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It is important to live in a society where human rights are sacrosanct. Hate crime is the term used to describe behaviour which is both criminal and rooted in prejudice, or which is intended to stir up hatred. The Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021 provides greater protection for victims and supports people to feel safe. Its commencement was welcomed by the UN Human Rights Committee, in their 8th review of UK performance under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

The Hate Crime Act includes rigorous safeguards on free speech, and protection for freedom of expression is embedded in the Act. It does not criminalise anyone who wishes to debate, discuss or criticise any matters in a non-threatening or abusive manner, and is compatible with the European Convention on Human Rights, including Article 10 which protects everyone’s right to freedom of expression.

2021: a registered slaughter facility that was owned and used specifically on an individual farm closed.

2022: no closures

2023: a small commercial abattoir that dealt mainly in private kill closed

2024: no closures

2025: no closures

The Abattoir Users Survey 2025 notes that the direct selling model referenced is heavily dependent on private kill and further processing services offered by small and local abattoirs. The Scottish Government is therefore proud to have committed to continuing support for small abattoirs and producers, through the Small Producers Pilot Fund (SPPF). In 2024-25 this provided almost £300,000 in resource funding for a number of abattoirs engaged in private kill, mainly the facilitation and co-ordination of small producer access to private kill services. This year, we are providing up to £1 million through our SPPF to support Scotland’s small producers, and Ministers remain open to receiving further grant applications.

The City of Edinburgh Council will be implementing 9 Firework Control Zones in Edinburgh at Balerno, Calton Hill, Corstorphine, Gracemount, Longstone, Moredun, Niddrie, Seafield, and Sighthill between 31st October to 9th November 2025.

Glasgow City Council will have 3 Firework Control Zones in Govanhill, Pollokshields and Broomhouse from 1st to 10th November 2025.

There are maps of the Firework Control Zones within each council’s website. These are available at Firework control zones – The City of Edinburgh Council and Fireworks Control Zones (FCZ) - Glasgow City Council.

The Scottish Funding Council’s (SFC) funding allocation to Scotland’s colleges for the current academic year (2025-26) equates to a 2.6% increase in funding for teaching activity, and a 4.8% increase for capital maintenance funding, to support colleges to continue to invest in student’s learning experiences.

The SFC provides regular advice to the Scottish Government on the pressures facing the college sector. This is based on the regular financial returns received from colleges.

As our national skills body, Skills Development Scotland (SDS) have operational responsibility for managing apprenticeship funding and delivery in Scotland. SDS regularly monitor demand throughout the year to maximise apprenticeship opportunities, in line with key policy priorities.

The number and range of apprenticeships available are informed by industry demand and training capacity, within the constraints of available budgets and affordability. This involves close consultation with employers, employer groups and training providers, as well as priorities identified through reformed national and regional skills planning.

We are providing around £185 million for apprenticeships this year and are committed to working with the Scottish Funding Council and Skills Development Scotland to understand the extent of demand, and in which sectors. Our aim is to ensure that funding is targeted most effectively to support sustainable economic growth and vital public services and provide best value for public investment.

The reason behind the withdrawal of £26m transition funding in 2023 is on record.

The funding was originally announced as part of the 2023-24 Budget to support strategic change and transformation in the college sector. That it had been necessary to take this as a required saving given new portfolio pressures was communicated in this letter to the Education Children and Young People Committee on 2 May 2023 found here: Minister for Higher and Further Education; and Minister for Veterans.

The Scottish Government does not propose introducing additional legal duties specifically requiring parents and carers to take reasonable steps to prevent and address harmful behaviour by their children online. Instead, our approach focuses on supporting families through education, guidance, and early intervention.

The Scottish Government recognises the importance of preventing children and young people from being involved in harmful behaviour, including online. We are committed to promoting the wellbeing and safety of all children through a rights-based approach, as set out in our national child protection policies and the Getting it right for every child (GIRFEC) framework.

Prevention is key to tackling harmful behaviour, including online and we are taking a range of actions to raise awareness about online safety with parents and carers, including providing advice and support through the Scottish Government’s Parent Club website: Online Behaviour & Safety | Parent Club and Online Behaviour & Safety | Parent Club and through Education Scotland’s Digital learning, digital life and digital work | My child | Parentzone Scotland | Education Scotland.

The We’re here for you | Parent Club website provides advice and information for parents and carers on online safety, including signposting to support when things go wrong. This includes advice on what to do if there are concerns about children being involved in harmful behaviour. There is also advice on what to do if there are concerns about a child being involved in bullying others.

Parentzone Scotland | Education Scotland provides information and advice primarily for parents and carers about education in Scotland from early years to beyond school. The site includes practical ideas to support learning at home in a variety of curriculum areas such as literacy, numeracy, health and wellbeing and science, as well as information on additional support needs; and also tips on how parents can get involved in their child’s school and education. It includes information, guidance and signposting for parents including on harmful online behaviour. The website also has information on how parents and carers can help protect their child and understand online dangers.

We continue to work with partners across education, health, social work, and law enforcement to strengthen child protection responses, including addressing inappropriate or harmful online behaviour. This includes:

• The National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland, which outlines responsibilities for professionals and agencies.
• Supporting the implementation of the Online Safety Act, which places new duties on tech companies to protect children from harmful content online.
• Promoting digital literacy and responsible online behaviour through schools

We will continue to monitor developments in this area and engage with stakeholders to ensure our policies remain responsive to emerging challenges.

The Scottish Government does not hold information on the number of youth perpetrated sexual offences as the data we receive from Police Scotland for the Recorded Crime statistics is a simple count of the number of recorded crimes by crime type.

Police Scotland have provided the following management information on the number of people under the age of 18 who were accused of any sexual crime between 1st January 2025 to 30th September 2025.

It should be noted that the totals presented in the following table for crime types (and overall) are not necessarily all unique individuals as it is possible an accused may have committed more than one sexual crime during the period. Furthermore, the table below is not a total of sexual crimes as some crimes may have had multiple perpetrators.

Number of Accused aged under 18 at time of Offence

The current sharing of intimate images offence already carries a maximum penalty of up to five years in custody. It is an operational police matter to investigate all alleged offences and for independent prosecutors to decide what action to take upon receiving reports of crimes being committed. In cases that are prosecuted, it is for the independent court to sentence upon conviction within the legal framework.

The Scottish Government is committed to working with partners to raise awareness of online risks and harm. The Scottish Government’s We’re here for you | Parent Club website provides advice and information for parents and carers on online safety, including signposting to support when things go wrong. As the Scottish Government's key portal for parents and carers, it offers policy-led, empathetic advice and support on a wide range of topics to help families navigate the complexities of family life, this includes a comprehensive online safety section, with information for children aged 3-18: Online Behaviour & Safety | Parent Club.