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The Scottish Government is clear in our support for a just transition for Scotland’s valued oil and gas sector, which recognises the maturity of the North Sea basin and is in line with our climate change commitments and energy security.

Decisions on licensing, consenting and the associated fiscal regime for offshore oil and gas are all matters currently reserved to the UK Government.

The UK Government consultation ‘Building the North Sea’s Energy Future’ closed on 30 April and we are now awaiting the Government’s response.

Scottish Government Ministers and officials engage with UK Government counterparts and a wide range of stakeholders when considering all of these issues and will continue to do so.

The Scottish Government is clear in our support for a just transition for Scotland’s valued oil and gas sector, which recognises the maturity of the North Sea basin and is in line with our climate change commitments and energy security.

Decisions on licensing, consenting and the associated fiscal regime for offshore oil and gas are all matters currently reserved to the UK Government. Policy approaches on these matters will inform the future of the North Sea Transition Deal.

The UK Government consultation ‘Building the North Sea’s Energy Future’ closed on 30 April and we are now awaiting the Government’s response.

Scottish Government Ministers and officials engage with UK Government counterparts, industry bodies, trade unions and a range of other stakeholders when considering all of these issues and will continue to do so.

The operator, NorthLink Ferries is tasked with making the best use of available vessel and port resources at all times. The current contract allows flexibility within the timetable to manage demand across the year and from sector to sector. Transport Scotland and NorthLink will continue to work closely with freight companies, producers, and communities to understand and manage existing and future demands as efficiently as possible in advance of new tonnage arriving.

Additionally, we continue to task CMAL and Serco NorthLink Ferries with sourcing additional second-hand tonnage that could be added to the Northern Isles fleet to improve services and bring additional reliability, capacity, and resilience.

The Scottish Government takes the quality of Scotland’s drinking water very seriously, with drinking water standards prescribed in the Public Water Supplies (Scotland) Regulations 2014, as amended. These Regulations reflect the standards set out in the EU’s recast Drinking Water Directive which follows the public health advice from the World Health Organisation (WHO).

As the WHO has concluded that there is no need to establish a health-based guideline value for asbestos in drinking water, there are no prescribed limits in the Regulations. Should that advice be amended, the Scottish Government will review its position.

The Scottish Government remains committed to implementing a high quality and clinically safe thrombectomy service. We have invested £39 million to date on expanding access to thrombectomy. While we continue to face significant financial challenges, we are committed to further expanding the service, ensuring access is as equitable as possible.

We have provided funding for thrombectomy nurse posts in spoke sites with high rates of ischaemic stroke, including NHS Highland, and this will support maximising access to thrombectomy across Scotland. Part of the investment in thrombectomy is to support the Scottish Ambulance Service as they work in partnership with NHS Boards to deliver patient transfers.

Procurement of a national artificial intelligence imaging tool is also underway and, once implemented, this will help improve detection of patients with strokes suitable for thrombectomy.

We know there is more to do, and I have asked my officials and NHS planners to work at pace on developing a plan for the next steps for service expansion.

Ministers have no plans to consider business travel under the Air Discount Scheme, as this would be in breach of current State Aid compliance.

Ministers are currently considering the scope and structure of the Air Discount Scheme review, including how the views of stakeholders can best be taken into account.

A key priority for the Scottish Government is to encourage apprenticeship delivery in island and rural communities to support inclusive growth. Through Skills Development Scotland we introduced a rural uplift for Modern Apprenticeship delivery which is an increased payment to training providers to encourage provision in island and rural areas.

Travel and Subsistence (including accommodation) funding is also available to support Apprentices who must attend structured and formal off-the-job training (outwith normal daily travel requirements) where this is required by the Modern Apprenticeship Framework.

The Scottish Government is considering the Soil Association’s review of their farmed salmon organic standards and is engaging with them in dialogue.

In response to the Rural Affairs and Islands Committee inquiry on salmon farming in Scotland, we set out a broad range of actions we are taking alongside industry and regulators to enhance the development and sustainability of the sector. The Scottish Government is disappointed there was very limited consultation on the outcome of Soil Association’s review and proposals, in light of our work programme.

The Scottish Government recognises the crucial role innovation plays in enabling the sustainable development of Scottish aquaculture. We continue to work with our enterprise agencies, regulators and stakeholders to encourage innovation addressing challenges and creating opportunities for Scottish businesses.

For example, our Marine Fund Scotland awarded over £4.5 million to aquaculture projects in the year 2024-25, facilitating over £17 million of investment across the sector. In May 2024 the Scottish Government and Scottish Funding Council invested £1.5 million for the Sustainable Aquaculture Innovation Centre (SAIC) to deliver applied innovation projects to March 2026. We are also working with stakeholders to develop long term arrangements for innovation support.

Ministers are considering the scope and structure of the review, including how the views of stakeholders can best be taken into account.

Disturbance by low frequency sound is typically described as hearing a low rumble, and it can be distressing, due to sleep disturbance and other symptoms. In some instances the low-frequency noise complaint can be traced to a sound source. If the source can be found then there is a chance the noise can be mitigated. However, in many cases no sound can be traced that could account for the disturbance.

The relevant local authority has responsibilities to consider the granting of any planning permission and enforcement action related to low-frequency noise, supported by the National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4). The environmental health department of that authority consider and act if there was determined to be a breach of the relevant legislation, such as noise and statutory nuisance legislation.

Initial discussions have taken place over the opportunity for financial assistance through the Marine Fund Scotland (MFS) to support Seafish to deliver safety training through the approved Scottish providers. Once a full application has been received, we will assess it and consider provision of appropriate assistance. At present funding from the UK Government to deliver the MFS, is only available for 2025-26 and no commitment can be made in future years.