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Discussions are ongoing at official level between Scottish Government and UK Government officials in relation to the proposed section 104 Order to enable the conversion of a marriage into a civil partnership.

If regulations were made by the Scottish Ministers without a section 104 Order covering matters reserved to Westminster, this could result in conversions not being recognised in the rest of the UK and could negatively impact the pensions of some couples who convert their relationship. Therefore our original policy proposal remains to also proceed with a section 104 Order.

The latest meeting my officials had with the Scotland Office was productive, however it was noted that there would be no progress made on this Order until after the Scottish general election in 2026.

This new pilot scheme is a unique chance for communities to take ownership of renewable energy projects which need upgrading and extend their operational life, bringing long-term benefits to the local area.

The Community Asset Transfer Scheme (CATS) is well-established, utilising an existing legislative framework that provides consistency of approach, a structured time bound route, and a defined appeals mechanism, if required.

Community bodies applying through FLS’ CAT Scheme will not be subject to a competitive tender. However, communities will still be required to pay rent, just as any business or community body would need to if operating a commercial wind farm on public land. FLS is responsible for undertaking due diligence and evaluation of the community proposal before agreeing a long-term lease of public land and a commercial rent.

FLS will engage with communities at an early stage on the criteria and options available to them, and signpost them to support available from the Scottish Government’s Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES) managed by . Further information on the CATS notification, evaluation and decision process for repowering will be available by Spring 2026, before the first sites are notified.

Repowering involves a new windfarm being developed following the decommissioning and removal of the existing operational site. This new pilot scheme is a unique chance for communities to take ownership of a second phase of generation, bringing long-term benefits to the local area.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-41650 on 18 November 2025. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at /chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.

The Scottish Government consulted in 2024 on proposals to phase out the use of cages for laying hens. It is still considering the responses to that consultation and will confirm next steps in due course.

In terms of the operation of the courts, the Scottish Government has not made any such assessment and would not seek to do so. The is the head of the judiciary in Scotland and the supports the courts by providing the staff, buildings and services needed.

As regards family law in Scotland in relation to child contact, residence and , the key legislation is the (the 1995 Act). The driving principle is that the welfare of the child must be the court’s paramount consideration.

The (the 2020 Act) reforms the 1995 Act. One of the key aims of the 2020 Act is to ensure further compliance with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. A when the Children (Scotland) Bill (now the 2020 Act) was introduced in 2019.

If a party to a case believes that another party has not obeyed a contact order, they can go back to court and either ask the court to change the order or to hold the party who wilfully did not obey the order in contempt of court.

The (the 2020 Act) reforms the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 (the 1995 Act, key legislation in relation to contact, residence and Parental Responsibilities and Rights) and makes a number of changes to family law. A key aim is to ensure that the child’s best interests are at the centre of any contact or residence case.

places a duty on the court to investigate the reasons behind a failure to obey a contact order (or another order relating to parental responsibilities or parental rights made by the court under section 11 of the 1995 Act). As part of this investigation the court must – taking account of the child’s age and maturity – have regard to any views the child wishes to express. This may involve appointing a Child Welfare Reporter. Contempt of court remains the final sanction for wilful non-compliance with an order. This reflects the serious nature of the issue and the effect that non-compliance can have on a child. Section 22 is yet to be brought into force.

Scottish Government does not comment on individual property transactions. We have set out our general expectations for landowners in Scotland in our Land Rights and Responsibilities Statement and we are looking to build on these with the measures in the Land Reform Bill such as the proposed requirement for landholdings above 1,000 ha to publish long-term land management plans. We have also set out our principles for responsible investment in natural capital in our Natural Capital Market Framework.

The Scottish Government supports new woodland creation through the Forestry Grant Scheme. Forestry Grant Scheme grant recipients are responsible for the maintenance of their new woodland planting and recipients of funding agree to maintain their new woodland creation projects for a period of 20 years.

On the rare occasion a project fails to establish, grant recipients must repay the funds that were provided to create the new woodland.

If a land sale transfers ownership of a new woodland creation project that was supported by the Forestry Grant Scheme, the liability for grant repayment rests with the original grant recipient, unless the obligations are formally transferred to a new owner. This new owner would enter into their own grant contract with Scottish Forestry to maintain the newly created woodland through to establishment.

Scottish Forestry are in discussion with the new owners of the Lost Forest project at Kinrara Estate, and they are working through the process of transferring the grant obligations to the new owner. Once this transfer is agreed, the new owners will assume liability for any potential repayment of grants should the project fail to meet the Forestry Grant Scheme requirements. If no such transfer occurs, this responsibility will remain with the original grant recipient.

We are aware of the decision by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to restrict burning of upland peat in England to a maximum depth of 30 centimetres, except where covered by a licence. However, we are also aware of the extensive damage which can be caused to peatlands by wildfires which are becoming more prevalent and can be exacerbated by increased fuel load.

Therefore, the Scottish Government has not given consideration to amending the definition of peatland under the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Act 2024 to cover areas of peat with a thickness of 30 centimetres or greater.

We will continue to work in partnership with key stakeholders, experts and scientists to better understand the relationship between muirburn and peatlands to ensure our peatlands are protected.