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Seafood Scotland plays a pivotal part in the portrait of Scottish success. It offers invaluable support to businesses across the entire seafood supply chain - from wild caught fisheries to aquaculture producers, processors to retailers. It is also vital in supporting and promoting Scotland's world-class seafood industry. Of course, sustainability is key, and a healthy marine environment is the foundation upon which this prosperity is built.

Seafood Scotland is at the forefront of Sustainability in Scotland, through various schemes, projects and attending major industry trade shows. Just last year Seafood Scotland partnered with the Global Seafood Alliance to host the Responsible Seafood Summit, and this year launched the Scottish Ocean Cluster, representing a bold new approach to maximising the value and sustainability of our seafood industry. They also provide crucial outreach, such as the education and training for chefs globally to foster a deeper appreciation for the quality and sustainability of Scotland's seafood, and in Scotland they have revived their impactful Seafood in Schools program.

Scottish Government funding investment through Marine Fund Scotland (MFS) is a signal of the importance we place in their role delivering for industry, supporting a wide range of initiatives that drive innovation, enhance sustainability, and build greater prosperity in our marine industries. The MFS application contains Key Performance Indicators and Seafood Scotland are required to submit reports commenting on progress towards & achievement of these.

Currently, grants are available to bring about distinct and durable improvement in the quality of permanent pasture. Soil analysis is also eligible for grant aid as part of an acceptable scheme.

Throughout 2024, officials worked with stakeholders on the CAGS Stakeholder Group to discuss changes to the operation of the scheme. These changes, implemented in 2025, included the introduction of standard costs for the likes of fencing and agricultural buildings. The next stage will focus on the type of projects supported, to ensure the CAGS aligns with the future support framework and the Scottish Government’s Vision for Agriculture.

The 2025-26 Scottish Budget, which was passed by the Scottish Parliament on 25 February, has funding allocated to provide free bus travel for people seeking asylum. My officials have reconvened the Working Group with Third Sector representatives and other interested parties to work through delivery options for a pilot scheme this financial year.

The pilot will provide free bus travel for those people seeking asylum who are not eligible for the existing statutory free bus travel schemes. It is anticipated that the pilot will commence in the Autumn. Delivery of the pilot will be monitored and an evaluation carried out to determine demand, costs and potential benefits of free bus travel to people seeking asylum in Scotland.

People seeking asylum in Scotland who are aged under 22, aged 60 or over or have an eligible disability are already entitled to concessionary travel through the existing National Concessionary Travel schemes.

At time of the transition to public ownership and control of ScotRail, in order to maintain service levels while minimising disruption to staff, it was decided that the contracts for the contact centre, finance and payroll which were delivered to ScotRail by a third party provider, would remain external.

The contract for the contact centre, which is coming to an end, has been awarded to Teleperformance Ltd, who will maintain the continuity of providing the service.

ScotRail will bring the abovementioned functions in-house, as soon as it is practicable to do so.

Glasgow Prestwick Airport operates on a commercial basis and at arm's length from Scottish Ministers. The airport's management have been working hard to develop new commercial opportunities, which is evidenced by the launch of scheduled freight services between GPA and China earlier this summer.

These new services provide fast, direct access to the growing Chinese market for premium Scottish food and beverage products.

My officials are in regular contact with GPA and have received trading updates which show considerable growth in GPA's revenues as a result of GPA's success in securing new freight services.

Spreading benefits across Scotland is a key objective for the Scottish Government of hosting the 2028 UEFA European football championships. This includes economic benefits and a well-designed social impact programme to enhance the wellbeing of people living in Scotland.

The Scottish Government is working with a range of stakeholders to develop a social impact programme for Scotland aligned to the tournament which it is expected will see activity across the country in the lead up to, during and after the tournament. The Scottish Government is also working with partners to ensure that economic benefits of hosting are realised. Information will be provided to Parliament once this work has developed further.

A post tournament evaluation will be conducted to assess the benefits of hosting.

Further to my answer to question S6W-38874 on 11 July 2025, in which I recognised the recent Court judgement reflecting the potential for animal welfare to be a material consideration, in determining any application or appeal, it is for the planning authority, or as the case may be the Scottish Ministers (or reporters on their behalf), who are considering the proposed development to decide what matters are material to their consideration on a case by case basis. Furthermore, the weight to be attached to any specific matter raised in any individual case rests with the decision-maker.

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 Scottish Government’s commitment to tackling retail crime was reaffirmed in our Programme for Government, which makes clear our strong support for Police Scotland’s robust approach in addressing this issue.

The Scottish Government has commenced work on developing a multi-year Scottish Spending Review, which will deliver on its priorities in a fiscally sustainable way. The Government’s core priorities will sit at the heart of the spending review process, and guide how and where we will allocate funding.

Decisions on the future of the funding for retail crime, will be taken in the context of developing the 2026-27 budget and the Scottish Spending Review.

The Scottish Government is committed to preventing violence and reducing its harm.

There are a range of options to support the mental health and wellbeing of employees, including those working in the retail sector.

Our Mental health and wellbeing strategy, published June 2023 sets out what a supportive system should look like, recognising the many different factors that can influence mental health and wellbeing, including employment.

As part of this work, we continue to work across government and with delivery partners to ensure employers are equipped with knowledge, skills and resources they need to promote and support conditions that enable good mental health at work.

Our ‘Supporting a Mentally Healthy Workplace’ employer platform, signposts employers to a range of free mental health and wellbeing resources and information. We continue to engage with employers to ensure content continues to meet the needs of employers across Scotland.

Scottish Government partners, including the Scottish Retail Consortium (SRC) and Scottish Grocers’ Federation (SGF), share best practice guidance and resources, such as the free Grocery Aid helpline, and Victim Support, for victims of violence and abuse in a retail setting.

Victim Support Scotland provide information, emotional support and practical assistance to help anyone affected by crime, including retail crime.

The licensing regime for offshore oil and gas is a matter currently reserved to the UK Government, with the North Sea Transition Authority as its regulator.

The Scottish Government is clear in our support for a just transition for Scotland’s valued oil and gas sector, which recognises the maturity of the North Sea basin and is in line with our climate change commitments.

That is why we continue to call on the UK Government to approach decisions on the North Sea on a rigorously evidence-led, case by case, basis – with climate compatibility and energy security as key considerations.

Scottish Government Ministers and officials engage with both energy industry bodies and the North Sea Transition Authority on a regular basis.