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As in the Chief Planner letter dated 27 August 2020, the Scottish Government considers that a battery storage installation generates electricity and is therefore to be treated as a generating station for the purposes of deciding whether Section 36 consent is required. This position has not changed. The letter can be accessed at: .

Our Heat in Buildings Programme offers a wide variety of schemes that provide funding to reduce heat demand and decarbonise heat in our homes and buildings.

The Scottish Government currently offers loan funding of up to £5,000 for solar thermal installations through the Home Energy Scotland (HES) Grant and Loan Scheme. No grant or loan support is available for solar PV installations through the scheme, however, targeted support for this measure is available through our Warmer Homes Scotland and our Area Based Schemes, where scheme specific criteria are met.

Currently, the Scottish Government does not plan to review the level of support available for solar thermal installations through the HES Grant and Loan scheme.

The Scottish Government is currently assessing the potential to expand the use of Fibroscans across NHS Scotland through its Centre for Sustainable Delivery (CfSD) which is finalising a Strategic Case paper (rapid assessment) on Intelligent Liver Testing to present to the Innovation Design Authority (IDA) in December.

Intelligent Liver Testing involves Intelligent Liver Function Test (iLFT) and Enhanced Liver Fibrosis testing (ELF) to support the earlier detection of liver disease.

Ministers and officials consider a broad range of evidence to assess the economic opportunities and constraints of offshore wind development. This includes analysis as set out in the Offshore Wind Focus paper and the Social and Economic Impact Assessment for the draft updated Sectoral Marine Plan for Offshore Wind Energy.

NatureScot continue to engage and further develop the existing management approaches for Inverness with officials from Highland Council.

Through this shared commitment to establish the City of Inverness as a leading example of adaptive urban gull management that protects public health and amenity while safeguarding the conservation status of gull species, their aims and objectives together, are to:

• Have a shared understanding of the impact that an urban Gull population has on the day to day living needs of City residents.
• Minimise conflict between gulls and people in key urban areas.
• Promote coexistence through education, deterrents, and habitat management.
• Ensure compliance with NatureScot guidance and wildlife legislation.
• Support declining gull populations through appropriate sanctuary provision.

This pilot builds on the existing gull management programme led by Inverness BID and funded by the Inverness Common Good Fund and Inverness BID. It will serve as a model for future management plans across other communities in the Highlands.

The aim is to have an area based approach to licensing available for the forthcoming gull breeding season.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-41890 on 1 December 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.

A comprehensive social and economic impact assessment was carried out as part of the process to update our Sectoral Marine Plan. This assessment included a strategic analysis of potential employment opportunities arising from the ScotWind and INTOG leasing rounds.

Where vaccinations are administered by Health Board teams, GPs can establish whether a patient has been vaccinated by consulting the information held within their existing systems. Local variation also exists, with some Health Boards operating additional systems to meet local needs. The most accurate information on these arrangements should be sought directly from NHS Highland.

NatureScot has developed the aims, objectives and desired outcomes for the £100k funded initiative to be made available to Local Authorities. NatureScot intend to have a first engagement with Local Authorities before the end of December 2025.

The Scottish Government has worked closely with partners to assess the opportunity for Scotland to participate in the UK bid to host the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2035. Having considered the opportunity, the Scottish Government has decided to support the bid.

All four nations of the UK have committed to the bid, alongside the respective Football Associations and prospective host cities and stadia. Two Scottish cities – Edinburgh and Glasgow – will be put forward to FIFA for consideration. The bid was submitted to FIFA on 28 November 2025. FIFA is expected to announce its decision in April 2026.

Scotland’s reputation as a host of major events is strong. With Scotland co-hosting the men’s UEFA EURO 2028 event, it is right that we are equally as ambitious at exploring opportunities for women’s sport. The FIFA Women’s World Cup is the largest single sport women’s event in the world. It is a growing event with the 2023 tournament generating one billion television viewers and selling 1.9 million tickets. Supporting this unique opportunity will promote the visibility and participation of women and girls in sport and support delivery of Scotland’s National Event Strategy.