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The Scottish Government’s Strategic Approach to challenge demand for prostitution and improve support for those with experience of it reinforces the clear message that there is no place for the exploitation of any individual, and that prostitution is recognised as a form of violence against women and girls, as was also set out in our Equally Safe Strategy.

There are a number of specific offences which make certain activities associated with prostitution illegal, including trading in prostitution of others, the running of a brothel, procuring for the purposes of prostitution, as well as publicly soliciting or loitering for the purpose of purchasing sex, and trafficking persons for the purpose of sexual exploitation. Current legislation is clear that no one can be forced into sexual activity without their consent.

Our joint work with Police Scotland forms a key element of our strategic approach and we support their national approach on prostitution, Operation Begonia, which takes a victim-centred trauma-informed approach routing women to support, whilst ensuring that Police more evidently use the powers currently available to them to challenge men’s demand.

Scotland’s National Parks generate significant economic benefits via tourism, employment and investment. Like all Non-Departmental Public Bodies (NDPBs), National Park’s Annual Reports & Accounts are formally reviewed by external auditors before being laid in the Scottish Parliament for public scrutiny. The Scottish Government has not routinely raised concerns about these formally audited records of public spend, and nor have concerns been raised by other bodies.

The Dynamic Support Register (DSR) provides a mechanism for national data collection on people with learning disabilities and complex care needs. Out-of-area placements are those where the individual is accommodated out with their Health and Social Care Partnership area. Out-of-area placements can be an appropriate option, depending on an individual’s needs and preferences. The focus of the Coming Home Implementation Report is to reduce inappropriate out-of-area placements.

The DSR only collects data on adults (aged 18+ years) and, therefore, cannot provide data on children with learning disabilities who are in out-of-area accommodation. Additionally, as the DSR was established in May 2023, we do not hold data for adults before 2023.

Public Health Scotland (PHS) collect and publish quarterly data from the DSR, with the most recent collection from 7 March 2025 published on 17 June 2025. At that time, there were an estimated an estimated 1,264 people on the DSR, of which 842 were appropriate out-of-area placements, and 45 were inappropriate out-of-area placements.

Additionally, PHS publish monthly data on delayed discharges. The most recent figures for May 2025 can be found here. This data is broken down to Health Board and Local Authority level.

The Scottish Government does not hold data on all adults and children with learning disabilities who have been in hospital over the last five years. Local data will be held by NHS Boards.

The Dynamic Support Register (DSR) provides a mechanism for national data collection on people with learning disabilities and complex care needs, including those whose discharge from hospital is delayed. However, the DSR only collects data on adults (aged 18+ years) and, therefore, cannot provide data on children with learning disabilities who are in hospital. Additionally, as the DSR was established in May 2023, we do not hold data for adults before 2023.

Public Health Scotland (PHS) collect and publish quarterly data, with the most recent collection from 7 March 2025 published on 17 June 2025. At that time, there were an estimated an estimated 1,264 people on the DSR, of which there were 74 delayed discharges.

Additionally, PHS publish monthly data on delayed discharges. The most recent figures for May 2025 can be found here. This data is broken down to Health Board and Local Authority level.

No Scottish vessel has failed to comply with the economic link requirements in the last five years.

The Scottish Government has published this information since the amended economic link licence condition was implemented from 1 January 2023. It can be found at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-economic-link/

The quota payback is calculated as 26% of the pound sterling value of the ‘missing’ landings in order to have otherwise met the landings threshold into Scotland (55% of all landings), aggregated across the eight named species.

The pound value of those missing landings is converted back into a tonnage figure, using the average pound per tonne (PPT) value of landings made by Scottish vessels into Scotland. Please see the consultation outcome report for further details: https://consult.gov.scot/marine-scotland/amendment-of-the-economic-link-licence-condition/

Compliance is assessed by the Marine Directorate in the following calendar year.

The first criteria for compliance for a vessel to have landed more than 10 tonnes of the eight named species. A vessel landing less than 10 tonnes total of the eight named species is exempt from the economic link condition.

To meet the landing target element of the economic link condition a minimum of 55% of all landings must be made into Scottish ports.

Vessels which do not meet the landings threshold must make a quota payback in order to meet their obligation.

Non-compliance with the Economic Link licence occurs where a vessel has failed to meet the 55% landings threshold and failed to agree a quota payback.

Vessel owners are provided with the opportunity to query the landings data and the quota payback calculation.

There have been no instances of a vessel seeking to appeal the application of quota pay-back for not meeting the Economic Link compliance criteria since 2019.

The following table shows the total amounts of quota payback made by Scottish vessels in each of the last five years.