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COPFS staff take into account the terms of Section 4 of the Inquiries into Fatal Accidents and Sudden Deaths etc. (Scotland) Act 2016 when identifying cases where it may be appropriate for a discretionary Fatal Accident Inquiry to be held.

In addition, detailed guidance is available for COPFS staff to assist them in identifying such cases. That guidance applies in relation to all deaths in Scotland that have been reported to COPFS.

To further ensure consistency in decision-making, decisions on Fatal Accident Inquiries are taken by a pool of experienced Crown Counsel.

COPFS regularly liaises with the Scottish Courts & Tribunals Service (SCTS) in relation to upcoming Fatal Accident Inquiries. In particular, the Head of the Scottish Fatalities Investigation Unit (SFIU) of COPFS writes to all Sheriffs Principal on a quarterly basis to ensure future Fatal Accident Inquiry business is factored into the court programme as efficiently as possible.

As at 3 April 2025, there are 246 mandatory Fatal Accident Inquiries where no First Notice has been lodged with the Sheriff Clerk. The oldest of those cases was reported to COPFS on 19 August 2018.

The Family Liaison Charter sets out the Crown’s obligations in relation to liaising with and providing information to bereaved relatives.

In relation to every death where a Fatal Accident Inquiry is to be held, a dedicated COPFS Victim Information and Advice (VIA) Officer will update the nearest relative throughout the investigation and inquiry processes, including directing them to organisations that offer support and bereavement counselling. The VIA Officer will also update the family after the Inquiry has concluded about the publication of the Sheriff’s Determination.

COPFS regularly invites and receives feedback from nearest relatives of their experience of the death investigation and Fatal Accident Inquiry processes. That feedback is carefully considered to identify any improvements that can be made. As an example, feedback obtained by COPFS VIA Officers on the questions commonly asked by relatives was used to assist in the preparation of a Guide to Fatal Accident Inquiries on the COPFS website, providing detailed information for bereaved families about the FAI process.

COPFS has established a Death Investigations Improvement Board to oversee all ongoing pieces of work and new proposals to achieve greater public confidence, to improve the service delivered to bereaved relatives and to reduce the journey time for concluding death investigations, including FAIs. One of the significant workstreams of that Board is the proposed creation of a Lived Experience Advisory Panel, which will enable participants with experience of the death investigation process to help inform improvements to the process by providing independent advice to the Board on a range of issues.

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Latest data from the Low Carbon and Renewable Energy Economy (LCREE) survey shows that, in 2022, Scotland’s nuclear power sector directly employed 2,700 (full-time equivalent) and had an estimated turnover of £763 million.

A five-year time series – of employment and turnover in the nuclear power sector - from 2018 to 2022, is presented in the following tables.

The results in LCREE are survey-based, as the data is gathered from a sample rather than the whole population. The estimates are therefore subject to uncertainty, and the level of uncertainty is expressed through confidence intervals. These are presented alongside the estimates in the following tables.

The recommendations in FAI determinations cover a wide variety of policy areas. Each area will consider what action to take in relation to each recommendation that is relevant to its own area of responsibility.

Not all of the data requested is recorded centrally. The Scottish Government publishes statistical data on FAIs annually on its website. The latest data is reproduced in the following table:

Net Zero Technology Centre will continue to be in receipt of funding from both Scottish and UK Governments through the Aberdeen City Region Deal until 2026-27. Discussions continue between Governments and the centre around its operations once Deal funding concludes. The economic impact NZTC has made to date within the region and the role it plays in the wider energy transition will be a feature of those discussions. This is alongside value for money considerations and the evolving delivery landscape in North East Scotland.

An interim evaluation of all Deal projects, including NZTC, is currently being carried out by regional partners. This will evaluate progress towards projects achieving objectives and outcomes as specified in approved business cases. An evaluation will also take place following conclusion of the Aberdeen City Region Deal.