Seòmar agus comataidhean

In 2025-26 we are providing £37 million resource to support the expansion of free school meals to pupils in Primary 6 and 7 in receipt of the Scottish Child Payment. Agreement to the budget from parties across this Chamber will ensure this work continues.

The Scottish Government has prioritised this work to maximise the benefit to those in low-income households.

We are continuing work with local authorities to understand what a pilot proposal for provision in secondary schools might look like.

It is Scottish Government’s policy to allow local authorities the financial freedom to operate independently. The vast majority of funding is provided by means of a block grant. It is then the responsibility of individual local authorities to manage their own budgets on the basis of local needs and priorities, having first fulfilled their statutory obligations and the jointly agreed set of national and local priorities.

As part of the monitoring for the third Scottish national Adaptation Plan (SNAP3), the number of published Coastal Change Adaptation Plans will be monitored. The outputs of the Coastal Change Adaption Fund case studies are shared on the Dynamic Coast website and webinars on coastal change are held so the knowledge is shared across key stakeholders.

ScotRail Trains Limited is a train operating company that is publicly owned by Scottish Rail Holdings (a Non-Departmental Public Body) on behalf of the Scottish Government. ScotRail is not an Agency of the Scottish Government.

The guidance quoted by the Member relates to questions about Scottish Government Agencies. The relevant guidance has been correctly followed when preparing an answer to question S6W-32555.

The made Orders for the A96 Dualling Inverness to Nairn (including Nairn Bypass) scheme were published on 12 March 2024. As no legal challenge was received during the 6 weeks following publication of the made Orders, this completes the statutory process for the scheme and clears the way for Ministers to take title to the land (i.e. complete the acquisition process) included in the made Compulsory Purchase Order which is required to construct the scheme. Transport Scotland is pressing ahead with the procedural steps to make this happen as soon as possible. It is currently expected that the process to take title to the land (via a General Vesting Declaration procedure) will be completed in the coming months.

Work is also underway to determine the most suitable procurement option for delivering the A96 Dualling Inverness to Nairn (including Nairn bypass) and thereafter a timetable for progress can be set in line with available budgets. The Government’s preference would be to deliver the scheme using capital funding, but because of erosion to our capital budget, we need to look at all possible ways of delivering the road improvement.

This is a complex exercise which looks at a number of factors including how the project can be delivered most efficiently by industry whilst minimising disruption to road users.

It is fundamental that contracting authorities allow sufficient time to properly consider the range of procurement routes available for any given project. This is important to ensure that the chosen procurement option generates sufficient competition to maximise value for money, delivers against the objectives of the intervention and complies with all statutory and regulatory requirements.

As part of this work, consideration will be given to the feasibility and attractiveness of combining with adjacent schemes to form larger contracts or splitting the scheme and delivering through smaller contracts, for example the Nairn Bypass.

It is expected that the work to determine the most suitable procurement option and develop the business case will take a further 12 months and this assessment work would closely align with the Mutual Investment Model (MIM) assessment work being undertaken on the A9 Dualling. The decision on the use of MIM for the A96 Inverness to Nairn (including Nairn Bypass) would need to follow after, or be considered alongside, the A9 decision which is currently expected at the end of 2025. We will also include consideration of delivery options for the adjacent A9/A96 Inshes to Smithton scheme (part of the Inverness and Highland City Region Deal) as part of this work.

None. I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-31866 on 11 December 2024. 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 task forces referred to in the National Transport Strategy’s Fourth Delivery Plan are the Shetland and Orkney Ferry Replacement Task Forces. Further information is available on the Transport Scotland website: Ferry Services Managed by Transport Scotland.

In 2024 the Scottish Government launched the Inshore Fisheries Management Improvement Programme to develop a more agile, responsive and regional management framework. Our vision is that this framework will enable us to tailor a wider range of fisheries management tools to the changing needs of our marine environment and fishers, based on the best available scientific data.

This is a transformational project for inshore fisheries in Scotland, supporting delivery of locally appropriate management solutions. As such, the Scottish Government is not currently progressing proposals for a national cap on fishing activity in our inshore waters.

The Scottish Government acts on many fronts to promote low-impact, sustainable sea fishing.

Our Future Fisheries Management Strategy sets out our vision for Scotland to be a world class fishing nation, delivering responsible and sustainable fisheries management, and actions we will take to deliver that vision. This ten year Strategy includes our Future Catching Policy which aims to develop new rules, in cooperation with stakeholders, to regulate activity at sea in order to support the increased accountability and sustainability of Scottish fisheries: Fisheries - future catching policy: consultation - gov.scot.

On a day-to-day basis our compliance and operational staff oversee compliance with regulation and administrative requirements (whether that be in our 18 coastal offices or marine protection vessels), and our scientists provide data to help inform management decisions at a Scottish, UK and international level.

With regard to question a), the industry estimate that around 80% of venison sold is sourced from the annual deer cull.

With regard to b), the industry estimate that around 15-20,000 carcases are imported from New Zealand. This can be difficult to quantify because parts of carcasses are purchased rather than the whole.

With regard to c), we do not have figures on what proportion of venison sold comes from sources other than the annual deer cull or imports. However, there are around 15,000 farmed deer in Scotland (2023 figures).

Analysis has not been carried out to estimate average cost to upgrade social housing to an EPC C rating from a rating of (a) D, (b) E and (c) F. The findings from the Scottish Household Condition Survey in 2022 estimated that the majority of Social Rented Sector dwellings (66%) are already at EPC C or better.