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Through our devolved approach to employability, No One Left Behind, Local Employability Partnerships (LEPs) have responsibility for designing and commissioning services that respond to the needs of the local labour market.

As part of our investment in Specialist Employability Support, all 32 Local Authorities have agreed to implement place and train models of employability support. These models, including DFN Project Search, provide tailored, workplace-based support that helps disabled people and those with long-term health conditions move into and sustain employment. Engagement with employers is a critical aspect of these models, and the Scottish Government would encourage employers to speak to their Local Authority about the opportunities their business can provide, and the support that is available to them.

The Scottish Government also recognises the important role that public bodies can play here as Anchor institutions and in widening access to fair, inclusive and sustainable employment. Health Boards have a strong track record of supporting DFN Project Search and continue to do so. In 2023-24, they offered 59 DFN Project Search internships, providing young people with valuable opportunities to develop skills and gain practical experience across a wide range of NHS roles.

a) As part of the Programme for Government 2025–26, the Scottish Government supported the delivery of a £1 million SME AI Adoption Programme, co designed and delivered by Scotland’s Enterprise Agencies and The Data Lab. This programme, the first delivered under the AI Scotland banner, provided practical advice and support to businesses to raise awareness of the opportunities and risks associated with AI adoption, through a programme of roadshows, training courses, and case studies.

b) The Scottish Government is currently undertaking work to advise and support the business community in relation to the opportunities and risks associated with AI through the development of its new AI Strategy, which is due to be published in March 2026. Building on the 2021 AI Strategy, the new strategy will set out the Scottish Government’s approach to harnessing the economic opportunities of AI. In addition, as set out in the Programme for Government, the Scottish Government is in the process of launching AI Scotland, a national transformation programme bringing together business, academia, government, and public agencies to help ensure that Scotland maximises the potential economic and social benefits of AI.

The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) have been required by the Scottish Government to carry out visits to monitor fish welfare at the time of slaughter since 1 February 2022 and investigate any reported incidence of unacceptable methods being used.

APHA continues to inspect sites ensuring conformity with the guidance.

The Scottish Government’s official guidance, published on 17 July 2025, was developed in close collaboration with animal welfare organisations, industry, and enforcement partners. There are currently no plans to introduce additional measures.

The Scottish Government considers the welfare of farmed fish at the time of slaughter is protected through Article 3.1 of retained Council Regulation (EC) 1099/2009, which requires that animals are spared any avoidable pain, distress, or suffering during killing and related operations.

The Scottish Government will continue to engage constructively with the UK Government and stakeholders to find ways to further improve the welfare of farmed fish throughout the lifecycle.

Scottish Forestry is the competent authority responsible for regulating woodland creation. Their assessment of afforestation proposals follows a defined process governed by the Forestry (Environmental Impact Assessment) (Scotland) Regulations 2017 and supported by the UK Forestry Standard (UKFS). The process involves several stages designed to identify, avoid, prevent and where necessary, mitigate negative impacts on environmental receptors, including biodiversity, set out in the Regulations. Therefore, there is already a robust assessment process that provides a strong consideration of protected habitats, priority habitats, protected species and designated sites.

Scottish Forestry ensures the protection of nationally important habitats and species by applying a robust and proportionate process to all afforestation proposals under the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Regulations. This process begins by assessing if significant negative effects have been avoided or prevented. Where there are identified significant adverse impacts, particularly within sensitive or high-value ecological areas, Scottish Forestry requires the proposal to enter the full EIA consent process. This ensures that risks are comprehensively assessed and that appropriate mitigation measures are secured before any consent is granted.

The Scottish Government is fully committed to improving and protecting the welfare of all animals in Scotland and has delivered, or continues to deliver, a number of welfare commitments both independently and in conjunction with the UK Government. We welcome the publication of the UK Government’s Animal Welfare Strategy, and are pleased to note that there are a number of proposals which have already been implemented in Scotland. We are carefully considering the Strategy’s content and are committed to working with the UK Government to deliver improvements for animal welfare whenever it is realistic and practical to do so.

The Scottish Government was not involved in the development of the UK Government Animal Welfare Strategy for England. We will carefully consider the proposals in the Strategy, and where it is possible, and pragmatic, to work jointly and improve the welfare of animals across the UK, we will certainly seek to do so.

This information is not held centrally. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service publish workforce figures annually and the latest figures can be found at Statistics | Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.

The following table details the number of urology hubs and one-stop urology clinics located through NHS Scotland.