Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that consultation processes are open, transparent and informed by a broad range of evidence and views.

Existing consultation processes seek information about respondents and the organisations they represent. The Scottish Government recognises the value of transparency regarding the interests represented by consultation respondents, including any funding arrangements that may support their activities. This helps ministers, officials and the public understand the context in which evidence and views are presented, while ensuring that all interested stakeholders have the opportunity to contribute to policy discussions.

The Scottish Government holds information on the environmental health workforce provided by The Society of Chief Officers of Environmental Health in Scotland (SOCOEHS).

The most recent workforce information provided to the Scottish Government indicates that in 2026, there were approximately 370 full-time equivalent Environmental Health Officers in post within Scottish local authorities, with approximately 54 full-time equivalent vacancies.

The Scottish Government is aware of workforce pressures affecting the profession. Information provided by stakeholders highlights the ongoing challenges surrounding recruitment, education and training.

The Scottish Government continues to work with SOCOEHS, COSLA, the Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland (REHIS) and other key stakeholders, through the Environmental Health Co-ordination Group to address these issues and support the sustainability of the profession.

The Scottish Government does not publish the detailed conditions attached to individual grant awards. Commercial awards made through the Fund are subject to Scottish Enterprise's standard grant conditions and monitoring arrangements, with Scottish Enterprise responsible for the management and oversight of individual awards.

Community input is supported through the GFIB Community Workstream, which is chaired by CVS Falkirk and receives Scottish Government funding to support community engagement and help ensure that local views are represented. Grangemouth Community Council is represented on the Community Workstream, while both CVS Falkirk and Grangemouth Community Council are represented on the GFIB Plenary Group. These arrangements provide a route for local issues and priorities to be raised and for community perspectives to inform the delivery of the Grangemouth Industrial Just Transition Plan. No separate formal mechanism for community participation in the decision-making of the Grangemouth Future Industry Board (GFIB) has been established.

The management of airspace within the UK is a matter reserved to the UK Government. The Scottish Government has therefore not had any discussions with the Civil Aviation Authority or the Department for Transport regarding the Edinburgh Airport Airspace Change proposals.

The Scottish Government is supportive of approaches to protect children and young people from the advertising of products that may cause health harms. The Scottish Government notes that the regulation of advertising for public health reasons is devolved to the Scottish Parliament, but some specific forms of regulation – such as those targeted at advertising on tv and radio broadcasts – can be reserved to UK Government.

The Scottish Government supported the legislation introduced by the UK Government to restrict advertising on broadcast and online of foods high in salt, sugar. However, the exemption granted to brand advertising by the UK Government may limit the effect of those regulations, a concern raised with the UK Government by Scottish Ministers.

Similarly the Public Health Scotland rapid review of evidence on alcohol marketing highlighted that there is an existing evidence base for restrictions on alcohol marketing that are comprehensive and across all advertising channels. However, that is more difficult without being able to make specific provision about advertising on tv and radio broadcasts.

Whilst the Scottish Government can take steps to protect children and young people from exposure to the advertising of health harming products, because key areas of advertising regulations are reserved this limits the choices available to Scottish Ministers to achieve this.

The Grangemouth Industrial Just Transition Plan commits to a formal monitoring and evaluation framework based on the Plan's 16 Just Transition Outcomes. In line with that commitment, the first comprehensive assessment against the monitoring and evaluation framework is scheduled for 2027.

The Scottish Government is committed to supporting employment opportunities in Grangemouth through the work of the Grangemouth Investment Taskforce and the Grangemouth Future Industry Board, as set out in the Programme for Government.

Grants made by Scottish Enterprise (SE) to commercial entities using funding from the Grangemouth Just Transition Fund are subject to SE’s standard grant monitoring and reporting arrangements. No specific targets or reporting requirements have been placed on recipients in relation to procurement from businesses in Grangemouth or the wider Falkirk Council area. Any such requirements would need to be considered in line with subsidy control and public procurement obligations.

As of 24 September 2026, over £8 million has been allocated to commercial developments, including £1.5 million for MiAlgae and £6.2 million for Celtic Renewables to establish and expand operations within the Grangemouth industrial cluster.

Funding allocated to community and third sector activity includes £90,000 to Forth Valley College to deliver the Future Skills: Pathways to Employment programme for people in the Grangemouth area. The programme provided accredited training, employability support, industry engagement and personal development opportunities.

The Grangemouth Just Transition Fund is a multi-year fund, and funding remains available within this year's budget for suitable commercial and community projects.