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The Scottish Government takes the welfare of farmed fish seriously and robust legislation, policies and industry standards are already in place to safeguard fish health and welfare. In addition, much of Scotland’s fish farming is undertaken in accordance with leading independent welfare accreditation schemes, which provides further assurance of welfare standards being applied within Scottish production.

The Scottish Government has committed to progressing fish welfare standards further by introducing official guidance under Section 38 of the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006. We are currently determining next steps for development of official guidance for the welfare of farmed fish, including stakeholder engagement. Consultation will involve a variety of stakeholders to ensure the development of guidance is well informed by a range of expertise, robust and operationally feasible, and that it ensures high welfare standards.

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I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-41933 on 27 November 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.

A consultation paper proposing publication of 11 Fisheries Management Plans (FMPs) for demersal fish stocks has today been published at: https://consult.gov.scot/marine-scotland/fisheries-management-plans-demersal-fish-stocks/

The four UK fisheries policy authorities (Defra, Scottish Government, Welsh Government and DAERA) have been working together and in partnership with stakeholders to develop the FMPs according to the parameters set within the Fisheries Act 2020 and the Joint Fisheries Statement. The consultation will be led by the Scottish Government and will run for 16 weeks from 20 November 2025 to 11 March 2026.

The consultation is an opportunity for stakeholders to help shape and influence the future of demersal fisheries management policy in the UK and builds upon previous engagement with a wide range of stakeholders across the UK.

On 21 July 2025, NHS Grampian confirmed that Opioid Replacement Therapy (ORT) is now available at its Kittybrewster Suite. They also advised that work was ongoing to resolve logistical challenges in order to extend this service to the remaining two custody suites, including Elgin.

Following continued concerns regarding progress at these two custody suites—specifically in relation to PE1900: Access to prescribed medication for detainees in police custody—the Scottish Government wrote to NHS Grampian on 6 November 2025 requesting an update.

NHS Grampian have since confirmed that they agree that patients receiving methadone in the community should continue treatment in custody. However, due to logistical and supply issues that they have previously highlighted, this cannot currently be facilitated at Elgin and Fraserburgh Custody Suites. NHSG has only one pharmacy licensed to supply Schedule 2 medications to custody settings, and there is no mechanism to supply or deliver methadone, which is a Schedule 2 medication, to these sites. However, work is ongoing to resolve this and enable methadone administration in the future.

In the meantime, any patient assessed by a nurse or forensic medical examiner as requiring methadone will be transferred from Elgin or Fraserburgh to Kittybrewster in Aberdeen to continue treatment.

NHS Grampian have also advised that their Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are based on Tayside and Highland examples, with adjustments for local service delivery and challenges. Efforts continue to address the supply of Schedule 2 medications to remote custody suites.

The Scottish Government continues to work with health boards, including NHS Grampian, to ensure expectations are being met in line with the 2023 Rapid Review.

In 2022, joint inspection arrangements between HMICS and HIS were established to ensure that healthcare aspects of custody centre operations are appropriately scrutinised by suitably qualified professionals. They work to ensure that individuals in custody receive equitable healthcare and support compared to the general population, within the constraints of the custody environment.

Following the development of an interim framework to inspect, and the HIS baseline review of healthcare provision in police custody in 2023, the framework to inspect was finalised in 2024. This has since underpinned the programme of joint inspections.

Scottish Government provides £180,000 annually to support the healthcare aspect of these inspections.

When issues are identified through inspections, be they systemic or specific to individual centres, it is for Police Scotland and the NHS to work alongside relevant partners to deliver the necessary improvements to align with recommendations made.

Relating specifically to obtaining Controlled Drug Licenses and implementing policies on access to prescribed medication, in March 2024 the Minister for Drugs and Alcohol Policy committed to request annual updates from health boards to monitor progress. This followed the Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee’s consideration of Petition PE1900.

The Scottish Government continues to oversee implementation across Scotland including a recently commissioned survey to all Health Boards to monitor compliance in each area. These steps demonstrate commitment to ensuring detainees in police custody across Scotland have access to prescribed medications, including methadone.

The Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012 stipulates that the Chief Constable of Police Scotland is responsible for the policing of Scotland, and is accountable to the Scottish Police Authority for this, rather than to Scottish Ministers directly. These arrangements are in place to ensure public confidence that the police act independently, free from unwarranted Ministerial interference. This means the Scottish Government cannot interfere in operational policing matters, including their Standard Operating Procedures.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that the transition to net zero delivers real and lasting benefits for communities, not just in terms of infrastructure, but in jobs, investment, and local opportunity. We know Scotland’s energy transition is not just about infrastructure, it’s about people. That is why we are taking action to give communities priority access to renewable energy assets on public land that are due for repowering.

This includes enhancements to the Community Asset Transfer Scheme (CATS), which will now ensure communities receive early notification of in scope public land sites due for repowering and a dedicated 12-month window to apply before a commercial strategy is pursued.

We’re moving beyond the idea of communities as passive hosts of energy infrastructure. Our approach supports communities to become active partners, investing in, owning, and benefiting from the clean energy future.

Ten Forestry and Land Scotland onshore wind sites under 50 megawatts have been identified to pilot this approach. We are also working with public bodies to ensure communities have access to clear guidance through Local Energy Scotland and Forestry and Land Scotland. Updated information on the enhanced CATS will be available online from both organisations today. In addition, communities hoping to utilise the enhanced CATS will benefit from advice available through our Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES). This will ensure that communities are supported to play an active role in shaping their energy future, not just hosting developments, but helping to lead them.