Seòmar agus comataidhean

Data on collisions which cause injury and take place on the road network, including adjacent pavements and cycle lanes, is collected by Police Scotland as part of the Great Britain-wide dataset known as STATS19.

The following table provides the recorded number of casualties injured in collisions involving e-scooters over the last three years for which we have finalised data.

Number of casualties in e-scooter collisions, by severity:

Responsibility for delivering 1140 hours of funded ELC sits with local authorities, who have a statutory duty to consult with families in their area about how they should make ELC available.

Current arrangements for when children become eligible for funded early learning and childcare (ELC) are set out under the Provision of Early Learning and Childcare (Specified Children) (Scotland) Order 2014. Three-year-olds are eligible to start funded ELC from the relevant start date, which is usually the term after their 3rd birthday, and does not vary in relation to the number of siblings.

Local authorities have powers to provide funded ELC from an earlier date, if they choose to do so.

At a national level, the Scottish Government funds earlier access to ELC for eligible two-year-olds – those we believe will benefit the most – based on a range of research which shows that while attending high quality ELC improves outcomes for all children, children facing the most disadvantage, benefit the most.

The cost of uprating Scottish Child Payment for 2026-27 will be around £17.7 million.

Estimated costings of the premium relating to children under the age of one were included in the Scottish Fiscal Commission’s report, Scotland’s Economic and Fiscal Forecasts – January 2026. It estimated that around 12,000 children will receive this increased support once the payment is delivered, with estimated costs of £3.5 million (part-year) in 2027-28 and around £7 million (full-year) in 2028-29.

The Scottish Government takes the welfare of farmed fish seriously and expects all aquaculture operators to comply with animal welfare legislation and industry standards. Where welfare concerns are raised, the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) are responsible for investigating potential breaches of welfare law and, where appropriate, will take enforcement action using the range of powers available to it.

The Scottish Government provides funding for training APHA veterinarians on farmed fish welfare, and we have full confidence that they have the skill and expertise to carry out inspections. Arrangements for routine welfare inspections of Scottish fish farms by APHA have been strengthened and will result in an increased number of inspections undertaken each year.

The Scottish Government does not intend to require proactive publication of outcomes of individual welfare investigations. Any changes to existing reporting practices would require careful consideration to ensure consistency across sectors and to avoid prejudicing investigative functions.

Planning applications are considered on a case-by-case basis. Applications for planning permission for a new retail premises would be determined by the relevant planning authority in accordance with the development plan unless there are material planning considerations which, in the authority’s opinion justify a departure from that plan. It would be for the relevant planning authority to consider whether, and if so how, proximity to existing infrastructure is relevant to a decision on the application. Changing the type of goods sold within an existing shop does not generally require planning permission.

Similarly, applications for a building warrant require case by case consideration by a local authority verifier. Where a building warrant is required for a change of use the applicant and verifier should consider the extent to which the building standards apply, including those to address the spread of fire within and to neighbouring buildings.

The Scottish Government is currently undertaking public consultation through a Call for Evidence in relation to fire safety standards. This consultation is seeking industry views on new and emerging fire safety issues and a review of current guidance, and will close on 10 April.

Scottish building regulations - fire safety review and compliance: call for evidence - gov.scot

The Scottish Government does not hold this information.

This data may be held by local authorities. It is the responsibility of each Local Authority to plan for, and manage, ELC placements in line with their statutory duties in relation to funded ELC delivery, including having regard to the statutory guidance on cross-boundary placements.

The Scottish Government fully funds Local Authorities to deliver 1,140 hours of funded ELC. Local authorities have a statutory duty to provide funded ELC to all entitled children in their area and are responsible for local admission policies.

The Scottish Government has issued Operating Guidance on Funding Follows the Child and the National Standard which sets out the Scottish Government’s expectations of local authorities in delivering funded ELC hours.

The Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 (Section 50) also requires local authorities to consult with families in their area about how they should make ELC available. This duty helps local authorities to take into consideration the views and needs of parents and carers they serve when making decisions on how to deliver funded ELC.

Local authorities have a statutory duty to make available funded ELC to the children residing within their own area and are also responsible for meeting the statutory guidance requirements in relation to cross-boundary provision.

In light of the representations from affected parents and providers, in 2024, the Minister for Children, Young People and the Promise highlighted concerns about consistency in cross-boundary provision at a national level to COSLA.

I have written to COSLA again on 12 March 2026, highlighting the importance of this issue and asking them to work in partnership with national Government to find solutions that work for all of Scotland’s children and families.

Whilst menu content will be decided locally, there is much work underway by Scottish Government to facilitate the uptake of venison across the public sector.

This includes a successful pilot with Wild Jura, Argyll and Bute Council and Food for Life Scotland to supply venison into six primary schools. Officials are working collaboratively to explore opportunities to increase demand for venison and develop options to increase supply by helping the sector make the most of various routes to markets such as wholesale and framework agreements used widely across public sector.

In February 2026, the Scottish Government provided £45,000 to SAOS and Scottish Venison to undertake activity to help build capability within the venison sector and drive increased consumption of venison from Scotland. This includes work to improve and establish new supply chains, build skills and develop resources for use within schools.

Officials will continue to work collaboratively with the Scottish Venison Association, Scotland Food & Drink as well as other key stakeholders to ensure opportunities are available within the public sector to enjoy venison.

The Scottish Government promotes Scottish landed fish and shellfish through grants to Seafood Scotland from the Marine Fund Scotland.

Marine Fund Scotland awards for promotion of Scottish Seafood by year since 2021 are:

2021 £2.6m

2022 £1.92m

2023 £1.75m

2024 £1.85m

2025 £1.7m

As these funds are awarded to promote Scottish landed fish, it is not possible to split them out by fish and shellfish.