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The common law offence of misconduct in public office does not operate in Scotland. However, there is a comparable common law offence in Scots law of wilful neglect of duty.

Separate to common law, there are also some specific offences relating to the police in terms of failure to perform duty. These are contained in section 22 of the Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012 and are the offence of being absent from duty and the offence of neglecting or violating a constable’s duty.

The following table provides data from the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) on the number of charges related to these offences. However, this data cannot be disaggregated by the occupation or role of the accused person (though this is otherwise identified for the specific charge of Constable of Police Service of Scotland did neglect or violate duty).

Table: Number of Charges reported to COPFS related to culpable neglect of duty.

The social value of the Scottish Zero Emission Bus Challenge Fund arises in several ways, including through the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from the bus sector by accelerating the uptake of zero emission buses and coaches as part of wider activity to address the climate emergency.

In addition, Wider community and decarbonisation benefit was included among the criteria for ScotZEB 2, accounting for 10% of the total score. The guidance to applicants explained that this could include job creation, making assets (particularly infrastructure) available to a wider number of users and / or transport modes. The programme’s delivery of this criterion are assessed through evidence provided in annual reports to Scottish Ministers from the consortium. The full criteria for ScotZEB2 can be found online at https://energysavingtrust.org.uk/grants-and-loans/scottish-zero-emission-bus-challenge-fund-phase-2/

The programme has been highly successful against these aims: through ScotZEB and its predecessor programme SULEBS, more than 800 zero-emission buses and coaches have been introduced to Scotland’s roads, a network of charging facilities established for use by bus operators and other businesses, and new business models introduced to the sector to help make the use of zero emission technology financially sustainable. This contributes to greenhouse gas emissions reductions, as well as higher air quality and lower noise pollution, particularly in urban areas. Furthermore, ScotZEB 2 has seen, in only its first year, 60 new jobs in the Dundee area at zero-emission coach company Ember linked to their participation in the successful ScotZEB consortium.

I visited the site of a wildfire in Carrbridge on 17 July and I appreciate the concerns about muirburn licensing scheme with regard to fuel loads. I would like to repeat my thanks to the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, the gamekeepers, land managers, volunteers, partners, landowners, extended local community, wider land management sector and indeed to everyone who played a part in getting the recent wildfires under control.

Muirburn continues to be permitted and under the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Act 2024 a licensing scheme will come into force on 01 January. The introduction of the licensing scheme has been delayed slightly, which will allow time for us to better understand the circumstances and effect of the wildfires that have occurred this summer.

The purpose of the muirburn licensing scheme is to minimise risk of damaging effects and address potential benefits such as the reduction of fuel loads. It will ensure that muirburn is being undertaken in an environmentally sustainable manner, with due consideration of all the possible consequences. If muirburn is undertaken without due consideration of all the possible consequences, it undoubtedly has the potential to have a serious negative impact on wildlife and the wider environment. However, the Scottish Government is aware that muirburn can also have a positive impact, creating beneficial habitats for certain species or helping reduce fuel loads and lower the risk of wildfires.

I recognise that there are still some concerns over licensing and fuel load management, and we continue to discuss how best to implement the licensing scheme effectively with practitioners and the agencies involved. Everyone understands there are real benefits to the licensing scheme, from creating beneficial habitat to ensuring safe and responsible practices and where muirburn is taking place which is helpful in ensuring it is being done with due consideration.

This information is not held centrally by the Scottish Government. The use of overtime is an operational matter for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.

Approximately 61% of the additional funding for National Treatment Centre (NTC) Highland will be used to support ophthalmic procedures. NTC Highland have planned to deliver over 3,500 cataract procedures with this funding.

Section 30 of the Dundee Boundaries Act 1913 has been repealed. Under the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 (as amended by the Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012) the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service can take decisions on its heritable property to deliver fire and rescue services across Scotland.

The shipbuilding sector plays a vital role in supporting jobs and driving economic growth across Scotland. We are committed to promoting manufacturing and innovation, and Ministers continue to engage with businesses in the sector as part of that commitment.

Scotland has significant naval shipbuilding expertise and we would expect that any future UK Government contracts will provide a substantial contribution to the Scottish economy.

The Scottish Government’s long-standing policy position is that it does not use public money to support the manufacture of munitions.

In 2025-26 all ophthalmic procedures at National Treatment Centres (NTCs) will be cataract surgery. NTCs will not provide glaucoma treatments such as trabecular bypasses.

The treatment centres are focusing on delivering higher volume surgery in cataract only lists due to the volume of surgery required. If patients require cataract surgery and an additional procedure, surgery is likely to be undertaken in their Health Board of residence with an Ophthalmologist who specialises in the particular sub-specialty outwith cataracts i.e. Glaucoma.

The operational guidance used to keep firefighters safe is an operational matter for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS). SFRS generally operates with a crew of 5 on the first appliance deployed to an emergency and this was reduced to 4 during the COVID-19 pandemic. SFRS has a range of options to ensure the availability of its appliances, which on occasion may include appliances being crewed with 4 rather than 5 firefighters.

The recruitment of staff is an operational matter for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. There are challenges in recruiting and retaining on-call firefighters in some rural areas of Scotland and there are currently no on-call fire stations in Shetland with a full staffing complement. However, a full staffing complement is not required for an on-call fire appliance to be deployed because it can attend emergencies if there are 4 crew available at any given time. When an appliance is not available, a response will be provided from the next nearest available location.