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Applications are determined in line with the relevant legislation, including the Electricity Works (EIA)(Scotland) Regulations 2017, together with advice from consultees. These processes ensure that potential impacts on the environment, including on private water supplies, are fully considered. Scottish Ministers also impose conditions on the consent which are designed to control the development and ensure it is consistent with the application and the proposed mitigation measures outlined in the application and recommended by consultees.

Scotland’s Circular Economy and Waste Route Map, published in December 2024, includes a priority action to develop an intervention plan to guide long-term work on household food waste reduction behaviour change by 2026-27. Zero Waste Scotland (ZWS) is leading the development of the intervention plan. ZWS has begun collating available evidence to understand the variety of food waste reduction behaviour change interventions needed to tackle food waste and recently published research on behavioural challenges associated with this issue. In addition, ZWS has developed a data strategy and identified stakeholder engagement and skills development opportunities to increase awareness and understanding of the plan, and ways to tackle household food waste. ZWS is working with an expert advisory group and will continue to engage with WRAP’s UK Food and Drink Pact to support the development of the plan.

As outlined in the Circular Economy and Waste Route Map and our consultation on ‘A Draft Circular Economy Strategy for Scotland’, published 21 October 2025, our intention is to work with stakeholders to develop effective options to implement mandatory reporting of food waste and surplus from 2025/26. We will also consider the findings of the UK Government’s Circular Economy Taskforce when they are available as we recognise the importance of a cohesive approach for businesses operating across all of the UK.

Our consultation on a Draft Circular Economy Strategy is available on the Scottish Government website at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/draft-circular-economy-strategy-scotland/.

Latest available data suggests that reducing food waste remains a significant and growing challenge in Scotland. The latest Scottish food waste data estimate for 2021 suggests that over 1 million tonnes of food were wasted in Scotland during 2021. In comparison to the 2013 baseline, in 2021 – despite a 1% per capita decrease in food waste at the household level –there was a total 2% per capita increase and an overall 5% increase in the tonnage of food wasted. The reasons behind this are complex and partly reflect changed consumer behaviour since the COVID-19 pandemic. Scotland is not alone in facing this challenge and higher food waste levels have been observed across the UK.

Given these challenges, I am taking action to reset the Government’s approach and the Circular Economy and Waste Route Map sets out how we will deliver more targeted action to support householders and businesses.

The ‘2021 Scottish Food Waste Estimate’ is available on Zero Waste Scotland’s website at: https://cdn.zerowastescotland.org.uk/managed-downloads/mf-cdtg7vnr-1696942041d.

The Scottish Government’s Vision for Justice clearly sets out the priorities we have for the whole of the justice system, ensuring it serves everyone fairly and effectively, with a focus on creating safer communities.

Police Scotland remain focused on keeping our communities safe, with the Scottish Government investing a record £1.64 billion in policing in 2025-26 – an increase of £90 million when compared to the 2024-25 published budget. Scotland has more police officers per head than England or Wales, and recorded crime is down almost 40% since 2006-07.

We are working closely with the Scottish Police Authority and Police Scotland to understand their 2026-27 budget requirements

The Scottish Government processes section 36 and 37 applications in accordance with the relevant legislation and regulatory frameworks. Our Good Practice Guidance for developers, which is available to view on Scottish Government webpages, sets out procedures and advice for projects requiring an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). As part of the EIA process, developers are required to identify and assess any private water supplies in the vicinity of the proposed development that could potentially be affected by the works.

Since 2018, the Scottish Government has provided over £6 million to Health Boards to support specialist services for veterans, including the Veterans First Point service. Over £9 million has also been awarded to Combat Stress since 2018 to provide complex clinical mental health care to veterans across Scotland.

In 2022, the Scottish Government provided £20,000 of funding to See Me to develop a bespoke veterans campaign which promoted the importance of mental health services, and challenged stigma around the issue.

Through the Scottish Veterans Fund, we have provided over £450,000 to projects which have made a positive impact on the mental health and wellbeing of ex-service personnel and their families. The latest round of funding is for £500,000, and the Fund is open for applications until 5 December 2025. More information is available here .

The Scottish Government greatly values the skills and experiences that veterans can bring to employers and to their communities across Scotland when they leave the Armed Forces. Employability services are provided by a mixed economy of public, third and private sector providers and we do not currently collate information on the number of veterans specifically helped into employment through our employment support services.

The NHS Scotland Armed Forces Talent Programme (AFTP) is a recent example of specific employment support to Veterans. It is an NHS Scotland-wide recruitment initiative for the armed forces community, which supports service leavers, veterans, spouses, partners, dependants, reservists, cadets, and cadet forces adult volunteers to enter the NHS Scotland workforce. The AFTP maps key workforce needs and existing pathways to the available skills, experience and aspirations of the Armed Forces Community in both clinical and non-clinical roles alike.

The Scottish Veterans Fund continues to fund projects supporting veterans into employment. We are currently funding the Forces Employment Charity to help Early Service Leavers find employment; Scotland’s Bravest Manufacturing Company to run enhanced manufacturing traineeships for veterans; and Salute my Job’s Career Jumpstart project which aims to reskill veterans into high demand areas of employment.

We continue to make progress in increasing the number of veterans employed within the Scottish Government and recently carried out a successful recruitment exercise of veterans under the Civil Service's Going Forward into Employment scheme.

Social Security Scotland publishes benefit specific information on overpayments in their Annual Report and Accounts. It does not publish data on the number of occasions, or the amounts, where individual recipients of Scottish Child Payment have been required to repay either part or all of the payment. As such, this information is not available broken down by year or local authority area.

Social Security Scotland publishes benefit specific information on overpayments in their Annual Report and Accounts. It does not publish data on the number of occasions, or the amounts, where individual recipients of Carer's Allowance Supplement have been required to repay either part or all of the payment. As such, this information is not available broken down by year or local authority area.

Social Security Scotland publishes benefit specific information on overpayments in their Annual Report and Accounts. It does not publish data on the number of occasions, or the amounts, where individual recipients of Funeral Support Payment have been required to repay either part or all of the payment. As such, this information is not available broken down by year or local authority area.