Seòmar agus comataidhean

The Salmon Interactions Working Group report recommended that one lead body takes responsibility for interactions between wild and farmed fish. In response to the Group’s report, the Scottish Government identified that SEPA would become the lead regulator responsible for managing sea lice and the interactions between wild and farmed fish.

SEPA consulted on its detailed proposals for the new sea lice risk assessment framework from 31 May to 15 September 2023, including a proposed timeline for implementation in phases from the end of 2023. The timeline for implementation will be informed by SEPA’s assessment of the consultation response.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-21029 on 15 September 2023. 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 S6W-21029 on 13 September 2023. 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

Screen Scotland’s Economic Value of the Screen Sector in Scotland in 2021 report, published this August, shows the continued exceptional growth of Scotland’s screen industry, which contributed £627bn total GVA to the economy in 2021, and generated 10,940 FTEs of employment.

While Glasgow and Edinburgh account for the largest shares of economic impact, nearly £264m of that total GVA was generated elsewhere across Scotland, with nearly £175m GVA, and 2,980 total FTEs, in the fours areas named in the question.

The report clearly demonstrates the direct and indirect value of the screen sector to other key parts of Scotland’s economy, including hospitality and tourism, which is driven by titles like Outlander , set across Scotland’s uniquely beautiful landscapes.

To ensure the benefits of the sector’s success continue to be felt nationally, Screen Scotland are undertaking a range of strategic work, including: developing the network of Local Film Offices and liaisons across Scotland, who provide local, expert advice to incoming productions; through their Screen Commission, providing advice on locations and facilities across Scotland to domestic and international productions, to ensure that areas outside the central belt are considered and made accessible; supporting a range of skills and training programmes outside the Central Belt, including Stornoway, Aberdeenshire, and West Dunbartonshire, as well as through the Professional Development Fund, which is open to support travel and accommodation for anyone in Scotland to attend training to develop their career.

The Scottish Government is committed to supporting the continued growth of our screen sector nationally, including by incentivising productions to come to Scotland; encouraging the development of new studio space and infrastructure; increasing skills provision, and; pressing public service broadcasters to increase production from Scotland, so that the sector can continue to grow sustainably as part of the wider creative economy.

Information is not presented in the way requested due to the information being received from numerous stakeholder systems.

From August 2022, when the new legislation came into effect:

Management information received from Police Scotland internal systems on 26 September 2023.

Offences recorded under the Fireworks and Pyrotechnics Articles (Scotland) Act 2022 by Police Scotland.

• Legislation went live 6 October 2022:

Section 21 - Proxy Purchase - 2 Crime Reports raised – enquiries ongoing.

• Legislation went live 6 June 2023:

Section 35 – Pyrotechnic in a public place – 4 Crime Reports raised – 2 arrested and report submitted to COPFS, 2 reported to COPFS.

o Section 36 – Pyrotechnic designated sporting/music event. 9 Crime reports raised – 6 reported to COPFS (2 disposed through Early and Effective Intervention), 3 undetected (incidents captured on CCTV – no suspect identified).

Management information received from Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) on 14 September 23.

• A total of seven charges, across five cases, have been reported to COPFS under the Fireworks and Pyrotechnic Articles (Scotland) Act 2022.
• Of those seven charges, four (across two cases) are currently pending and awaiting a decision on how to proceed. All of those four charges are for contraventions of S.21(1) (the proxy purchasing charge).
• The remaining three charges, across three cases, were prosecuted in court, with two (both contraventions of S.35(1) – possession of a pyrotechnic article in a public place) still ongoing.
• The third one (a contravention of article 36(1) – possession of a pyrotechnic article in a designated venue or at a designated event) plead guilty to the common law charge of culpably and recklessly igniting a pyrotechnic article within a football stadium, and the accused’s plea of not guilty was accepted to the statutory charge under S.36(1) on that basis.
• Sixty one charges have been reported to COPFS with the statutory aggravation under S.44 for emergency workers.

Management information received from Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS) administrative database (COPII).

• The management information received from SCTS (and published by the Scottish Government quarterly being the latest update January 2023-March 2023) indicates that there are no convictions recorded for accused prosecuted for charges under the Fireworks and Pyrotechnic Articles (Scotland) Act 2022.

Source: Police Scotland, Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) and Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS) administrative database (COPII).

In 2021, the Scottish Government formed a working group to develop Action 4 from the Rights, Respect and Recovery Action Plan. The aim of the working group is to ensure that good quality early intervention support services are available across Scotland for young people with emerging problematic drug and alcohol use.

The first phase of this work involved the working group gathering data from a range of sources to understand the size of the problem of younger people using drugs and alcohol as well as risk factors.

In 2022, we commissioned We Are With You to engage with young people in order to learn from their experiences of drug and alcohol use. This engagement has helped the working group to understand young people’s preferences for seeking help and the perceived barriers they face and this insight will aid the development of support for young people at risk from drugs/alcohol harms.

In Spring 2023, the working group began engaging with young people, using a co-design approach, to gather their views of good support. These findings, along with existing international evidence of good practice will be used by the working group to develop standards of support for children and young people.

The working group will outline the minimum principles of support that is required to meet the needs of children and young people and provide early intervention support in a way they want.

NHS National Services Scotland (NSS) currently have ample PPE stockpiled and approved for medical use and that is supplied to NHS Boards as required.

Social care providers operate independently of Scottish Government and we do not, therefore, hold information centrally on the availability of PPE for them. It is for employers to provide appropriate PPE where it is required based on assessed risk.

The 2023-24 Scottish budget provides over £250 million funding to NHS Boards to support Covid-19 and other services. This funding is used to support the Covid-19 vaccination programme, testing, personal protection equipment and public health measures.

Within monthly financial returns issued to Scottish Government from NHS Boards on their Covid-19 expenditure with over £45 million of reported expenditure as at month 4. Please note, this total is based on the most recent figures reported by NHS Boards.

Council Tax is a local tax and the responsibility for the administration of the system, including the application of any reductions, rests with each individual local authority.

Properties that are incapable of being occupied, that are undergoing, or which have undergone, major repairs or structural alterations are exempt from Council Tax for up to 12 months. Local authorities also have discretionary powers to reduce the Council Tax liability of unoccupied properties by up to 50% for an unlimited period.

The Scottish Government’s target is to deliver 110,000 affordable homes by 2023, of which at least 70% will be available for social rent and 10% will be in our remote, rural and island communities. We do not have targets by local authority area.