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The Scottish Government expects that all public sector employers, including SEPA, adopt fair work practices, including through Fair Work First, which applies to discretionary public sector grants.

SEPA is responsible for its day to day operations and publishes an Equality Mainstreaming and Outcomes Report which details its fair work related commitments. SEPA also operates a People and Resources Committee which includes terms of reference on employee engagement and the role of recognised trade unions. While SEPA’s specific amendments to its call centre services are operational decisions, it is expected that these changes are made in consultation with staff and trade unions to align with fair work, to ensure workers are treated fairly and with respect.

The Scottish Government continues to work with UK Government and the Welsh Government on the regulation of biocides, including rodenticides, under the GB Biocidal Products Regulation. A Government Oversight Group, that includes Scottish Government representation, oversees the Campaign for Responsible Rodenticide Use (CRRU) and scrutinises the performance of its UK Rodenticide Stewardship Scheme (RSS).

The RSS is being updated firstly to ban the use of the two remaining second generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARs) that are available for open area use from the end of this year. This is also intended to reduce accidental or deliberate misuse of other products including Brodifacoum in open areas. Secondly, training requirements for the farming sector are being brought in line with other sectors from end 2025 to ensure a consistent level of professional training across all sectors and reduce the risk of poor practice. Further changes to the RSS will be considered and implemented if necessary to continue to address SGARs residue levels in wildlife.

Once the plans have been implemented, the improved staff visibility and ScotRail having the ability to deploy staff more flexibly will not only improve the feeling of safety for all passengers, including women and girls, but also maintain an environment, which deters any potential anti-social behaviour.

Additional Travel Safe Teams will be on hand to support a welcoming rail environment and provide a better journey.

ScotRail has also invested £1.6 million- to triple the number of body-worn cameras and hired more staff for late-night trains in problem areas.

Project Neptune was commissioned in March 2021, culminating in the publication of its findings on 8 September 2022. This was followed up with community engagement, by Angus Campbell, resulting in the publication of the 'Communities Report on Future Management of Ferries' on 10 July 2023. Almost £244,000 has been spent on Project Neptune, excluding internal Transport Scotland resources.

Since publication of the reports, Scottish Ministers have been consistently clear on the need to improve delivery of the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services (CHFS), to ensure the requirements of ferry dependent communities are met. No immediate decisions are being made on the subject of reform of the ferries sector, though nothing is off the table. At present, the focus is on the preparation for bringing the six new major vessels into the CalMac fleet and the considerable work involved in putting arrangements in place for the direct award of the new CHFS contract next year.

The Force Majeure/Exceptional Circumstance (FM/EC) provision is one that has existed for a number of years and if a business has been unable to comply with the rules of a scheme because of FM/EC, they may retain the right to aid in respect of the claim. To qualify, a business must notify the Scottish Government Rural Payments and Inspections Division (SGRPID) in writing of the FM/EC event along with relevant evidence from the date they are in a position to do so.

The FM/EC provision applies on a case by case basis, and decisions are taken on the basis of relevant evidence provided. The way on which the Scottish Government continue to approach cases relies on the approach set out by legislation.

Examples of force majeure or exceptional circumstances are:

1.the death of the farmer

2.the long-term professional incapacity of the farmer

3.a severe natural disaster gravely affecting the holding's agricultural land

4.the accidental destruction of livestock buildings on the holding

5.an epizootic affecting part of or all of the farmer’s livestock (for example, Foot and Mouth Disease)

This is not an exhaustive list and animal health concerns, weather conditions, bull failure or transport issues may also qualify as FM/EC. These are only examples and they are not, by themselves, sufficient to qualify as FM/EC and the applicant would still need to provide evidence in support of these events that demonstrate that calving performance has been impacted by comparison to previous years.

In August 2024, the Scottish Government posted a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Scottish Suckler Beef Support Scheme (Mainland and Islands) to support the industry with information on the new calving interval condition being introduced to the Scottish Suckler Beef Support Scheme (SSBSS) from 2025. The FAQ includes detail of the FM/EC provision in the context of the SSBSS calving interval condition, including the type of evidence that would be required to support a request for it to be applied.

The Scottish Government’s Drink and Drug-Driving campaign runs from the 2 December 2024 to 13 January 2025. It covers radio, digital, out of home billboards in urban areas where audience can be reached prior to drinking or taking drugs, tactical outdoor sites, including posters and beermats in pubs and clubs targeting the audience in environments where they may be considering driving home under the influence. Sub-targeting of drivers living in the most deprived areas has been factored into plans and will be achieved through digital media postcode targeting.

All campaign materials will signpost to the roadsafety.scot website, which will support behaviour change by including further information on drug and drink-driving penalties, legal alcohol limits and roadside drug testing. PR and partnership activity and a campaign toolkit is available for partners which outlines details of the campaign and key messaging alongside shareable assets.

The effectiveness of the campaign will be evaluated and this work is undertaken by independent research agencies and seeks to track shifts in the target audiences’ attitudes and behaviours as a result of campaign exposure.

No work has been undertaken to consider permanently replacing the M8 Woodside Viaducts with a surface level dual carriageway. Therefore, it is not possible to determine what the design and estimated capital cost of such an option would be, the practicalities of funding it or making a comparison with the costs for maintaining the existing viaducts.

Transport Scotland are currently undertaking a tender competition to appoint technical advisors to determine the most appropriate permanent solution for the M8 Woodside Viaducts including the next steps for procuring the works. Once undertaken, the works will provide greater resilience for these structures.

The health and wellbeing of MSPs, their staff and SPCB staff is a priority for the SPCB. The SPCB promotes a wide range of health and wellbeing resources on its intranet, including those provided by Spectrum Life, the SPCB’s employee wellbeing partner. These resources include cancer awareness and prevention and cancer survivor podcasts as well as information about World Cancer Day. The SPCB is aware of Fight Bladder Cancer’s awareness raising campaign. The SPCB will consider how it might raise awareness of this disease during bladder cancer awareness month in May.

The Scottish Government regularly meets with Scottish Renewables to discuss a wide range of matters related to renewable energy. On 4 December 2024, I met Claire Mack, the Chief Executive of Scottish Renewables, to discuss the broad parameters of the draft Scottish Budget 2025-26 in relation to offshore wind and wider renewables.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-32085 on 19 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.