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The new National Marine Plan 2 (NMP2) will set out an updated planning framework to support sustainable management of our seas and is being developed with representatives from marine sectors and local communities. NMP2 will consider the requirement for any specific planning policies regarding seabed mining activities in Scotland’s seas and the need for any associated implementation guidance. The UK Withdrawal from the European Union (Scotland) (Continuity) Act 2021 ('the Continuity Act') established the five guiding principles on the environment in law; this includes the precautionary principle. These will be considered as part of the development of NMP2 planning policies. All policies in the draft NMP2 will be subject to statutory assessments to determine the potential impacts on marine sectors, communities and the marine environment and identify any mitigation measures required.

Deep sea mining refers to the exploration for - or extraction of - minerals from the seabed at depths greater than 200 metres. Most of Scotland’s waters of this depth or greater fall within existing Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). Existing Conservation and Management Advice for the West of Scotland MPA from the Joint Nature Conservation Committee: West of Scotland MPA | JNCC - Adviser to Government on Nature Conservation (JNCC), which covers the majority or our deep waters and seamounts, advises against seabed mining in such waters. The Scottish Government is working closely with the JNCC on the West of Scotland MPA, this includes projects such as the Managing Impacts of Deep Sea Resource Exploitation or MIDAS Project: Library | MIDAS (eu-midas.net) Any licence applications would be considered on the best available evidence.

At present, there are no license requests for seabed mining in Scotland’s inshore or offshore waters.

Deep sea mining refers to the exploration for - or extraction of - minerals from the seabed at depths greater than 200 metres. Most of Scotland’s waters of this depth or greater fall within existing MPAs. Existing Conservation and Management Advice for the West of Scotland Marine Protected Area from Joint Nature Conservation Committee: West of Scotland MPA | JNCC - Adviser to Government on Nature Conservation, which covers the majority or our deep waters and seamounts, advises against seabed mining in such waters.

Any licensing request relating to seabed mining within Scotland’s seas would be subject to the licensing requirements set out in the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010 for inshore waters (between 0 and 12 nautical miles), and the UK Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 for offshore waters (between 12 and 200nm), as well as statutory environmental assessment requirements and the policies set out in Scotland’s National Marine Plan, which covers both inshore and offshore waters. Consideration of any licence application would be based on best available evidence.

Scotland’s National Marine Plan 2015 sets policies for the sustainable development of our seas and marine resources. Aggregates Policy 2 states that decision makers should ensure all the necessary environmental issues are considered and safeguards are in place when determining whether any proposed marine aggregate dredging is considered to be environmentally acceptable. Any licensing request relating to seabed mining in Scotland’s seas would be subject to this policy.

The National Marine Plan 2 (NMP2), which is currently being developed, will support sustainable development of our seas, protect our marine environment, and deliver for our coastal communities. NMP2 is considering our marine economy, local communities, and the environment together by adopting a Blue Economy: A Blue Economy Vision for Scotland - gov.scot (www.gov.scot). This will help get the right planning framework in place to balance the need for protection and enhancement of the marine environment, and sustainable development of existing and emerging sectors.

The Scottish Government recognises the serious erosion issues to the sand dunes in Montrose and the impact this could have on flood risk for residents.

Through our Dynamic Coast project, we have worked closely with local authorities to help them plan for coastal adaptation and in our Programme for Government 2020 we announced a new £11.7 million capital budget over four years for coastal change adaptation, starting in 2022-23.

In 2024-25, funding of £2.7m will be distributed to local authorities in two ways. £1.65m in direct allocation to coastal local authorities and £1.05m will be made available for local authorities to bit for to undertake case studies. Angus Council, where Montrose sits in, will receive £56,375 for coastal change adaptation in 2024-25.

In addition, Angus Council submitted a proposal to fund a case study and an additional £440k will be distributed for this, which is the largest allocation for any local authority to undertake a case study.

Local authorities can choose to additionally fund coastal protection work from their general capital grant allocation.

Scottish Government officials have attended two Four Nations meetings regarding the ban on single-use vapes within this time period, during which implementation was discussed - on 14 August and 24 July. We have corresponded with the UK Government regarding the implementation of a ban on 9 August, 26 July, 18 July, 16 July, 15 July and 11 July. These discussions have focused on our respective legislative timelines, and on preparing guidance for Business.

The Flood Resilience Strategy consultation document sought views on a range of flooding related matters, including how best to improve the long term resilience of coastal communities. The results of this consultation will help to inform the Flood Resilience Strategy. Both the Strategy and an analysis of the consultation responses will be published later in the year.

I met with the employers and EIS-FELA on Monday 19 August 2024 and welcome the significant efforts of both sides that day to provisionally agree a revised pay deal.

I also welcome EIS-FELA suspending planned strike action whilst it ballots members on the revised pay deal.

The review will examine all aspects of the four existing community rights to buy - Community Right to Buy, Crofting Community Right to Buy, Community Right to Buy Abandoned, Neglected or Detrimental Land, and the Right to Buy Land to Further Sustainable Development. This will include Scottish Government’s legislative and administrative processes and the various interactions between the Scottish Government, community groups, landowners and stakeholder organisations.

The Scottish Government issued a general call for evidence on the Scottish Government’s X Account on 10 July. In addition, since announcing the review on 6 March at a visit to the Heart of Newhaven project in Edinburgh, we have emailed stakeholder and community groups who have engaged with Community Right to Buy to seek their views.

The deadline for submission of evidence to Phase 1 of the review is the end of September 2024. The anonymised responses received will be made available (in October 2024). The terms of reference for the review are set out in the call for evidence and the emails issued to stakeholders.

This initial call for evidence will inform a full formal consultation in summer 2025, which will give everyone the opportunity to comment. The response to which will be published and summarised in accordance with standard consultation practice.

The Scottish Government does not currently provide direct funding to Legion Scotland’s Veterans Community Support Service. The Service does, however, receive Scottish Government grant funding indirectly through the Unforgotten Forces consortium, which the Scottish Government has funded since 2020. In 2023 the consortium’s Scottish Government funding was extended for a further three years on the condition that they develop and implement a long term sustainable funding model from 2026 onwards, and we are liaising with the consortium to support them in that transition.

The consortium independently allocates funding from the Scottish Government grant amongst their partners each financial year, in line with grant conditions. Therefore, if the consortium have other funds available once the Scottish Government funding has ceased then the decision on whether funding continues to be allocated to the Veterans Community Support Service beyond 2026 will be made by them.

A possible alternative source of funding for the Veterans Community Support Service is the Scottish Government’s Scottish Veterans Fund. The Fund provides a total of £500,000 per annum for projects that support the Armed Forces and veterans community. Details regarding the 2026-2027 funding round will be announced closer to the time.

The Scottish Government is committed to free school meal expansion and continues to work with partners in local government.