health Nutrition strategy which was developed to complement delivery of Scottish Government policy on diet as described in the Healthier Futures Delivery Plan and Out of Home Action Plan. This strategy outlines how improvements to diet in Scotland will be supported, including efforts to reduce levels of overweight and obesity.

A progress report on the Fair Work Action Plan (FWAP) was included in the National Strategy for Economic Transformation (NSET) annual report in 2024. It is anticipated that the next FWAP progress report will be published alongside the third NSET annual report later this year. This will provide updates on the FWAP outcome progress indicators, in line with the approach set out in the Fair Work Evidence Plan.

Oversight of the FWAP is provided by the Fair Work Oversight Group who meet biannually to consider progress against outcomes.

While employment law is reserved, the Scottish Government is using the levers we have to strengthen effective voice and collective bargaining, with a focus on low-paid and precarious sectors, including through our flagship Fair Work First policy. Work is ongoing through the Fair Work in Social Care Group to finalise an approach to sectoral bargaining for the adult social care sector. Although complex, once developed and introduced, this will encourage improvements in the terms and conditions of the social care workforce, specific to the roles and responsibilities across this sector.

The Scottish Government is committed to promoting collective bargaining and, despite financial constraints, we continue to provide funding and support to trade unions, recognising their role in advancing fair work across Scotland.

There has been no new awards made under Freight Facilities Grant in any of the previous three financial years but funding for the Freight Facilities Grant is contained in the 2025-26 Scottish budget

While the Scottish Government remains committed to its vision for an integrated and community-based hearing service in Scotland, currently there is no community audiology service in place, with services provided either in hospital settings or, if patients choose to self-refer for treatment privately on the high street. There has therefore been no assessment of private provision made.

The Scottish Government do not hold information if individual Boards have engaged with private companies in support of waiting lists.

Although this is an operational issue, ScotRail confirmed that there was a recent challenge in recruiting new permanent staff, which led to the closure of the ticket office on a number of occasions. The vacancies have now been filled and it is expected that the new staff will take up positions in February and March.

This is an operational matter for SOSE, and I have asked them to respond to you directly.

The Scottish Government received the following rental income from the agricultural and crofting tenancies £208,396.54 in 2020-21, £212,951.73 in 2021-22, £214,950.92 in 2022-23, £220,002.31 in 2023-24 and £220,147.55 in
2024-25.

NatureScot intends to have the report ready for external review by 31 March 2025 and will then send to Scottish Ministers for consideration once the external review has been completed.

The remit of the review includes assessing the potential to apply the principle of full cost recovery to species licensing and this will be included in the review report.

126 pedigree bulls are kept at the Scottish Government’s Knocknagael farm, near Inverness for the crofting cattle improvement scheme.

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