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The Code of Good Practice for Scottish Finfish Aquaculture is independent of Scottish Government which is not responsible for any review or updates made to the Code.

The Scottish Government, in its response to the Rural Affairs and Islands Committee (13 March 2025), has committed to exploring options for how to best to set welfare standards for production going forward and will update the Committee in September 2025 on progress and next steps.

The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) are responsible for considering welfare complaints and investigating potential breaches in welfare legislation.

APHA veterinarians have the professional knowledge and training to assess against the welfare needs set out in Section 24 (3) of The Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006.

The Code of Good Practice for Scottish Finfish Aquaculture is a sector developed code which supports producers in understanding and delivering their obligations around welfare and other matters. Compliance with the code may form part of the range evidence used by APHA in considering whether obligations have been breached.

As highlighted in the launch of Police Scotland's Body Worn Video (BWV) rollout, around 750 Tayside (D) Division officers, including road policing officers, operational support and custody staff, will be equipped with the new devices over the coming weeks. As the roll out progresses, Police Scotland will issue more than 10,500 Home Office-approved Motorola VB400 cameras to frontline officers from constable to inspector ranks, and to police custody staff, across the country.

Previously to this national rollout, approximately 440-Armed Policing Officers have access to BWV. BWV has been used in A Division since 2010 as part of a legacy Grampian Police deployment and currently have 228 operational devices in use on a pool basis. The national BWV solution will replace this legacy system in line with other divisions.

In total approximately 1440 BWV devices are currently operational with a mixed estate of both pool and personal issue. Training across Tayside is currently ongoing, which will increase officer use of this technology daily.

Police Scotland have advised that their Body Worn Video (BWV) Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) has been developed in collaboration with the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) and other partners to ensure officers capture end to end footage, including the events leading up to an incident, to provide best evidence in any prosecution case.

Guidance on when officers should press record on their Body Worn Camera is set by Police Scotland to encompass all policing responsibilities whether criminal or not. This is set out in section 5 of the Police Scotland BWV SOP which says:

In the following circumstances, all BWV users present/attending must activate recording on their BWV cameras;

• Prior to arriving at the incident.
• Prior to utilising blue lights.
• Prior to stopping persons or vehicles.
• When an armed Police Officer or a specially trained officer (STO) is authorised to deploy, or self deploys to a firearms/TASER incident they will immediately commence recording.
• When there is an armed policing operation and following an instruction by the relevant Armed Policing Command.
• At the first available opportunity for spontaneous incidents.

All Police Scotland Standard Operating Procedures recognise that policing is a dynamic profession, and the standard response may not be appropriate in every circumstance. In every situation, the decisions and actions should be supported by the National Decision Model and based on the values and ethics of Police Scotland. BWV users may be expected to provide a clear and reasonable rationale for any decision or action which they take.

The BWV Standard Operating Procedure can be accessed publicly:

https://www.scotland.police.uk/spa-media/oqtjeuqf/body-worn-video-sop-police-scotland-publication-scheme.docx.

Although not formally adopted under the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006 nor the Welfare of Animals at the Time of Killing (Scotland) Regulations 2012, the finfish sector’s Code of Good Practice supports producers to deliver on their welfare obligations.

The Scottish Government, in its response to the Rural Affairs and Islands Committee (13 March 2025), has committed to exploring options for how to best to set welfare standards for production going forward and will update the Committee in September 2025 on progress and next steps.

We are currently developing guidance for the welfare of farmed fish at the time of slaughter taking into account the recommendations made in the UK Animal Welfare Committee report of 2014 and its updated opinion of 2023. We will engage with the industry and other stakeholders, including animal welfare organisations, for their views at the appropriate stage.

The experience of families will inform the forthcoming focused review of FAIs in relation to deaths in custody.

The operation of FAIs is a matter for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service rather than for the Scottish Government. The experience of families will inform the forthcoming focused review of FAIs in relation to deaths in custody.

The determination of an FAI will set out the Sheriff's recommendations, which will be aimed at the relevant public body. The Scottish Government would expect any public body to take cognisance of any recommendations.

The Scottish Government supports the independent judiciary's careful examination of matters in FAI determinations and believes that valuable learning is offered through the process.

The Scottish Government provides a range of support to shipbuilding, marine engineering, harbours and ports across Scotland, but has no plans to undertake a feasibility study to emulate a Common User Facility for shipyards in Australia and Scotland, as the skill sets of the staff at the respective yards will differ.

This Government took a proactive approach to preserve commercial shipbuilding on the Clyde at Ferguson Marine and remains committed to invest in the skills and capabilities needed to secure a sustainable future for the shipyard.