Seòmar agus comataidhean

Further to the answer to S6W-36304 on 9 April 2025, the decision to split the Fisheries Management and Conservation (FMAC) Group was taken following a review of the Group that was undertaken last year. The review found that the way the FMAC Group had been operating was hampering effective co-management. The review findings, which were in line with my officials’ observations from recent meetings, provided the evidential basis for the decision. The revised structure will enable co-management and help ensure that our fisheries management continues to be inclusive.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

The Scottish Government provided £750,000 to the UNRWA Flash Appeal for Gaza in November 2023. This funding was used to provide lifesaving food, medical aid and shelter to displaced people across the Gaza strip. Although we do not regularly fund UNRWA and currently have no plans for further contributions in 2025-2026, we remain steadfast in our support for the agency's continued operation.

UNRWA has a direct mandate from the UN to provide humanitarian aid and essential services across Gaza and the West Bank and there currently is no alternative for providing the scale of humanitarian aid which is so desperately required. Even since the Israeli Parliament's ban on UNRWA came into force on January 2025, at immense personal risk, UNRWA staff have continued to provide food and other essential humanitarian supplies to 2 million people in Gaza.

I am deeply concerned by Israel’s decision to ban UNRWA from operating in the occupied Palestinian Territories and urge them to reverse this decision. Israel must abide by its international obligations, end its siege and allow vital humanitarian aid to reach Gaza.

The Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 requires Scottish Ministers to have regard to just transition principles in development of Climate Plans. The upcoming Climate Change Plan will outline how this government will take action to reduce emissions in a way which supports environmentally and socially sustainable jobs and supports low carbon investment and infrastructure. It will also set out an estimate of the costs and benefits associated with the polices contained. Furthermore, the final plan will be published alongside a series of impact assessments, which will look at the impact of climate policies on areas such as equalities, island communities and children's rights.

The Scottish Government recognises the investment challenge associated with the transition to a net zero and climate adapted economy and the focus has therefore been on working to deliver a co-ordinated programme to attract investment in priority areas of net zero by implementing recommendations from the First Minister’s Investor panel. Public money alone will not be sufficient to fund a just transition and there are already many private investors harnessing the opportunities that a drive to Net Zero presents.

The Scottish Government will publish the independent analysis report of the consultation responses, as well as next steps for the regulation of HFSS food and drink promotions in the coming weeks.

Scottish Ministers have said they expect to spend at least the equivalent of the £97.1 million received inconsequential funding on Cladding Remediation, and will do so when it is appropriate.

The Scottish Government expects that the cost of cladding remediation work to be met through a combination of responsible developers assessing and remediating their own buildings, funding allocated through the Scottish Government budget, and receipts from the proposed Scottish Building Safety Levy.

We publish spend relating to the programme on a quarterly basis. Further information regarding this can be found at Single Building Assessment programme: spending information - gov.scot. The figures will be updated in due course to reflect Q4 2024-25 spend.

Our spending on remediation costs can only follow a full end to end process. This includes checking buildings are in scope, commissioning a Single Building Assessment, completing that robust technical assessment, identifying the works that need to be carried out, designing those works and gaining the necessary approvals, and then carrying out the remediation itself.

Investment in the programme continues with £52.2m allocated in the 2025-2026 Scottish Government budget to support delivery and acceleration.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-18383 on 14 September 2018. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

Information on patient suicide in NHS mental health facilities is not held centrally.

Any suicide is a tragedy and should not happen when someone is in the care of the state. We are determined to do all we can to improve patient safety, and to reduce suicide deaths in NHS mental health facilities. Our ambitious suicide prevention strategy and action plan which we are delivering with COSLA, has a clear focus on preventing suicides in higher risk settings, including clinical services. We are working with NHS Boards to implement improvements.

The quality and safety of mental health estates is an important issue for the Scottish Government. Health Boards are expected to place significant emphasis on the safety of environments mental health services are delivered from.

The Scottish Government and NHS Assure have developed and piloted a tool to gather information on the built environment, including reviewing completion of ligature assessments. Wider roll out will begin in spring 2025.

Access to skilled training pathways, including apprenticeships is vital for developing the young workforce. Apprenticeships play an essential role in giving young people a pathway into rewarding careers as well as enabling employers to invest in their staff.

As detailed in its ‘Designation Policy and Selection Guidance’, Historic Environment Scotland aims to act proportionately within the Scottish Regulators Code of Practice.

Although that means usually avoiding any unnecessary intervention in the planning process or other regulatory processes where there are development proposals by adding a new designation, the individual circumstances are fully considered, including the implications of the proposed designation and the effect development proposals would have in each case.

I have asked Historic Environment Scotland to write to the member to explain its policy further.