Seòmar agus comataidhean

The number of complaints the Agricultural Wages Enforcement Team have investigated to ensure compliance with the Agricultural Wages (Scotland) Order, over the past five years, is:

The Scottish Government is not taking specific steps to halt the decline of hedgehogs, however there are other initiatives that will benefit a range of species including hedgehogs.

The Scottish Biodiversity Strategy (SBS) sets out our approach to generating high quality, nature-rich habitats across Scotland. Nature Networks aim to improve ecological connectivity across Scotland, linking important areas for biodiversity across urban and rural landscapes and allowing species such as hedgehogs to avoid becoming isolated and to move through the landscape to find good habitat to feed and to breed.

Alongside the SBS, one of the principles in Scottish Planning Policy is that the planning system should seek benefits for biodiversity from new development where possible, including the restoration of degraded habitats and the avoidance of further fragmentation or isolation of habitats. Planning authorities, and all public bodies, have a duty under the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004 to further the conservation of biodiversity. This duty must be reflected in development plans and development management decisions.

Nature Networks are embedded throughout the fourth National Planning Framework (NPF4) as a key means of ensuring positive effects for biodiversity from development.

NatureScot has produced a publication Developing with Nature, which provides Guidance to support NPF4. This contains specific advice to developers on incorporating nature in to new developments, whether that be creating species rich grassland for pollinators, bat or bird boxes and advice for creating hedgehog friendly habitat as part of any development – including incorporating ‘hedgehog highways and houses’.

NatureScot’s seasonal campaign, ‘Make Space for Nature’, encourages everyone to connect with and take care of nature and provides practical tips for everyone to make space for nature, reverse nature loss and fight climate change.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that all people living in Scotland with an allergy, are able to access the best possible care and support, and benefit from healthcare services that are safe, effective and put people at the centre of their care.

The latest published data shows that there were 302 patients waiting for a new outpatient allergy appointment as of 30 September 2024, with a median waiting time of 40 days and 78.5% of waits within the 12 week New Outpatient standard.

While this is welcome progress, I recognise there is more to be done. We continue to target resources to clear the longest waits and are working with all boards to maximise current resources and productivity.

The Scottish Government is working closely with NHS Education Scotland (NES), who are responsible for managing all training provided to doctors in Scotland.

Allergy awareness is an integral part of all medical curricula, particularly in recognising and managing anaphylaxis. Foundation doctors also receive relevant training. Additionally, two new training pathways have been developed for Allergy and Immunology: Allergy | The Federation

• Allergy and Clinical Immunology (ACI)
• Allergy, Clinical and Laboratory Immunology (ACLI)

Turas learn also hosts a number of useful resources in relation to allergy awareness for healthcare professionals: Turas Learn - Allergy

I will set out the high-level principles of Air Departure Tax in due course, following which we will work towards implementation as soon as is practicable. However, this first requires a solution to the Highlands and Islands exemption, and we are working with the UK Government to achieve this.

The proposed reforms are intended to increase the quality of applications which are submitted to Scottish Ministers. Doing so, will in turn, allow for faster processing times.

It is vital that maximum support, sufficient budget and greater long-term certainty are provided by the UK Government (UKG) to allow Scottish projects to succeed in CfD AR7 and future rounds.

We must build on the positive results of this year’s Allocation Round, which were a step in the right direction and demonstrate the importance and capability of Scotland to deliver zero carbon power.

We will continue to work with the UKG to secure project delivery as well as investor and supply chain confidence, which includes encouraging the UKG to expedite work to ensure timely grid connections and strengthened grid infrastructure.

We also welcome the UKG’s Clean Industry Bonus (CIB), which will be incorporated into the CfD scheme for AR7. We expect Scottish offshore wind projects and supply chain to benefit from this new initiative and look forward to seeing the results.

COPFS has spent £19,485.37 on locum forensic pathologists in Aberdeen since April 2024.

We report emissions from across the economy on an annual basis in the Section A. Introduction to Greenhouse Gases - Scottish Greenhouse Gas Statistics 2022 - gov.scot. The contribution of farmers, crofters and land managers to reduce emissions and sequester carbon are reflected in the statistics for agriculture and land use, land use change and forestry.

We also complete annual statutory monitoring of the Climate Change Plan update (CCPu) Climate change monitoring report 2023 - gov.scot which outlines progress against our policies and proposals for Scottish agriculture and land use, land use change and forestry sectors contributions to our climate targets.

Our Vision for Agriculture makes clear Scotland will have a robust and coherent framework to underpin our future agricultural support regime from 2025 onwards, that delivers climate mitigation and adaptation, nature restoration and high-quality food production. I fully recognise that many farmers, crofters and land managers undertake low carbon farming practices. We provide financial support as well as guidance and advice for farmers, crofters and land managers to help reduce their emissions through initiatives like the Agri-Environment Climate Scheme and the Farm Advisory Service.

We will continue to support farmers and crofters on their sustainability journey. Importantly, we will maintain direct payments to support active farming and food production while introducing conditions from 2025 aimed at outcomes for biodiversity gain and climate mitigation and adaption. From 2026 powers from the new Agriculture Bill will be used to launch the new Enhanced Payment.

As outlined in the answer to another question raised by the member regarding treatment lengths (S6W-29773 on 3 December 2024), the Scottish Government commissioned Public Health Scotland (PHS) to carry out an evaluation of the Residential Rehabilitation programme.