Chamber and committees

Despite voting to stay in the EU, Scotland was forced to leave with the UK. That means putting in place trade barriers for both exports and imports that create costs for businesses and consumers.

After delays lasting several years, the UK Government has now moved further on in the implementation of the Border Target Operating Model (BTOM), the UK Government’s post-Brexit regime of border controls.

Scotland has little choice but reluctantly to accept these controls, not least to at last level the trading field for Scottish exporters. However, the longer these controls have been delayed, the more necessary they have become to protect our biosecurity.

The model brings into force a sliding-scale of risk-based checks and controls on imported goods entering Great Britain (GB), from the EU and the rest of the world. On 31 st of January 2024, documentary checks began under the model with various administrative requirements put in place. Today sees the establishment of the next phase of controls – risk-based physical checks on certain categories of goods.

The requirement for checks on imports from the EU stems of course from Brexit, but Parliament will be aware that it interacts with devolved responsibilities – primarily our responsibility to protect Scotland’s people, environment and businesses from biosecurity risks. Last year, therefore, I reluctantly agreed to adopt this model.

While this model is not perfect, it is an unfortunate necessity. We must deliver robust biosecurity protections for Scotland.

My agreement to endorse the model last year was predicated on receiving assurance from the UK Government that several outstanding issues would be addressed. I am both disappointed and frustrated to have to report to Parliament that instead of joint working on a range of matters and devolution being respected, the UK Government continues to work in isolation, has taken unilateral decisions on areas of devolved responsibility, and has delivered the legislative underpinning of this model so poorly that time for parliamentary scrutiny has been severely limited. I have raised our frustrations repeatedly with UK Government ministers since prior to the model’s publication; despite receiving assurances, our frustrations have not been addressed.

Similarly, I have written to conveners of relevant Scottish Parliament committees on this matter to express concern at how the UK Government’s approach is impacting our Parliament’s scrutiny.

Our stakeholders want clarity about how this model impacts them. Despite the UK Government having had years to prepare for this (and having delayed the model no less than five times), there are still unanswered questions preventing industry from getting clear answers about how to conduct their businesses. For example, interactions between the BTOM and the Windsor Framework remain unclear. Therefore, west coast arrangements have not yet been decided and checks there are not yet coming online. I will of course keep Parliament updated as to any progress in these and other areas.

My fellow ministers and officials will be closely monitoring the implementation of this latest stage of BTOM, not only to ensure that our biosecurity protections are maintained, but to ensure businesses are given the information and support they require to navigate these new roles. We will continue to advocate for substantial and meaningful engagement on issues of major importance to Scotland, as we were promised and which Westminster, has so far failed to deliver.

I have repeatedly urged the UK Government to negotiate a comprehensive veterinary agreement with the EU – sensibly and pragmatically aligning standards that would reduce the financial and administrative requirements that this model will create for some businesses here in Scotland.

Further information on the model can be found on the UK Government’s website:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-border-target-operating-model-august-2023

The Scottish Government recognises the importance of working closely and collaboratively with the UK Government and other devolved administrations to deliver a net zero that is mutually beneficial both in economic and social terms.

We will engage directly with each of the Governments to understand how best to establish a four nations climate response group that enables us to work much closer and share more information.

Operational guidance regarding the provision of food is provided to Boards from Health Facilities Scotland (a division of National Services Scotland). Boards carry out quality assurance activity of their catering services through several mechanisms. Patient Experience Surveys are used in all boards, through a variety of methods, and include questions on national measures of quality (which are reported annually to Health Facilities Scotland), alongside additional questions included by the board. Mealtime observations, where the ward service is observed and measured against several topic areas, are used to help to identify areas for improvement. However, some boards do not currently carry out these types of audits. All feedback should be reviewed by the service and used to measure the quality of the service from the patient’s perspective, helping to identify areas for improvement.

Patient Feedback should be considered at several forums, including at the board’s Strategic Hydration and Nutritional Care Group or Food, Fluid and Nutrition Group meetings.

Where patients have complaints, Boards are encouraged to utilise the NHS Complaints Handling Procedure. Where suitable, Boards are encouraged to resolve straightforward complaints at the earliest opportunity, however where this is not possible complaints can be escalated to an investigation stage.

Consenting of GreenVolt, one of the largest floating offshore wind farms in Europe, is a significant milestone which will secure Scotland’s place at the forefront of floating wind technology.

Green Volt’s recently published Supply Chain Development Statement Outlook indicates that the project is estimated to create over 2800 direct jobs during construction and around 100 jobs during the operational phase.

An estimate for wind turbine manufacturing jobs cannot currently be provided. However, Green Volt has committed to spend £350 million in Scotland in the manufacturing phase.

As Scotland’s renewable energy industry continues to grow and thrive we will continue to see new and increased opportunities for job creation across Scotland. We are determined to maximise the economic benefits from offshore wind projects in Scottish waters, which will support the creation of new sustainable jobs across the country.

The Scottish Government recognises the importance of working closely and collaboratively with the UK Government and other devolved administrations to deliver a net zero that is mutually beneficial both in economic and social terms.

We will engage directly with each of the Governments to understand how best to establish a four nations climate response group that enables us to work much closer and share more information.

The Scottish Government recognises the importance of working closely and collaboratively with the UK Government and other devolved administrations to deliver a net zero that is mutually beneficial both in economic and social terms.

We will engage directly with each of the Governments to understand how best to establish a four nations climate response group that enables us to work much closer and share more information.

Yes, our Circular Economy Bill proposes modifications to the Environmental Protection Act 1990, implementing new legislative powers to tackle littering from vehicles. These will allow authorised officers to impose a civil penalty charge on the keeper of a vehicle from which littering has occurred. Further adjustments to legislation may be identified by the work on the National Litter and Flytipping Strategy and will be considered as we progress delivery.

The information requested is not held centrally and is a matter for each health board. Health boards have a legal obligation under Public Records (Scotland) Act 2011) to identify a person with responsibility over their records. They decide on the best way to designate further roles and responsibilities for that matter.

Work is ongoing from all partners in the group to prepare a suitable programme and allocate the necessary resources to take forward the recommendations and actions, as accepted by the Scottish Ministers. Once finalised, the programme of work will be reported to the Scottish Ministers and its implementation monitored on an ongoing basis.

While employment law is reserved, we will continue to do whatever we can with the levers we have to strengthen effective voice and ultimately collective bargaining in Scotland. The Scottish Government has made a clear commitment to promote collective bargaining through the inclusion of an employee voice indicator, measured by collective bargaining coverage, within the National Performance Framework.

Our National Strategy for Economic Transformation and our refreshed Fair Work Action Plan include actions to support trade unions and promote collective bargaining.

We are continuing to promote trade union recognition and collective bargaining, at both local and sectoral levels, to achieve improved conditions and enhance effective voice. Work is underway in a number of traditionally low paid or precarious sectors to advance fair work and effective voice for workers. The Scottish Government’s work on introducing sectoral bargaining for the adult social care sector is progressing ahead of the introduction of the National Care Service (NCS), in line with the recommendations of the Fair Work Convention. Furthermore, since 1 July 2023, public sector grants include a requirement to pay at least the Real Living Wage to all employees, and provide appropriate channels for effective voice, thus strengthening our approach to conditionality.

Despite an increasingly constrained budgetary context we have continued to provide trade unions in Scotland with funding and support to advance fair work and improve worker voice, which can ultimately increase trade union recognition.