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Scottish Government’s sustained policy and regulatory interventions on sea lice have focused industry action on sea lice management and have resulted in a downward trend in sea lice numbers at a national level, with 2024 levels being the lowest since 2018.

Scottish Government has also delivered funding into fish health research and innovation through the Sustainable Aquaculture Innovation Centre (SAIC), which resulted in total investment from SAIC, industry and other funding partners of £62.7 million on projects including those on gill health, rapid diagnostic technologies and Harmful Algal Blooms. In May 2024 a further £1.5m was provided to support the Sustainable Aquaculture Innovation Centre until March 2026 and we are now considering options to help facilitate aquaculture innovation into the future.

On behalf of Scottish Ministers, the Fish Health Inspectorate continues to undertake a listed disease surveillance programme to prevent the introduction and spread of listed and emerging fish diseases in Scotland which includes statutory inspections, sampling programmes, and the provision of advice to stakeholders.

Communities in Scotland now have more options than ever before to take ownership of land and assets, including several distinct rights to buy, and they can now choose which route to community ownership best suits their aspirations.

The Scottish Government does not have any immediate plans to develop further legislation in relation to the welfare of farmed fish. The Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006 protects farmed animals from ‘unnecessary suffering’ and places a duty of care on those caring for animals to meet their welfare needs.

Scottish Government recognises the importance of protecting the welfare of farmed fish, including at the time of slaughter and is considering the UK Animal Welfare Committee report and recommendations published in 2024. We are currently developing guidance based on the report’s recommendations to protect the welfare of farmed fish at the time of slaughter. When this work has progressed to an appropriate stage, we will be engaging with the industry and other stakeholders, including animal welfare organisations. Scottish Government is also contributing to the Devolved Administrations Trout Working Group to assist with the development of voluntary guidelines for the trout sector.

The Scottish Government recognises the importance of promoting reusable nappies during Reusable Nappy Week. Content will be posted across Parent Club’s social media channels and will highlight the benefits of reusable nappies and answer common questions people have about them.

Social media posts will also direct users to the Parent Club website which has recently been reviewed with up-to-date content on ‘How to use reusable nappies’. This is available at: https://www.parentclub.scot/articles/how-use-reusable-nappies.

The Scottish Government regularly meets with COSLA and local authorities to discuss areas of shared interest. The Scottish Government has focussed efforts on supporting families to make informed choices about reusable nappies by raising awareness of their benefits on the Parent Club website. Our Circular Economy and Waste Route Map commits to facilitating the sharing of best practice examples on reusable items, such as North Ayrshire Council's Real Nappy Incentive Scheme, to encourage uptake in other areas.

There were no prosecutions under section 40(1) of the Regulatory Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 (where main crime) since 1 January 2014.

Please note: The latest available data is for 2022-23.

Scottish Ministers are concerned about the use of novel nicotine products such as nicotine pouches and, in particular, their appeal to children and young people.

The Tobacco and Vapes Bill, if passed, will introduce a range of restrictions – for example around age of sale and advertising- applicable to these products, taking on board concerns raised by members previously about novel products becoming more prevalent on the market and their appeal to children and young people.

The purchase of vaping products is already age restricted and it is illegal to sell to, or buy them for, anyone under the age of 18. Trading Officers are using every tool at their disposal - including fixed penalty notices - to ensure retailers are not selling vaping products to under 18s. Border Force and HMRC also have an important role to control the illicit vape trade and we continue to work with them on this.

We are currently the only nation in the UK with a functioning Tobacco and Nicotine Vapour Product Register. The Tobacco and Vaping Framework set out our intention to consider how the register could be improved. A refreshed digital product went live in January 2025. This will ensure that the register is a more effective and efficient tool for enforcement as well as for engagement with retailers on compliance with current and future legislation.

The purchase of vaping and tobacco products is age restricted. It is illegal to sell to, or buy them for, anyone under the age of 18.

Our Tobacco and Vaping Framework, launched in 2023, is our roadmap to 2034 and a tobacco free Scotland.

Our Framework is underpinned by a wide range of legislation including legislation to support the Register of Tobacco and Nicotine Vapour Product Retailers. We recently launched a new digital Register platform which will help to ensure accurate data and help Trading Standards with enforcement of current and future regulations.

A key strand of the first implementation plan of the Framework is the work that has taken place across the four nations on creating a smoke free generation and tackling youth vaping, which has led to the introduction of the UK-wide Tobacco and Vapes Bill.

Measures within the Bill include the introduction of a wide definition of a nicotine product, which is designed to cover products currently on the market such as nicotine pouches, as well as any future nicotine products. If passed with the consent of the Scottish Parliament the Bill will make it an offence to sell all nicotine products to under 18’s, stopping the next generation from becoming addicted.

The Tobacco and Vapes Bill, if passed, will also expand both the register and enforcement powers to cover herbal smoking products and nicotine products.

This is an operational matter for ScotRail

Officials from the Scottish Government, Forestry and Land Scotland, Scottish Forestry and NatureScot are working together with counterparts in the Swedish Government and its agencies to explore opportunities for collaboration on the development of technical skills and techniques and best practices in respect to peatland restoration.

With an emphasis on workforce planning and training, our dialogue with our Swedish partners seeks to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of our restoration efforts, while providing a platform to promote Scottish expertise with a key partner.