Seòmar agus comataidhean

The investigation following the fire at Shore Recycling in February 2023 remains ongoing and is being led by the Health and Safety Executive. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) cannot comment on the findings until the investigation is concluded. SFRS continue to engage with the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service as necessary.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-33187 on 23 January 2025. 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.

Transport Scotland’s trunk road maintenance budget is not allocated on a route or part-route basis. It is distributed based upon need and prioritisation of schemes developed from regular inspections and condition surveys.

The clearing of unexploded ordnance is an operational matter for Police Scotland.

Scottish Government are, however, concerned with the environmental impact from such activities, via the consideration of licensing applications for ordnance removal and contribution to wider UK government policy on the matter.

Marine Directorate – Licensing Operations Team (MD-LOT) is the regulator responsible for determining marine licence applications on behalf of the Scottish Ministers in the Scottish inshore and offshore regions. Marine licences are required for licensable marine activities which include removal of any substance or object from the Scottish Marine Area and deposit and use of explosives, typically used in the clearance of unexploded ordnance.

In determining applications for marine licences, MD-LOT on behalf of the Scottish Ministers must have regard to protecting the environment, human health and legitimate uses of the sea. MD-LOT consult with a range of stakeholders including NatureScot, as the Statutory Nature Conservation Body, and seek views to inform determinations.

The Marine Directorate (formally Marine Scotland) was also involved in the development of the UK government’s 2022 policy paper “Marine environment: unexploded ordnance clearance joint interim position statement”. This sets out a coordinated position between marine regulators and key stakeholders across the UK regarding the use of lower noise alternatives to high order detonation of unexploded ordnance within the marine environment.

MD-LOT involvement in the clearance of unexploded ordnance is limited to the assessment of licence applications as set out above. There is no involvement from MD-LOT on the clearance of unexploded wartime military ordnance in Scotland's waters.

This is a matter for Network Rail who are wholly owned subsidiary of the UK Government.

The number of discharges from Scottish acute inpatient hospitals is presented in the following table. These figures do not include mental health facilities. These discharge figures have been produced using the Public Health Scotland SMR01 dataset which does not hold details on discharges delayed due to concerns regarding welfare.

Table 1: Discharges from Scottish acute hospitals where the patient was recorded as having no fixed abode at hospital admission.

The Scottish Government does not provide legal advice on any matter.

The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government the member may wish to contact NHS Boards directly for information locally.

The delivery of the Cancer Strategy for Children and Young People in Scotland 2021- 2026 continues to be taken forwards by the Managed Service Network for Children and Young People with Cancer (MSN CYPC) into 2026.

The progression of actions in the strategy are regularly reviewed by MSN CYPC and will inform any future national strategy approach required to ensure that children and young people with cancer will have access to the best possible treatment and care.

The Scottish Government remains committed to providing legal aid for a wide scope of actions. The draft Scottish Budget includes a proposed further investment of £14.2 million for the Legal Fund in 2025-26 which is an increase of 10% on this year’s budget (to £155.5 million).

Despite financial constraints, the Scottish Government continues to focus on building a more inclusive Scotland for all, investing in services and support that will help our communities during these difficult times.

Our budget, if passed by Parliament, will ensure that this government can continue to prioritise action to eradicate child poverty, protect our public services including improving access to legal aid and grow Scotland’s economy, while addressing the inequalities that many in our communities still face.

I recognise that change is needed to ensure we have a legal aid system that meets the needs of people. We are publishing our legal aid action plan for reform shortly, and I intend to take forward work in this area in the coming months and I will meet with the legal profession and stakeholders to hear views from across the justice system on areas for reform.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-31040 on 13 November 2024 in respect of solicitor numbers. 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.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-32820 on 15 January 2025. 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.