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Measuring and monitoring food waste across Scotland is a complex and challenging task. Zero Waste Scotland undertakes a range of work to monitor food waste and trends across households and businesses. Details of monitoring methods and latest available data is provided in the 2021 Scottish Food Waste Estimate, published in January 2024 and available at: mf-cdtg7vnr-1696942041d. Other recent monitoring reports include Zero Waste Scotland’s Household Waste Composition Analysis in October 2023 (available on Zero Waste Scotland’s website at: mf-ejmegftx-1696500166d. and an updated estimate by Zero Waste Scotland on Household Food Waste in Scotland 2021-22 (published in September 2025 and available on Zero Waste Scotland’s website at: mf-thcf7oxw-1758714008d

We know that improving how we measure food waste and identifying where and why it occurs across businesses and households is a critical step: better understanding of the volume and make-up of waste will allow for more effective action and allow for resources to be targeted to make a real impact. Actions are in train to improve food waste data, including the development of digital waste tracking. We have also committed to engage with stakeholders to develop effective options to implement mandatory reporting of food waste and surplus by businesses to further improve our understanding to aid targeted action.

Scotland’s Circular Economy and Waste Route Map, published in December 2024, includes a priority action to develop an intervention plan to guide long-term work on household food waste reduction behaviour change by 2026-27. Zero Waste Scotland (ZWS) is leading the development of the intervention plan. ZWS has begun collating available evidence to understand the variety of food waste reduction behaviour change interventions needed to tackle food waste and recently published research on behavioural challenges associated with this issue. In addition, ZWS has developed a data strategy and identified stakeholder engagement and skills development opportunities to increase awareness and understanding of the plan, and ways to tackle household food waste. ZWS is working with an expert advisory group and will continue to engage with WRAP’s UK Food and Drink Pact to support the development of the plan.

As outlined in the Circular Economy and Waste Route Map and our consultation on ‘A Draft Circular Economy Strategy for Scotland’, published 21 October 2025, our intention is to work with stakeholders to develop effective options to implement mandatory reporting of food waste and surplus from 2025/26. We will also consider the findings of the UK Government’s Circular Economy Taskforce when they are available as we recognise the importance of a cohesive approach for businesses operating across all of the UK.

Our consultation on a Draft Circular Economy Strategy is available on the Scottish Government website at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/draft-circular-economy-strategy-scotland/.

Latest available data suggests that reducing food waste remains a significant and growing challenge in Scotland. The latest Scottish food waste data estimate for 2021 suggests that over 1 million tonnes of food were wasted in Scotland during 2021. In comparison to the 2013 baseline, in 2021 – despite a 1% per capita decrease in food waste at the household level –there was a total 2% per capita increase and an overall 5% increase in the tonnage of food wasted. The reasons behind this are complex and partly reflect changed consumer behaviour since the COVID-19 pandemic. Scotland is not alone in facing this challenge and higher food waste levels have been observed across the UK.

Given these challenges, I am taking action to reset the Government’s approach and the Circular Economy and Waste Route Map sets out how we will deliver more targeted action to support householders and businesses.

The ‘2021 Scottish Food Waste Estimate’ is available on Zero Waste Scotland’s website at: https://cdn.zerowastescotland.org.uk/managed-downloads/mf-cdtg7vnr-1696942041d.

The MyCare.Scot app is part of a programme of digital transformation for health and social care services. To support this transformation the Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that all staff are equipped with the right digital and data skills they require to effectively deliver digital services.

Support for staff to develop and maintain their digital and data skills is already underway as part of the wider Scottish Government and COSLA’s cross sector Digital Capabilities suite of resources and activities that are available on the Digitally Enabled Workforce TURAS site at https://learn.nes.nhs.scot/53956.

NHS Lanarkshire are currently working on training and support to staff for the launch of the MyCare.Scot app. Feedback from the evaluation of the launch in December 2025 will be a part of understanding any additional support needed for staff prior to MyCare.scot being made available to everyone across Scotland from April 2026.

The Scottish Government recognises the importance of timely access to psychological support, including psychological therapies for bereaved parents. One of the main ways this is provided is through Maternity and Neonatal Psychological Intervention (MNPI) services. For most parents who have suffered a pregnancy loss, bereavement and grief support provided by their Health Board or third sector organisations will meet their needs and they will not require specialist mental health services.

The Scottish Government funds the baby loss charity Sands to develop, and support NHS Boards to implement, the National Bereavement Care Pathway (NBCP) for pregnancy and baby loss in Scotland. The NBCP includes bereavement care for those who have experienced miscarriage and the sudden death of an infant. All 14 NHS Boards now officially signed up to the NBCP have appointed a NBCP Lead and are at different stages of implementation.

Our Delivery Framework for Miscarriage Care in Scotland, published on 6 February 2025, details work that will map out existing mental health services available following a pregnancy and baby loss to ensure that women can access appropriate mental health support, should they require it.

In 2025-26 the Scottish Government provided third sector organisations with £262,747 funding to support women and families who experience a pregnancy or baby loss.

A small number of parents experience more complicated grief and may benefit from engagement with specialist mental health services. If a parent is identified as requiring Maternity and Neonatal Psychological Intervention (MNPI) services in Scotland after the loss of their baby, they would typically be referred by their midwife, GP or other healthcare professional.

Since 2019, our continued investment has resulted in a substantial increase in MNPI services across Scotland. All NHS Boards now provide these services either from a dedicated local team or, for very small Board areas, via pathways to MNPI care in larger Boards that host the maternity hospitals where the patient is receiving inpatient care.

At the UK Spending Review the Scottish Government received a Barnett share of the net changes to UK departmental budget allocations, which ultimately fed into our total block grant settlement.

Any new or additional spending allocations in 2025-26 associated with this UK policy will be included in the overall budget calculation for the Scottish Government. However, spending changes related to Barnett funding arising from UK policy decisions are not allocated to any specific programme of work in Scotland.

All budget allocation decisions are taken as part of the Scottish Budget process.

In 2023-24 the Scottish Government permanently provided funding for smoking cessation and prevention services to Health Boards as part of the Outcomes Framework funding, which also covered a wider range of outcomes. In 2025-26 territorial Health Boards received an overall funding uplift of 3%.

At the UK Spending Review the Scottish Government received a Barnett share of the net changes to UK departmental budget allocations, which ultimately fed into our total block grant settlement.

Any new or additional spending allocations in 2025-26 associated with this UK policy will be included in the overall budget calculation for the Scottish Government. However, spending changes related to Barnett funding arising from UK policy decisions are not allocated to any specific programme of work in Scotland.

All budget allocation decisions are taken as part of the Scottish Budget process.

In 2023-24 the Scottish Government permanently provided funding for smoking cessation and prevention services to Health Boards as part of the Outcomes Framework funding, which also covered a wider range of outcomes. In 2025-26 territorial Health Boards received an overall funding uplift of 3%.

The Scottish Government recognises the importance of timely access to psychological support, including psychological therapies, for bereaved parents. One of the main ways this is provided is through Maternity and Neonatal Psychological Intervention (MNPI) services. For most parents who have suffered a pregnancy loss, bereavement and grief support provided by their Health Board or third sector organisations will meet their needs and they will not require specialist mental health services.

The Scottish Government is committed to improving perinatal and infant mental health services across Scotland. Anyone with more complex grief where engagement with specialist mental health services would be particularly beneficial should be able to access support through Maternity and Neonatal Psychological Intervention (MNPI) services, as part of their maternity and neonatal care.

Since 2019, our continued investment has resulted in a substantial increase in MNPI services across Scotland. All NHS Boards now provide these services either from a dedicated local team or, for very small Board areas, via pathways to MNPI care in larger Boards that host the maternity hospitals where the patient is receiving inpatient care.

To support greater funding stability, since 2025-26, funding is now included in the recurring baselined funds made available to NHS Boards to use flexibly to deliver the outcomes in the Enhanced Mental Health Outcomes Framework, which includes outcomes related to improving Perinatal and Infant Mental Health services.