We are currently assessing project appraisals from the initial round of funding. Once we have made significant progress with that review we will be in a position to give due consideration to the merit or otherwise of opening a third round of applications. We expect to make a determination within six months.

The Scottish Government is engaging with a range of stakeholders including the local authority sector, Police Scotland, business and active travel representatives to fully understand the issues being encountered with the various road order processes. This will inform the overall parameters of the work required, and we expect to finalise the scope in early 2020. On completion of this scoping work, we will determine an overall plan and timescale for the review.

The Scottish Government will engage with a range of stakeholders including the local authority sector, Police Scotland, business and active travel representatives to fully understand the issues being encountered with the various road order processes. This will inform the overall parameters of the work required.

No trials have been commissioned to mechanically harvest kelp and no trials for commercial use are currently planned

The relevant provision of the Scottish Crown Estate Act 2019 is expected to commence in 2020. At that point, Crown Estate Scotland managers will not be able to give a right to take any of the five kelp species named in the Act if (a) removal would inhibit the regrowth of the individual plant and the kelp removed is intended for commercial use; and (b) removal is a licensable marine activity and the Scottish Ministers have not granted a marine licence for that removal.

Currently, regardless of future requirements under the Scottish Crown Estate Act, any harvesting activity using a vehicle or vessel to remove a substance from the seabed, such as mechanical harvesting or dredging would require a marine licence from Marine Scotland and therefore public consultation. This includes trials as well as proposed commercial activity.

No trials have been commissioned to mechanically harvest kelp.

A work programme published following the 2 nd meeting of the seaweed review steering group included a proposed deliverable - Mechanical harvest of seaweed: Undertake desk study of species and activities identified in scenario mapping / industry consultation to inform field trials . Officials clarified this was included in the time line simply to indicate, subject to scenario mapping and subsequent desk studies, where in the chronology, any field studies would be likely to happen.

The steering group had previously agreed that a scenario mapping exercise should be conducted first to ensure that the review was grounded in where the future opportunities for the seaweed sector may be, balanced with environmental considerations and of those who share the space. This scenario mapping exercise will help identify priorities for future regulatory regimes relevant for seaweed industries. Only those species identified through scenario mapping as having potential (taking into account socio economic but also environmental considerations) would be subject to desk studies and only after that, if the criteria is met, could field trials commence. Any trial to harvest from the seabed would still need a licence from Marine Scotland, require consultation and only granted when Ministers are satisfied the activity is carried out within environmental limits.

Officials are currently working on the second commencement regulations, which are expected to be laid as soon as possible in 2020. The current intention is for the regulation that commences the section of the 2019 Act on the restriction on the removal of wild kelp from the seabed to be included and it is expected that the kelp provision will come in to effect later in 2020.

The 2nd meeting of the Seaweed Review Steering group on 26 September 2019 considered the suitability of the current regulatory framework for seaweed harvesting. It is important to note that that the marine licensing regime was not developed for seaweed harvesting activity. All present agreed that the potential for a single regulator, responsible for licensing seaweed harvesting and cultivation is something which should be explored further, including who that would be. Marine Scotland, along with other relevant regulators, will consider options for any necessary amendments to current regulatory framework, including who the single regulator would be. Papers, including a note of the meeting. are publicly available and can be found at the following:https://www2.gov.scot/Topics/marine/seamanagement/seaweedrev .

Outputs of the review, set out in the published proposed work programme are expected to include:

• guidance on marine licensing requirements for all types of seaweed harvesting activities;
• guidance for Crown Estate Scotland managers on kelp licensing provisions under the Scottish Crown Estate Act; and updated Scottish Natural Heritage guidance on seaweed hand harvesting.

At the 2nd meeting of the Seaweed Review Steering group it was agreed that the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA), undertaken in 2016, would provide the basis and inform any Plan or Strategy for the seaweed sector which may arise from the work of the Seaweed Review Group work programme, established after the initial SEA. Any such Plan or Strategy would also be subject to a further SEA. Information within the SEA documents, undertaken in 2016 and submitted through the consultation exercise has informed the work of the Review Group to date. Consultation responses, where permission was given, are already publicly available.

A paper mapping current seaweed harvesting activity was tabled at the 2nd meeting of the Seaweed Review Steering group on 26 September 2019 and is now publicly available at: https://www2.gov.scot/Topics/marine/seamanagement/seaweedrev .