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The Scottish Government contributes to attracting and equipping skilled people for rural and Island areas to promote the rewarding careers available and the economic and environmental benefits of investing in skills in the land-based, aquaculture and environment.

Operational decisions, including course provision and staffing, are a matter for individual colleges, who are best placed to respond to emerging trends in skills needs at local and regional level.

We are engaging industries and employers across Scotland, and will continue to do so, as we reform the post school education and skills system.

There has been no discussion between the Scottish Government and Historic Environment Scotland regarding the future or sale of the South Sleat Estate.

Scottish Government does not hold the information requested.

Day-to-day management, including that of specific funding, of the Transforming Cancer Care Programme is managed by Macmillan Cancer Support. Scottish Government allocates overall funds to Macmillan Cancer Support to distribute according to locally agreed processes.

During the period 2019-2023, Scottish Government and Macmillan awarded £18 million to the programme. An additional £9 million investment was agreed in 2023 to support the programme until 2032. Funds are to be allocated over that period as per Macmillan and the corresponding local authority/partnership agreement.

A table has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre under (Bib Number 65938) that provides a breakdown, by vessel, of the fuel usage over the last 3 years on the CalMac service.

The fuel usage over the last three years, by vessels operating on NorthLink Ferry services, is detailed below. For clarity, CY05 ended June 2025. However, the figures have still to be reconciled, and are therefore not available.

MV Hrossey MV Hjaltland MV Hildasay MV Hellier MV Hamnavore

CY2 July 2021 - June 2023 9058.94 9212,99 3795.80 3611.50 3756.20

CY3 July 2022 - June 2023 9,023.20 8840,6 3660.34 3916.90 4046.10

CY4 July 2023 - June 2024 8674.60 8678 3710.60 3591.50 3732.20

The Scottish Government has committed to continuing the Fruit and Vegetables Aid Scheme in Scotland. The Scheme is based on multi-annual funding and operational programmes submitted for approval can run for a maximum of three years. Applications for new operational programmes submitted this year are expected to run until the end of December 2028.

A public consultation, seeking views on proposed legislative changes and the longer term future of the scheme was launched on 23 June. We will continue to work with stakeholders to explore how the scheme can be improved to ensure it operates as efficiently and effectively as possible.

The Scottish Ministerial Code makes clear that it is of paramount importance that Ministers give accurate and truthful information to the Parliament. Ministers and their officials will consider the best way of ensuring that they have information necessary to provide an accurate answer on a case by case basis and, as such, the Scottish Government may occasionally opt to engage with non-government organisations in relation to written parliamentary questions when it is necessary to do so.

The Fruit and Vegetables Aid Scheme is a legacy Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) EU Scheme. It has been delivered by the Rural Payments Agency on a UK-wide basis since its introduction. There have been a total of four producer organisations (POs), with headquarters in Scotland that have received funding through the scheme since it was introduced; one in Angus, two in Fife and one in the Scottish Borders.

Three of these POs have received funding via the scheme in every year since it was introduced. The remaining PO received funding for expenditure relating to one scheme year. Where possible, the Rural Payments Agency and the Scottish Government work with POs so that applications for operational programmes meet the necessary eligibility criteria as set out in legislation and the National Strategy.

The Fruit and Vegetables Aid Scheme is a legacy Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) EU Scheme. It was introduced in 1997 and until the UK’s Exit from the EU it was funded by the European Commission.

Since October 2020, the Scottish Government has funded producer organisations in the scheme with a Head Office in Scotland. Match-funding is based on a producer organisation’s actual expenditure of pre-approved, eligible items.

The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) currently deliver the Fruit and Vegetables Aid Scheme on behalf of Scottish Ministers. A breakdown of money reimbursed to the RPA, based on the Fruit and Vegetables Aid Scheme year (January to December) from 2020 to 2024 is below.

2020: £1,253,200

2021: £2,544,356

2022: £2,483,127

2023: £2,325,718

2024: £1,707,894

Please note that the European Commission part funded 2020 expenditure. Please also note that final 2024 claims are still being processed and therefore the 2024 figure above does not reflect a final figure for 2024 expenditure.

The Scottish Government is in the process of conducting a review of the amended economic link license condition. This will be published in due course

The Scottish Government has published this information since the amended economic link licence condition was implemented from 1 January 2023. It can be found at: