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Yes. The FONE group meets on a quarterly basis and members are routinely provided the opportunity to share what promotional material, including guidance, support, case studies and signposting for new entrants and the next generation is being offered. Additionally, agricultural opportunities are regularly signposted on the individual stakeholders’ websites, such as:

New Entrants resources for farmers from Farm Advisory Service

Inspirational Stories | Helping farmers in Scotland | Farm Advisory Service

Farmers sign up | Scottish Land Matching Service

The FONE is a collaborative group dedicated to supporting agricultural new entrants and the next generation of Scottish farmers and crofters. Each of the members looks to ensure that their organisation is giving due consideration to new entrant opportunities and further support they can provide.

The group’s success can be evidenced by the 8,272 hectares of land that have been made available to new entrants since 2016. This represents a combined effort from public bodies to maximise new entrant opportunities on public land.

Yes. The FONE group’s membership comprises of crofting stakeholders who regularly discuss and consider what further efforts can be made to make the best use of crofts and attract new entrants to crofting.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-32827 on 16 January 2025. 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

Nordic Horizons has not received any funding from the Scottish Government since 2018.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service’s (SFRS) wildfire strategy was created with partnership at its heart. The strategy was launched in 2023 and is supported by a planned spend of around £1.6 million over the course of three years. The strategy considers the increased risk of wildfire and changing climate in Scotland; the latest developments in wildfire management; training and operational procedures; and the advances in technology that have been made in PPE and equipment.

SFRS responds to wildfires using a tiered system that includes latest technology and techniques, such as those in use in new Mediterranean-style specialist wildfire units, to safely bring an incident to a conclusion. The Service’s approach uses 4 Tiers:

• Tier 1 Stations: General first responder firefighting, hose, beaters, water backpacks;
• Tier 2 Stations: Sprinter vans with wildfire suppression and management equipment. This includes leaf blowers, excavation tools, beaters and lighting;
• Tier 3 Stations: Ford Ranger with Polaris All-Terrain Vehicles with fogging lance unit on trailer; and
• Tier 4: Wildfire Tactical Advisors.

In terms of training, all staff are trained to Tier 1. New equipment, PPE and vehicles are being rolled out on a phased and risk assessed basis and while much work in this area has already been delivered, SFRS intends to have fully implemented its wildfire strategy during the course of 2025.

Wildfires in rural communities can burn for days and often involve hundreds of staff and many resources, a large proportion of which are provided by SFRS’s on-call staff in rural communities, to bring these incidents to safe conclusions. This is why SFRS has bolstered its response to these incidents with more specialised equipment located at its network of dedicated fire stations strategically placed to safeguard the public.

Efficient and effective dissemination of wildfire prevention information to the public is key to preventing wildfires. Before igniting any flames in a rural or outdoor setting, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) encourage everyone to check which area of Scotland may be at threat of wildfires. If a threat is in place, the key prevention advice from SFRS is that people should refrain from igniting any flames.

When Scotland is at a high threat of wildfires, SFRS works in partnership with the Scottish Wildfire Forum (SWF), to alert the public and partners to the threat of wildfires by issuing Wildfire Danger Assessments. SFRS issues alerts through its social media channels, its website and local media outlets, and requests assistance from Local Authorities across Scotland to share safety messaging to seek engagement with as many members of public as possible. These warnings detail which areas across Scotland are most likely to be affected. SFRS also alerts the Scottish Government who proactively re-issue these warnings across digital and social media platforms.

The Scottish Government’s Ready Scotland marketing campaign can be activated at any time, using geographically targeted digital and local radio channels to inform the public about forecast extreme weather. In 2023, digital assets were developed for the campaign so that it can also be deployed in any area of Scotland at times of heightened risk of wildfires.

When areas are at risk from severe weather or severe wildfires, the Scottish Government, responder organisations and other resilience partners all work closely to share public safety advice through a variety of channels. Well-established processes are in place to consider the most appropriate methods of communication based on the specific circumstances.

Ensuring resilience and capacity to be able to respond effectively to adverse events, including weather, are operational matters for our emergency services.

We continue our commitment to support the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) to deliver the high standard of services required to keep Scotland safe. The draft budget for 2025-26 provides SFRS with an additional £18.8 million in support of front line services, which will bring the total budget to £412.1 million.

It is for the Chief Constable, working with the working with the Scottish Police Authority, to determine how to allocate its budget to meet policing priorities including how adverse events are managed. In 2025-26, the Scottish Government will increase police funding to £1.62 billion to support police capacity and capability. This includes almost £57 million in additional resource funding – an increase of 4% compared to 2024-25 published budget.

In terms of the Scottish Ambulance Service, costs involved in ensuring this resilience and capacity will be covered through the existing operational budget. In 2025-26 NHS Boards will receive record funding of £21 billion. This includes an increase to the Service of more than £88 million, which takes the Scottish Ambulance Service’s overall funding for 2025-26 to £437.2 million.

Yes. All FONE group members have the responsibility to report opportunities for new entrants. This includes the Scottish Land Matching Service (SLMS), which actively engages with public and private estates to explore what land opportunities they have available. 35 matches have been formalised through the SLMS and they are actively working with 263 individuals on further joint-ventures, including those on private and publicly owned land.

In December 2024, the Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity wrote to every Scottish Council leader and Chief Executive asking for their support to consider what land opportunities they can offer agricultural new entrants with the view to engage with each of them directly further.

How compulsory purchase orders are factored into the planning for large infrastructure projects is a matter for the relevant acquiring authority (i.e. body with compulsory purchase powers) in the circumstances of the project. As set out in Circular 6/2011: Compulsory purchase orders,https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-planning-series-planning-circular-6-2011-compulsory-purchase-orders/, acquiring authorities are expected – where practicable – to seek to acquire land by agreement before making a compulsory purchase order.