Official Report 228KB pdf
Non-Domestic Rates Revaluation (Aberdeen)
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any impact of the upcoming non-domestic rates revaluation in Aberdeen. (S6O-05531)
Data showing changes in draft rateable values by council area can be found in an interim revaluation report on the Scottish Government website. Those statistics indicate a total increase in rateable value of 7 per cent for Aberdeen city, compared to 12 per cent across the whole of Scotland.
The budget delivers a reduction in the three tax rates for 2026-27 and provides support through sectoral and transitional relief schemes, including the extended support for the hospitality and self-catering sectors that was announced at stage 1 of the budget bill.
Today, Aberdeen is reeling following the announcement that, after decades of trading as community pubs, the Kittybrewster and the Brig ‘O’ Dee will join the ever-expanding list of pubs and hospitality premises that have closed. The city is witnessing a tsunami of bar and restaurant closures, with many citing the Scottish National Party’s eye-watering business rates regime as a key cause. Will the minister give our pubs and hospitality businesses the breathing space that they need by backing the Scottish Conservative plans to exempt most of them from business rates entirely?
As I have already indicated, the total increase in rates in Aberdeen is only 7 per cent across the three years since the last revaluation. The Scottish Government is already putting in a total of £870 million in rates reliefs for businesses across the country, including £320 million in transitional support over the next three years, to support businesses facing precisely those challenges. In addition, if Mr Kerr was listening last week, he would have heard that we have put in the budget another relief of 25 per cent on top of the 15 per cent reduction that hospitality businesses benefit from—that is a total of 40 per cent relief for hospitality businesses, which is more than such businesses in the rest of the United Kingdom receive.
Population Health Framework
To ask the Scottish Government how the population health framework will help to tackle the commercial determinants of health. (S6O-05532)
The population health framework sets out a range of actions to tackle the drivers of ill health, including harms caused by alcohol, tobacco and vapes, overweight and obesity, and gambling. Legislation to restrict the promotion of less healthy food and drink comes into force later this year, and the Scottish Government is supporting the delivery of the four-nations Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which aims to create the first smoke-free generation.
In the coming weeks, an alcohol and drugs strategic plan will be published to take forward the learning in the delivery of the national mission. An alcohol harm prevention plan and a diet and healthy weight plan will be published later in 2026 and will set out key actions in those areas to improve population health.
Giving evidence to the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, the chief medical officer stated:
“Our prevention agenda is one of the most important things that we can try to do nationally to ensure that we have a sustainable health and care system for the future.”—[Official Report, Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, 10 February 2026; c 5.]
It is clear that we need to do more on prevention to keep people well and, over time, to reduce the burden on the national health service. When will we see comprehensive bans on marketing of alcohol, foods that are high in fat, salt and sugar, and vaping?
I agree with the chief medical officer and with Gillian Mackay in her assessment of the need to ensure that we move to a more preventative upstream approach. That is exactly what we have set out in the population health framework and the service renewal framework to ensure that we have a sustainable and needs-based health and social care system.
The Government’s work to continue and increase the minimum unit price of alcohol is an example of our approach to taking concrete action to reduce alcohol harms. Work is under way to consider the range of options for any future uprating of minimum unit pricing. We are also considering Public Health Scotland’s recent evidence review of restricting alcohol marketing, although no decisions have been made. Our tobacco and vaping framework sets out the actions that we are taking to make Scotland tobacco-free by 2034 and to reduce vaping among non-smokers and young adults. The legislation that I referred to in my earlier answer to restrict the promotion of less healthy food and drink from October 2026 delivers one of the first actions under the population health framework.
Baby Box
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the baby box, including current availability and the easiest way of applying for one. (S6O-05533)
I am very proud of Scotland’s universal baby box programme, which is the only one in the United Kingdom, and I am delighted that, since its inception in 2017, more than 367,000 baby boxes have been delivered, with 89 per cent of parents taking up the opportunity to receive a box.
Scotland’s baby box is available to all parents of newborn babies, who are supported to apply by their midwife. All parents are informed about the baby box at the 12-week appointment. At around 25 weeks, they can register for a baby box by completing a freepost registration form with their midwife.
Every child in Scotland deserves the best start in life. Can the cabinet secretary say more about how the draft Scottish budget is investing to ensure that we continue to support children and families throughout the early years and beyond?
The member is quite right to point to the fact that the baby box is but one part of the Scottish Government’s determination to ensure that every child has the best start in life. That includes the provision in the budget of £100 million over three years to support the delivery of a universal breakfast club offer for primary school-age children and the £50 million a year whole family support package, in addition to continuing to uprate the Scottish child payment and working to increase the payment to £40 for families with babies under one in 2027-28.
Deep Vein Thrombosis and Pulmonary Embolism (Primary Care)
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to increase the identification of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism in primary care. (S6O-05534)
Primary care teams play a key role in recognising and assessing deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. Those teams have access to Healthcare Improvement Scotland tools that support evidence-based care for patients at risk, and the Scottish intercollegiate guidelines network—SIGN—provides guidance on preventing and managing venous thromboembolism, which primary care and other clinicians can use.
Members of the public can find information on NHS Inform, and the Scottish Government has endorsed Thrombosis UK’s leaflets online. Those resources support awareness and timely assessment. Anyone with symptoms of deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism should seek clinical advice promptly.
My office was recently contacted by the family of David Kellett, who died suddenly from an undiagnosed deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. I am told by his wife that, over nearly four months, David repeatedly sought medical help for worsening symptoms and was assessed by multiple healthcare professionals.
Despite those opportunities, DVT and PE were never considered, investigated or discussed, and, less than 48 hours after his final general practitioner appointment, David died at home. His family are now calling for a review of current practices, stronger clinical pathways and safety nets, and improved training and accountability to help to prevent similar avoidable deaths. David’s family are still waiting for a report by the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman on his treatment, which has been delayed since last year.
What work is being done to identify DVT and PE? What assurances can the Scottish Government give, as far as possible, that no family will go through such a tragic experience in the future?
The Scottish Government extends its deepest sympathies to all families affected by DVT and PE, and we recognise the importance of strengthening early identification.
National health service boards are responsible for developing and maintaining local clinical pathways to support safe and effective assessment of patients with suspected deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism. Clinical guidance is being kept under review, and SIGN 122 is currently on the programme for review. We remain committed to supporting best practice and improving awareness so that tragic experiences such as those that Fulton MacGregor has described are avoided in future.
Warm Homes Plan
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any impact on Scotland of the United Kingdom Government’s warm homes plan. (S6O-05535)
[Inaudible.]
Excuse me, cabinet secretary. Can you check that your card is inserted?
Apologies for the delay, Presiding Officer.
The UK’s warm homes plan acknowledges the importance of improving energy efficiency and supporting households, but it falls short on the meaningful action that is needed to accelerate clean heat and bring down energy bills. Despite promises, the UK Government failed to set out an enduring solution to reduce electricity prices, which continue to plague households in this energy-rich country. Energy bills remain around £190 higher than they were at the general election, when the now Labour UK Government pledged to reduce them by £300. I will continue discussions with the UK Government, urging it to use its reserved powers to go further, including through the adoption of a social tariff.
I recently met MPC Energy, a business in Clydebank, to discuss the impact of Labour’s short-sighted plans on its business. MPC has more than 10 years’ experience and has helped hundreds of people on low incomes make their homes energy efficient, but, as a result of Labour’s plans, it now faces uncertainty. Is the cabinet secretary willing to hear more about its work and consider what more can be done to ensure that my constituents and others across Scotland can continue to have access to warm and energy-efficient homes?
I am aware of the concerns that have been expressed by businesses about the effect of the UK Government’s delay in publishing its warm homes plan and the uncertainty that exists about future policy and support for heat and energy efficiency measures. I understand MPC Energy’s concerns in that regard.
By contrast, this week, we marked a milestone of 50,000 households that have been supported to live in warmer, better homes through our warmer homes Scotland scheme. My officials and I will provide Ms McNair with the best information on how she and her constituents should approach the UK Government in respect of the continuity of support.
The Scottish Government’s home energy scheme is far more expensive than the equivalent boiler upgrade scheme in the United Kingdom. Meanwhile, the number of installations in England is going up, while installation numbers in Scotland have stalled. When will the Government get a grip on the home energy system so that we can get people’s bills down in the way that they need, and so that we can get warmer homes, too?
I highlight to Willie Rennie the fact that the number of homes with a heat pump installed is higher than ever before in Scotland. According to the Scottish house condition survey in 2019, 23,000 homes had a heat pump installed, and that figure had increased to 45,000 by 2023. Equally, energy efficiency across all tenures has improved, with the share of domestic properties achieving an energy performance certificate rating of at least C increasing from 40 per cent to 52 per cent between 2019 and 2023.
Willie Rennie compared the home energy scheme with schemes in England. I am always open minded as to how Scotland’s schemes can operate better and more efficiently, although the take-up that I have referred to speaks to their success. What I will not do is allow any of the protections that exist in our scheme to be eroded, because, as we have seen with schemes in the rest of the UK, customers can be left out of pocket with damaging installations having been made in their homes.
I would be grateful if colleagues joining the meeting were to do so quietly.
Budget 2026-27 (South of Scotland Infrastructure)
To ask the Scottish Government how its draft budget 2026-27 will ensure meaningful infrastructure improvements in the south of Scotland. (S6O-05536)
The draft budget includes investment to facilitate the installation of railway electrification infrastructure on sections of the Borders line and to complete the new Dumfries high school. Across the south of Scotland, it will support the delivery of affordable homes, around 2.5 hectares of woodland creation, 268 hectares of peatland restoration and a new water treatment works in Boreland. Through the growth in city region deals, it will ensure that work continues on creating the 113-mile walking and cycling trail connecting Berwick-upon-Tweed and Moffat, and it will promote growth by developing new fit-for-purpose business units in Tweedbank.
I welcome this week’s announcement of the £1.1 million ground investigation works contract for the Springholm and Crocketford bypass project, which is a clear escalation of preparatory work. However, communities want clarity on the financial direction of travel, not just technical studies. Will the cabinet secretary confirm in unequivocal terms whether full dualling of the bypass remains a funded and actively supported option for the Government? Will she set out precisely what formal engagement her Government has had with the United Kingdom Government regarding the budgeting, cost sharing and assessment of the dualling option, so that we can understand whether the necessary financial structures are in place?
I would say first of all that there is specific reference to improvements to the A75 and A77, including the Springholm and Crocketford bypasses, in the new infrastructure delivery pipeline that was published on 13 January and that an outline business case that is in development will define that further.
I am pleased that Finlay Carson has welcomed the £1.1 million for the ground investigation works contract, and I can tell him that the design assessment work to consider options for realigning the trunk road, with bypasses at those villages, is well under way and proceeding at pace. We welcome the announcement that the UK Government has committed funding for the remainder of the current study, as that will enable us to complete the initial work on considering improvements to the key route at Springholm and Crocketford and to identify a preferred route option by early 2027.
For Women Scotland Case
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to continue providing funding to any organisations that challenge the judgment in the For Women Scotland v the Scottish Ministers case. (S6O-05537)
The equality, inclusion and human rights fund supports a range of civil society organisations that deliver work focused on tackling inequality and discrimination, furthering equality and advancing the realisation of human rights in Scotland. Those organisations must fulfil and meet their obligations under the grant requirements in place for that fund. Each organisation must deliver against its agreed obligations and those are monitored via biannual progress reports and quarterly finance reports on funded services.
Various organisations have recently sought to reverse the implementation of single-sex spaces, ignoring last year’s crystal-clear ruling by the Supreme Court and, in turn, the rule of law, but the Scottish Government still insists on funding them. Meanwhile, 10 months on, the Scottish National Party has still failed to ensure that its public bodies are fully following that judgment, leading to costly legal challenges at the taxpayer’s expense. Will the Scottish Government finally issue an apology to women and girls in Scotland for its failure to fully implement that judgment, and will the SNP Government finally ensure that any body or organisation that it funds is committed to providing single-sex spaces?
I reiterate that the Scottish Government accepts the Supreme Court judgment and is implementing it.
I would point out that the schemes that Sharon Dowey refers to are helplines and befriending organisations and offer community engagement. I would also refer her to the recent hate crime statistics, which came out on 17 February and which point to hate crimes based on race, sexual orientation, disability, religion and being transgender and to the on-going challenges that we face due to misogyny. The Tories stoke up division, but I am proud that the Scottish Government continues to promote and protect equality and human rights throughout Scotland for everyone.
Care Pathways (Postural Tachycardia Syndrome)
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide further details of the support provided to NHS boards to develop specialist care pathways for postural tachycardia syndrome. (S6O-05538)
We expect national health service boards to provide safe, person-centred care for people with postural tachycardia syndrome.
Although responsibility for specific clinical pathways lies with NHS boards, we have allocated more than £137 million to boards this year to help tackle the longest waits for appointments and procedures. That sum includes more than £500,000 for cardiology and £500,000 for neurology, which are the specialties most likely to support people with postural tachycardia syndrome.
I have every sympathy with postural tachycardia syndrome patients and the challenges that they face, and we want patients to receive all the support which they are entitled to.
Constituents in Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley, who have, or who suspect that they have, PoTS do not have a dedicated care pathway provided by NHS Ayrshire and Arran, which means that many are misdiagnosed and often end up using accident and emergency services to try to manage that much-misunderstood condition. I accept that such decisions are made at health board level, but what more can the Scottish Government do to support the creation of dedicated care pathways for PoTS alongside the training of healthcare professionals?
I thank Elena Whitham for raising the concerns of her constituents in Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley. Although NHS boards are responsible for local service configuration, the Scottish Government is supporting improvements in the recognition, diagnosis and management of PoTS. Alongside the increased investment in reducing waiting times, we have provided £4.5 million in recurring funding to strengthen services for long Covid and ME or chronic fatigue syndrome, which are conditions that are often linked with PoTS.
We also work closely with NHS Education for Scotland to enhance clinical knowledge of autonomic dysfunction, fatigue and related conditions, providing training and resources to support earlier identification and better management of conditions such as PoTS. That is complemented by accessible NHS Inform guidance for both clinicians and patients.