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

Barriers in rivers have long been identified as a significant pressure on Scotland’s migratory fish populations, including our wild Atlantic salmon. Improving river connectivity by easing or removing these barriers is a priority action under our Wild Salmon Strategy and River Basin Management Planning (RBMP).

Where barriers are no longer in use, such as weirs from historic industry, the best outcomes for fish populations are often achieved by removing the barrier entirely. However, there are a range of factors to consider when making decisions on options to ease fish barriers, including flood risk, risk of erosion associated with removal, and the heritage and amenity value of historic structures. Where historic structures are adapted to be used for flood risk management or energy generation, they will usually require authorisation from SEPA.

RBMP sets out a programme of measures to remove and ease historic and redundant fish barriers which may be funded through the Water Environment Fund (WEF). With a total investment of over £37 million, WEF over the past 12 years has removed or eased 25 redundant structures, opening over 440km of river to migratory fish. The impact of this is clear, with examples such as the removal of the Bronie Burn Weir in Aberdeenshire, which now allows migratory fish to freely access 22 km of upstream habitat for first time in over 100 years

Loch Laidon, as a habitat for freshwater fish species, receives protection through its inclusion within the boundary of the Rannoch Moor Site of Special Scientific Interest / Special Area of Conservation and the Rannoch Lochs Special Protection Area. Outwith the designated sites series, water quality within Loch Laidon, and the natural processes which have led to the development or maintenance of ecological segregation within resident salmonid populations, is protected through River Basin Management Planning. Fish introductions to this remote waterbody are controlled through legislation which regulates the introduction of all species of freshwater fish within Scotland. The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended) prevents the unregulated introduction of fish, as well as other plants and animals, to areas outwith their native range.

SEPA have been made aware of the presence of pike in Loch Laidon and have undertaken initial sampling of environmental DNA to confirm the composition of the fish assemblage in the loch. They have begun exploring the feasibility of potential management responses with NatureScot.

The Scottish Government has not had recent discussions with the UK Government regarding seafarers’ employment rights on the prospective Rosyth-Dunkirk ferry service.

The UK Government Employment Rights Bill received Royal Assent on 18 December 2025 and includes provisions to create a statutory framework for a mandatory seafarers charter and builds on the Seafarers’ Wages Act 2023 to extend protections beyond pay to include other employment rights. Transport Scotland officials liaised with their UK Government counterparts on this legislation.

The Scottish Government welcomed the additional proposals which aim to strengthen the Seafarers Wage Act by applying new duties in respect of remuneration and safe working.

The Scottish Government does not routinely collect this information.

However, in the following table is the information that we do hold from 2024:

Officials have been engaging with the relevant authorities to gain a better understanding of the processes by which local Good Food Nation Plans would be produced in local authorities and health boards. This includes are search project that will help inform how we can most effectively support them in fulfilling their legislative duties under the Good Food Nation (Scotland) Act 2022, ensuring that limited resources are used to maximum effect in supporting plan development across Scotland.

We intend to commence section 10 in a way that provides relevant authorities 12 months’ advance notice of the 12-month clock. In practical terms, this will provide relevant authorities 24 months to prepare and develop their local Plans. Options in relation to the commencement timeline of section 10 are currently being considered, taking both the 2026 Scottish Parliament election and 2027 local authority elections into account.

No allocations have yet been issued for 2025-26, but will be issued in due course once final costs are known.

The forecast funding envelope for 2026-27 is £31.2 million.

This BSL National Plan (2023-2029) plan represents our ongoing commitment to making Scotland the best place in the world for BSL users to live, work, visit and learn, in line with the principles of the BSL (Scotland) Act 2015. The Scottish Government is committed not only to delivering this six-year plan but also ensuring that continued efforts are made in improving the quality of life for BSL users. Ensuring equal access, opportunity, representation and inclusion are key components of our plan stemming across areas such as education, health, justice and culture. These are areas that the BSL community have told us are important to them.

We know there is more work to do and that is why we have accepted, either in part or fully, 40 out of 44 of the recommendations made in the recent Equalities, Human Rights, and Civil Justice Committee report into BSL, which covered key areas including education, health, justice, and transport. We will consider further 3 recommendations, and we have declined one recommendation as this is not within the remit of the Scottish Government to respond to. That declined recommendation is for the Scottish Courts and Tribunal Services to consider as it relates to specific issues in the civil courts. These recommendations vary in scope and duration, with many being cross-portfolio, so we will continue that work as we head into the next parliamentary session. In addition, we will publish a progress report on the National Plan in November 2026, as per the requirements of the Act.

We continue to work with key partners who represent the Deaf and Deafblind communities in Scotland as part of the Implementation Advisory Group and are grateful for their provision of lived experience and expertise to help strengthen the delivery of the National plan, and our response to the committee recommendations.

Through the Equality and Human Rights Fund, we have provided over £1.7m to support organisations to provide access, advocacy, and support for Deaf and Deafblind people in Scotland.

Listed authorities play a key role in realising the ambitions of the BSL (Scotland) Act 2015, as they deliver services and information to BSL users where they live.

We fund British Deaf Association Scotland through the Equality and Human Rights Fund to support community engagement and bring lived experience, expertise and support to BSL local plans. On 3rd February 2026, the Scottish Government attended an annual event held by BDA Scotland in Glasgow. This event brought together listed authorities and members of the BSL community to share both their experiences of developing local plans and to provide examples of best practice as we move towards publication of the BSL National Plan progress report in November 2026.

In addition, the Scottish Government funds the Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland (the ALLIANCE) to create a support network for listed authorities to enable opportunities to share good practice, resources and raise challenges around implementing local BSL plans. The network will encourage partnership working, improve data collection, foster connectivity and enable greater accountability on progress towards implementation of local plans.