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To date, £4,400,000 has been allocated to the Islands Cost Crisis Emergency Fund since it was established in 2022-23. This can be broken down as follows:

2022-2023

£1.4 million

2023-2024

£1 million

2024-2025

£1 million

2025-2026

£1 million

The Scottish Government commissioned the Scottish Government's Centre of Expertise on Animal Disease Outbreaks (EPIC) to conduct research into the economic value of live cattle and sheep movements cross-border from the extended England-Wide Bluetongue restricted zone. Representatives from the Institute of Auctioneers and Appraisers Scotland (IAAS) supplied livestock valuations based on the latest livestock trends to establish an estimated value of regular monthly trade which could be affected by the movement restrictions. EPIC have also undertaken a supplementary study aiming to understand the impacts on Scottish livestock movements in response to the extended England-wide bluetongue restricted zone.

Each of Scotland’s enterprise agencies operates within a defined geography. Scottish Enterprise provides services to businesses and supports projects in areas of Scotland not covered by South of Scotland Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise, alongside the services it provides on a pan-Scotland basis and internationally.

The current Pollinator Strategy runs from 2017 to 2027 and has been a successful catalyst for local authorities, communities, and other organisations to come together to improve existing pollinator habitat and improve linkages between them. In 2026, NatureScot will begin discussion with a range of stakeholders over the successes of the current Strategy, the elements which need to be built on over the coming 10 years covered by the second Strategy, and new initiatives which may need to be taken forward.

NatureScot has recently published the annual Pollinator Strategy Progress Report which is available here: Pollinator Strategy - 2024 Progress Report | NatureScot. Evaluation of future Pollinator Strategies will be taken forward within the context of the wider Monitoring and Evaluation Framework which is being developed for the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy details of which are available here: Biodiversity strategy and delivery plan: governance, monitoring and evaluation - gov.scot.

The SG has no plans to bring forward a moratorium on gamebird and Mallard releases in 2025.

Where release of gamebirds may adversely affect the natural features of a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) (and so is listed as an Operation Requiring Consent), the owners or the occupiers of the site must apply for consent from NatureScot. NatureScot can then give consent with or without conditions, refuse, modify or withdraw a consent as appropriate. The prevalence of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in the local area can be a reason for consent to be withheld/withdrawn.

Due to the frequency of wild bird findings in the current outbreak season, an Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) has been in place in Scotland (and across GB) since January 2025 to mitigate the risk of the disease spreading amongst poultry (which includes gamebirds) and other captive birds. This introduced a legal requirement for all bird keepers, including gamekeepers, to follow strict biosecurity measures to help protect their flocks from the threat of avian flu and protect the environment from onward spread.

The measures also include a requirement that that birds taken from the wild for the purpose of restocking supplies of game must not be moved from the premises into which they are taken until a period of 21 days from the date of taking of the last bird has elapsed, unless the movement is direct and licensed by a veterinary inspector or by an inspector under the direction of a veterinary inspector.

It is a legal requirement for suspicion of a notifiable avian disease to be reported to the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA).

The Agent of Change principle is enshrined in both the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 (the Planning Act) and National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4).

Section 41A of the Planning Act sets out that, if residents or occupiers of any proposed development are likely to be affected by significant noise from an existing activity, the planning authority must take account of whether the proposed development includes sufficient measures to minimise or manage the effect of noise between the development and any existing cultural venues or facilities (including in particular, but not limited to, live music venues). A planning authority may not, as a condition of granting planning permission for a noise-sensitive development, impose on a noise source additional costs relating to acoustic design measures to mitigate, minimise or manage the effects of noise.

Policy 31 (Culture and Creativity) of NPF4 states that development proposals within the vicinity of existing arts venues will fully reflect the Agent of Change principle and will only be supported where they can demonstrate that measures can be put in place to ensure that existing noise and disturbance impacts on the proposed development would be acceptable and that existing venues and facilities can continue without additional restrictions being placed on them as a result of the proposed new development.

It is the responsibility of planning authorities to ensure they comply with their statutory duties, including in relation to the determination of planning applications.

The Scottish Government has been engaging in ongoing discussions with the UK Government regarding the introduction of a “Hillsborough Law”, including a legal duty of candour for public servants and accompanying criminal sanctions. The Scottish Government is considering the extension of this to Scotland and the work in relation to this is ongoing.

The Scottish Government is aware of the Law Commission’s report on the common law offence of misconduct in public office in England and Wales and its recommendation that this is replaced with two statutory offences. The common law offence of misconduct in public office does not exist in Scots law. However, there is a comparable common law offence in Scots law of wilful neglect of duty. The Scottish Government has had some early engagement with the UK Government in relation to the Law Commission’s report.

As of year-end 2024 there were 36,884 new cars registered in Scotland through the Accessible Vehicles and Equipment (AVE) Scheme, representing 22% of all cars registered in Scotland throughout the year. We are proud to have delivered vital mobility support to disabled people through the AVE Scheme.

The AVE Scheme offers disabled people a range of vehicles on affordable leasing terms, including vehicles with no advanced payment required, a comprehensive package of care and maintenance for no more than the weekly cost of the mobility component of their qualifying benefit.

The Scottish Government is aware of the changes introduced by the Scottish SPCA in respect to how it deals with the euthanasia of wild animals. The Society has assured the Scottish Government that it is taking every step to ensure that animal welfare is not compromised by its recent decision and that its National Wildlife Rescue Centre is operating normally and continues to receive animals in need of care.

We are continuing to give the SAWC reports on remote control static pulse devices and other aversive training devices careful consideration, along with the findings of our review into whether further provisions for wearable static pulse training devices are required, which was undertaken as part of the review of the Animals and Wildlife (Penalties, Protections and Powers) (Scotland) Act 2020. Once we have finished our deliberations, we will announce our timeline for a further consultation.