Official Report 233KB pdf
Justice
Good afternoon, everyone. The first item of business is portfolio question time, and the first portfolio this afternoon is justice. To accommodate as many questions as possible, I ask for concise questions and answers. I should say, because this has been an issue in the recent past, that if members want to request a supplementary question, they should press the request-to-speak button during the relevant question and only during the relevant question.
Fund to Leave
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the fund to leave initiative, following reports that funding has not been made available to families since June. (S7O-00385)
The programme for government committed to making the £2 million fund to leave initiative permanent. I am pleased to say that the first grant payment to Scottish Women’s Aid has been processed and that the fund will be available for applications shortly. I am also pleased that, earlier this month, we announced that we would go further than the programme for government commitment and doubled funding to £4 million to ensure that there is no cap on support. The increased investment will reach even more women and children, supporting them to leave an abusive relationship and to take the first steps towards a stable, secure and independent future that is free from abuse.
That is a welcome response, but the Cabinet Secretary for Justice knows that leaving is not the end of the danger that women face. Around 60 per cent of women who leave will face stalking or some form of harassment, and I hope that he appreciates that a fund is not enough. Will the Scottish Government consider introducing a GPS tracker pilot to prevent perpetrators from breaching bail conditions and reoffending?
I appreciate Meghan Gallacher’s question, and I fully understand what she is saying about leaving not being the end of the story. Sadly, I have met too many victims, so I understand that very clearly. That is why we are taking forward measures to ensure that we are using technology across the criminal justice system as best as possible. We need to do that in a measured way, so we are piloting GPS technology through Sheriff Principal Wade’s jurisdiction next year. I hope that that will allow us to provide reassurance to women and girls on the ability to keep them safe.
Damages (Scotland) Bill
To ask the Scottish Government what its estimated timescale is for introducing the damages (Scotland) bill, as committed to in the programme for government 2026-31. (S7O-00386)
The Scottish Government intends to introduce a bill before the end of this year that would give effect to the Scottish Law Commission’s recommendations for reform. Significant social and legal changes have taken place since the general law of damages for personal injury was last considered, including a number of new statutes and important court decisions. The bill will make changes to the law so that it is fit for the 21st century, seeking greater fairness in the context of awards of damages for personal injury. One of the reforms that we will introduce applies to the law of limitation in relation to certain asbestos-related conditions, which I know Marie McNair is interested in. Once the bill is introduced, I will be happy to meet her to discuss it.
I am glad to have secured the bill’s place in the programme for government and that it features early in this parliamentary session. Through my long-standing work for Clydebank Asbestos Group, I know the difference that the reforms could make to asbestos victims and their families. Many people who develop asbestos-related illness decades after exposure face additional distress because of the current time bar, and the uncertainty can mean financial hardship and added anxiety at a time when families are trying to focus on spending precious time together. Will the minister set out what support will be made available to assist asbestos victims and their families to finally access compensation and the justice that they currently are being denied?
I am very grateful to Marie McNair and campaign groups such as Clydebank Asbestos Group for all their work in making clear the real-life consequences that the current law can have. That is why the Government is introducing legislation that aims to fix the problem and to make sure that those suffering from an asbestos-related health condition are not time barred in relevant situations. I am open to suggestions that Ms McNair or campaigners might have about what particular support is needed, and I am happy to consider those as the bill progresses through the Parliament. I give the assurance that the Scottish Government will do what it can to ensure that any legislation that is agreed to by the Parliament is implemented as soon as possible.
Question 3 was not lodged. An explanation has been given.
E-bikes (Residential Areas)
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to monitor the use of e-bikes in residential areas. (S7O-00388)
On 16 October, the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and I met the head of roads policing to discuss operation armour, to hear at first hand how a targeted policing operation is addressing the illegal and antisocial use of e-bikes across Aberdeen.
Riding an electrically assisted pedal cycle without a licence, helmet and insurance is dangerous and is an offence. So far, this year, Police Scotland has seized more than 1,000 e-bikes and e-scooters, up from 569 last year. On 19 October, it began operation overlap, which is a week of targeted national enforcement. I thank Police Scotland for its ongoing efforts across the country to monitor and tackle those issues. I strongly encourage anyone who witnesses the misuse of e-bikes to contact Police Scotland so that appropriate action can be taken.
I know that this is not the first time that the question has been asked and that that answer is not the first that has been given. Although much of the focus is on high-powered Sur-Ron electric motorcycles, the problem is also low level. The minister spoke about what to do if people see an offence being committed. Offences can be seen daily. Every time we see someone whose feet are not moving on an e-bike, that is no longer pedal assistance but an illegal e-bike. What action will the police take to stop that low-level abuse of the law? We have to get the basics right as well as tackling the complex issues of high-powered Sur-Rons.
I am grateful to the member for his focus on the area. It is important that we have a collective focus on it. It presents a real concern to communities across the country.
It was encouraging to see in Aberdeen the granular detail of Police Scotland’s work to ensure that the focus is on communities and on the challenges that such misuse can present. That is a focus for Police Scotland. The operation that was undertaken last week is a good indicator of the direction of travel.
There are supplementary questions.
Glasgow’s Royal Hospital for Children has reported that e-scooters and e-bikes are now one of the
“most common causes of major trauma admissions”
in children. That was reiterated by Mark Lilley, the trauma co-ordinator at the children’s hospital, who said:
“A fall at speed can cause life-changing head or brain injuries. We’ve seen the trauma these accidents bring to families, and we strongly urge parents to reconsider before buying”.
Is it time for a high-profile public information campaign about the dangers for children?
That is a profoundly helpful and timely question from Pauline McNeill, as we are in the run-up to Christmas. It is important that parents know what is or is not permitted—what is legal or not. We need to protect our young people; however, parents have a responsibility, as do many others, in that regard. It is also important that detail from national health service partners and the police is part of that conversation. I agree with Pauline McNeill that it is important that a clear message is distributed, so that we all understand what is or is not legal.
I agree with Pauline McNeill's suggestion. I have been contacted by a constituent in my region who was nearly a victim of a fatal crash, because of youths speeding around on e-scooters at the local retail park. Although e-scooters are banned on public roads and pathways, that does not deter those who want to cause a nuisance by going into private car parks and causing injury. What else can the Scottish Government do to ensure that private enforcement in retail car parks is strong enough to deter such dangerous and illegal behaviour—especially given that a police response can be quite slow?
I appreciate that question from Julie MacDougall. I encourage her to continue to engage with Police Scotland on the topic and on any similar concerns, as well as engaging with the operators of any particular private areas such as retail car parks. Fundamentally, it is not acceptable for people to engage in antisocial behaviour—which is what this is—which can have very serious consequences, as she outlined. That is a continued and on-going focus for the Government and Police Scotland.
I, too, welcome Police Scotland’s recent week of action to target illegal e-bikes and scooters, and I hope that it continues to pursue that issue with the same level of focus.
My question is along the same lines as Pauline McNeill’s question. Does the minister agree that, as we approach the festive season, there is a need to raise public awareness of the legal responsibilities and safety risks associated with the misuse of e-bikes, in particular for those who are considering purchasing one as a gift for a child or young person? Will the Scottish Government commit to a targeted national awareness campaign to help prevent misuse and improve public safety in the run-up to Christmas?
I am grateful for that question, and I re-emphasise what I said to Pauline McNeill. It is really important that parents—and all purchasers—understand what is and is not legal, and have some consideration regarding what they buy their children for Christmas. The points that have been made about the targeted marketing campaign are good ones; I am happy to go away and give the issue some further thought—and to do so with some speed given the time of year.
Organisations Supporting Victims and Survivors (Emergency Funding)
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has provided the emergency funding for organisations supporting victims and survivors that it committed to in the programme for government 2026-31. (S7O-00389)
The Scottish Government recognises the vital role that advocacy services play in supporting victims and survivors to engage with the justice system and access the support that they need.
Through the programme for government, we committed to provide emergency funding for organisations under significant pressure, including advocacy services. That funding has not yet been allocated, because officials are working at pace with providers across the sector to assess demand, workforce pressures and funding requirements and to understand where additional investment could have the greatest impact for victims and survivors. That dialogue will inform implementation of the commitment in a way that best meets the needs and the level of support that is required, and considers the longer-term implications. Ministers remain committed to delivering the programme for government commitment as quickly as possible.
In my region, North Ayrshire Women’s Aid and East Dunbartonshire Women’s Aid and the STAR Centre, which provide rape crisis services in Ayrshire, have confirmed to me that—as the minister said—they have not received any of the emergency funding. I understand that the STAR Centre’s waiting lists are currently between four and six months, and the waiting list for Glasgow and Clyde Rape Crisis Centre is over six months. Can the minister say a little more about when the promised emergency funding will be delivered to organisations to ensure that women and girls can access those vital services? It is absolutely apparent that the sector is in crisis.
I am grateful to Katy Clark for her focus on this area. That focus is important to members across the chamber and to the Government, which is why the programme for government recognised the significant and growing pressures facing organisations that are supporting victims and survivors; we have set out our commitment to respond to that.
We are working with providers to ensure that funding is distributed in a way that is fair and evidence based and which delivers maximum benefit to the people who rely on their services. Again, I reassure Katy Clark that officials are working at pace to gather the evidence in order that action can be taken as soon as possible.
Highland Council will cut funding to Caithness and Sutherland Women’s Aid by 40 per cent next year, despite there being no alternative specialist domestic abuse services in the region. The organisation has told me that a reduction of that scale will have a disproportionate and immediate impact on safety, access and prevention work.
While I certainly welcome the Government’s commitment to tackling the epidemic of violence against women and girls, I fear that that national intent has not been reflected locally in that case. Will the minister therefore step in and consider using the delivering equally safe fund to address the gap that has been created by those cuts?
The delivering equally safe fund, as the member correctly points out, is an important element of our toolkit when we are looking at the best way to support those who are affected by the very damaging impact of violence against women and girls. However, I would hold back for now, given the importance of officials looking at the situation as it is on the ground and working at pace to gather evidence, and the need to make sure that we are best placed to use that evidence to guide decisions about funding for services that support those in need.
I recognise the minister’s commitment to emergency funding, but I hope that she agrees that we must go further. I recently raised with the Government the case of the Murray’s Initiative women’s service, which was forced to seek emergency external funding to stay open for just less than a year. While the organisation continues to fight for more funding, that situation is happening across the country, and it is reducing the safety of survivors of gender-based violence and their confidence in the idea that those services will continue to run.
What action will the Government take to ensure that the Murray’s Initiative service and organisations providing similar services will not need emergency funding, but will instead receive consistent multiyear funding so that they continue to protect our communities?
I am grateful to Iris Duane for focusing on the importance of the services that are provided. I point out that, as part of our focused commitment on support to victims and survivors, the Scottish Government is investing £12 million through the victim-centred approach fund between 2025 and 2027 for specialist advocacy support for survivors of gender-based violence. I am sure that Iris Duane recognises that that is a significant commitment across Government, led by the First Minister, to ensure that violence against women and girls and support for victims and survivors is central to everything that we do. I assure her of our continued focus on that area.
If Iris Duane wants to write to me about the particular case that she mentions, I will be happy to look further into it.
Duns Road Policing Department (Closure)
To ask the Scottish Government whether any consultation or risk assessment was carried out prior to the closure of the Duns road policing department. (S7O-00390)
As Rachael Hamilton will be aware, decisions regarding the deployment of officers, the location of policing units and the allocation of operational resources are matters for Police Scotland and the chief constable. However, given the concerns that have been raised about the closure of Duns road policing unit, I sought further information from Police Scotland on the matter and have been provided with reassurances that support will continue to be provided from Dalkeith, where Duns officers have been redeployed.
I was advised that the move is intended to align road policing resources more strategically to manage areas of demand, based on fatal collisions and collisions resulting in serious injury, as well as other identified road-related harm. That shift forms part of a broader move away from a model in which road policing resources are primarily aligned to individual local divisions. Although close engagement with local policing will remain important, that approach enables road policing officers to operate more flexibly at national level and, as a result, communities in the Scottish Borders can draw on a wider pool of specialist officers, meaning that the service that is available is not limited to the number of officers who are based locally.
I appreciate the cabinet secretary’s recent engagement on the road policing department. However, last night there was a fatal accident in Berwickshire.
The closure of Duns road policing unit has meant that 2,000 miles of road in the Borders are now unmanned. Residents believe that we have lawless, unsafe roads and that police officers are under huge pressure because they have to travel further.
Given that the Scottish Police Authority and Police Scotland have warned of an £80 million funding black hole and a potential loss of 1,260 officers, will the minister commit to providing the funding that is needed to protect policing in the Borders and keep communities safe?
I am sorry to hear about the fatal collision that Rachael Hamilton has raised.
It is not true to say that roads in the Borders are left unpoliced. I refer back to the point that I raised in my first answer about the deployment of officers from Dalkeith and the fact that the specialist officers who are available mean that the response to issues in the Borders is not limited to the number of officers who are based there. However, I will take the point up with the Scottish Police Authority to ensure continued confidence in the area, as the responsibilities align.
The budget discussions are continuing. We await the outcome and the detail of the United Kingdom budget today, so that we can understand what resources will be available for us to deploy to organisations such as the Scottish Police Authority.
Since the introduction of Police Scotland, the number of officers in the Borders has gone down from around 40 full-time officers to 13. There were also three road policing hubs, but first we lost Hawick, then Galashiels and now Duns. On top of that, Hawick fire station is being reduced from a crew of 25 to seven full-time firefighters. There is a clear trend of centralisation, with each service retreating separately.
I understand the funding challenges, but has the Government considered how it could bring emergency services together to maintain critical local services in more rural areas across the south of Scotland?
Mr Dunlop will understand that, given my background, I am very interested in ensuring that communities in rural and island areas receive strong service provision, not just from the police but from all public services. He will also be aware that Scottish Borders is supported by around 1,900 police officers from across the Lothian and the Scottish Borders division.
His point about service sharing between emergency services is being explored in many areas. If that is something that he feels would be appropriate for communities in his area, he should raise that with the emergency services that have operational responsibility for that deployment.
Operation Begonia
I am familiar with success stories of Police Scotland’s operation begonia from organisations in Glasgow that work with prostitutes. Can the minister advise whether any consideration has been given by the Scottish Government to applying the practices of this policy to other vulnerable groups?
Ms Schmulian, I do not think that you read out the question that was printed for number 7. I just wonder whether you can read out the actual question.
To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to applying the approach and practices used in operation begonia to other vulnerable groups. (S7O-00391)
Operation begonia, Police Scotland’s national approach to tackling prostitution, has been in place since April 2025 following a pilot in Aberdeen. Police Scotland regularly reviews its implementation and impact, including identifying where further improvements are needed, such as strengthening pathways into support services for those involved in commercial sexual exploitation.
The Scottish Government continues to fund begonia patrols, training and partnership working across policing, justice and support services, including investment in improving understanding of, and responses to, the online dimensions of commercial sexual exploitation, ensuring that action keeps pace with changing patterns of exploitation.
In addition, we provide £287,760 through the delivering equally safe fund to projects that improve access to support for women with experience of commercial sexual exploitation. I would say to the member that, as operation begonia develops, we will continue to consider lessons from its implementation and how they can inform our wider approach to supporting vulnerable people and addressing exploitation.
Can the minister advise whether any analysis of cost has been undertaken with regard to the diversion of women from the criminal justice system to wider social support mechanisms?
I am grateful for the member’s focus on diversion and prevention, as it is profoundly important and central to the approach that the Government adopts in these spaces.
I would point out that operation begonia takes a victim-centred, trauma-informed approach, recognising that women involved in prostitution are victims of exploitation and signposting them to local support organisations while challenging and deterring men’s demands.
Population Growth (Police Resources)
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of projected population growth on its decisions regarding the allocation of police resources. (S7O-00392)
The allocation of police resources is the responsibility of the chief constable, who is operationally independent, with oversight from the Scottish Police Authority. In allocating resources, the chief constable will take account of demand, threat, risk and harm across the country and will allocate officers, staff and budgets to the areas where they will have the greatest impact on public safety.
Police Scotland’s new evidence-led policing for our communities model, which is expected to be in place nationally by March next year, uses a rich mix of demand information and data, including population distribution, to help it determine what resources are required, as well as where and when they are required.
Population growth across the Lothians is forecast to be higher than the national average over the next decade, but the area currently has nearly half the full-time-equivalent police officers per 10,000 people than the rest of Scotland has. How will the Government ensure that future spending on policing takes into account where the largest population growth will be and not just the where the largest population is now?
I recognise the challenges that Katherine Sangster has raised. I have had similar discussions with Paul McLennan, and I understand the challenge that is facing East Lothian, as well as the rest of the Lothians, because of population increases. These are matters for the chief constable in allocating resources, but they are also areas of active discussion with the Scottish Police Authority and the chief constable to ensure that there is a fair spread of response availability and capability. I am happy to take the matter up at Katherine Sangster’s request.
The Scottish National Party has invested record funding of more than £1.7 billion for policing in 2026-27. How will that investment, and the Government’s future plans, ensure that Scotland’s police service will always be visible and at the heart of our communities?
The funding will allow Police Scotland to deliver its 2030 vision and its three-year business plan, including its aim to increase the capacity and capability of its local policing teams. Together, those will set a clear direction for a service that is equipped to meet new challenges while remaining visible, accessible and connected to the communities that it serves.
The public rightly expect to see policing in their communities, and the chief constable has made it clear that community policing remains fundamental to Police Scotland’s approach. Local police officers play a crucial role not only in responding to crime but in preventing harm, building trust and maintaining confidence.
Child Criminal Exploitation
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve the identification and recording of child criminal exploitation.(S7O-00393)
In December, ministers directed four inspectorates to undertake an independent national review of responses to group-based child sexual abuse and exploitation and child criminal exploitation.
We welcomed the review’s recommendation to establish national arrangements for the collection, sharing and analysis of information relating to group-based child criminal exploitation. We are working to improve the identification of and response to child criminal exploitation, which includes taking actions under Scotland’s trafficking and exploitation strategy delivery plan, updating the national risk framework and developing Scotland’s approach to contextual safeguarding.
We are also working with the United Kingdom Government to implement the new child criminal exploitation offence and prevention orders in the Crime and Policing Act 2026, which will provide more tools for partners to protect children and prevent perpetrators from causing harm.
As the cabinet secretary said, the Government commissioned a national review and it identified a lack of agreed definitions and consistent data collection as key barriers to tackling child criminal exploitation. How can ministers and the cabinet secretary be confident that vulnerable children are being identified and protected when Scotland still cannot say reliably how many children are affected and when data on that will be available?
As I said, we welcome the findings of the review. Officials are considering the report’s findings and recommendations with partners and are assessing how they can inform ongoing national and local improvement activity.
A programme of work is under way with the national child sexual abuse and exploitation strategic group to improve data collection and analysis to strengthen our response to child criminal exploitation. As part of that, the Scottish Government’s chief statistician is chairing a short-life working group, which is bringing together experts to consider a range of data sources that can be collated and analysed to build a more comprehensive picture of child criminal exploitation in Scotland.
For people to feel comfortable in assisting with the identification and recording of child criminal exploitation, we need to improve whistleblowing policies in our country. Will the cabinet secretary confirm whether whistleblowing will be included in phase 11 of the Scottish child abuse inquiry, and is he comfortable that all areas of child safeguarding failures will be addressed as part of that review?
Meghan Gallacher will understand that the answers to those questions are not under my direct area of responsibility, but I will ensure that I give a response to her on those questions and give her the appropriate details.
How is the Scottish Government working with the UK Government to tackle online harm, as the nature of threats to our children is changing dramatically in an increasingly digital world?
I welcome that question from Katie Hagmann, because the threat of online harm to children is palpable. Police Scotland has recognised it as being one of the most significant areas of risk to children. Although online safety is reserved, we have consistent and robust engagement with UK ministers and Ofcom to strengthen online protections for children.
Siobhian Brown, the Minister for Children, Young People and The Promise, has asked the responsible UK ministers to meet to discuss online safety and areas of shared interest. She has also met Ofcom to discuss protections for children and young people online, and she participates in the interministerial group on child sexual abuse. Scottish Government officials meet regularly with colleagues in the Home Office and UK Government departments that are responsible for online safety policy, and those engagements provide opportunities for us to share Scottish evidence, expertise and stakeholder perspectives.
Community Policing and Response Times (Carnoustie and Monifieth)
Presiding Officer, I apologise for being slightly late to this session.
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support Police Scotland in improving the visibility of community policing and response times to incidents in towns, including in Carnoustie and Monifieth. (S7O-00394)
If I had known that you were late, I wouldnae have taken your question. You were lucky on this occasion.
Effective and visible deployment of policing remains at the heart of Police Scotland’s approach to keeping people safe. The Scottish Government is investing record funding of more than £1.7 billion in policing this year, and the chief constable has confirmed that that will enable Police Scotland to maintain officer numbers at 16,500 while continuing to prioritise front-line services.
Operational deployment decisions, including officer allocation and response arrangements in towns such as Carnoustie and Monifieth, are matters for the chief constable. However, Police Scotland assesses all incidents using its THRIVE—threat, harm, risk, investigation, vulnerability, engagement—approach, considering factors such as those so that officers can be deployed where they are needed most and members of the public receive an appropriate and timely response.
Constituents in Carnoustie and Monifieth have raised concerns with me about the visibility of community police, as well as response times, including in relation to repeated incidents of vandalism. I recognise the pressures that the cabinet secretary has outlined, but will he outline how the Scottish Government is seeking to strengthen Police Scotland and ensure that communities such as mine feel safe?
I absolutely recognise the concerns that Mr Melville’s constituents have raised. I reiterate my point about operational decisions being for the chief constable and about the investment of more than £1.7 billion that we are making in policing this year.
Police Scotland has confirmed that the funding that we have provided will allow it to maintain officer numbers at 16,500 nationally. Communities such as Carnoustie and Monifieth are also supported by around 893 officers across the Tayside division, alongside regional and national specialist officers, who can be deployed when required to help to ensure that local communities receive the policing service that they need.
The chief constable’s commitment to providing locally visible, community-based policing remains clear, and I hope that that reassures Mr Melville and his constituents.
Police visibility is extremely important, but the cabinet secretary will be aware of concerns from the Scottish Police Authority that, if it does not receive a funding increase, Scotland could see police numbers fall to their lowest level in 23 years. Does the cabinet secretary agree that we need more police, not fewer? What action will he take to ensure that that is recognised by the Government as it considers the budget and seeks to tackle the issues facing lawless Scotland?
Those matters are under consideration as the budget process continues. I absolutely want to ensure that we can continue to maintain police officer numbers.
That concludes portfolio questions on justice. I apologise to members who I was unable to take during that session.
Health and Care
The next portfolio is health and care. Again, members who wish to ask a supplementary question should press their request-to-speak button during the relevant question.
Respite Care (West Lothian)
I refer members to my entry in the register of members’ interests as a sitting councillor at West Lothian Council.
To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with West Lothian health and social care partnership and NHS Lothian regarding the availability of respite care for children with complex medical needs in West Lothian. (S7O-00395)
Scottish Government ministers have met NHS Lothian twice, since June 2026, about the review of respite care for children with complex medical needs. Officials have also held discussions with the Minister for Mental Wellbeing, Public Health, Sport, Alcohol and Drugs, who wrote to NHS Lothian on 8 July.
My expectation, and that of other ministers, is that respite care continues to be made available to meet the needs of children and their families. We have made that expectation clear in discussions with NHS Lothian, alongside the need for any proposed changes to be fully informed by meaningful engagement with the affected children and families. I welcome the board’s commitment to maintain a level of service for families accessing provision until their child reaches their 18th birthday.
Further engagement with families is taking place before proposals are brought to the NHS Lothian board for consideration. Ministers have asked NHS Lothian to keep the Scottish Government informed throughout the process, and I will continue to monitor those developments closely.
Sunndach house in West Lothian is a highly specialised respite facility for children with complex needs, which provides an essential residential respite care service for families in the Lothians, including some of my constituents. The minister has touched on the fact that the facility has been under review by NHS Lothian since 2024. Does she agree with me that any decisions must ensure that respite facilities that provide specialist medical care remain available not only to families who depend on those services now, but to those who may need them in the future, and that any final decision should be made only following meaningful consultation with the families that will be affected?
I agree that respite services are a vital aspect of social care support for disabled children and their families. My expectation, and that of other ministers, is that respite facilities with specialist medical care will continue to be available to meet the needs of children and their families. We have made that expectation clear in discussions with NHS Lothian, alongside the need for any proposed changes to be fully informed by meaningful engagement with families and affected children. As I said, I have raised those concerns with NHS Lothian and will continue to carefully monitor the situation.
As Pauline Stafford has said, families have been stuck in limbo for years, not knowing whether this vital service will continue in their community. The minister has been engaging with NHS Lothian, which is very welcome, but does she appreciate the length of time that the process is taking and the uncertainty that has hung over families for years? Can she provide any insight into when families can expect the consultation to be completed and when the decision will finally be made?
I appreciate the cross-party engagement on this important issue. There is not yet a date for the conclusion of the matter, because it has to go to the NHS Lothian board. We have asked for more time, so that it can be considered more carefully with the families; that will delay the conclusion, but we want the decision to reflect the needs of families in the area.
This morning, I wrote to the minister to request a cross-party meeting with the families. There is real concern that the health board has not understood unmet need. We need to get answers on that, because elected members have not been able to secure them. Will the minister agree to that meeting? Will she also ask the health board whether it will now publish all that information, so that we can look at what could be a business case to keep both respite services open?
I am more than happy to agree to the cross-party meeting because that discussion would be really helpful. I have concerns about whether needs have been properly considered and whether there is a wider need outside the geographical area for people to access the service. In my time in politics, I have certainly never come across families who want less of a service, so I am very interested to explore that further.
Monklands Replacement Project
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the Monklands replacement project. (S7O-00396)
As Joe Fagan will know, I gave an update to the Parliament that made very clear our commitment to deliver a new Monklands hospital. The previous business case that NHS Lanarkshire submitted did not provide value for money, so it could not be approved in its current form.
Therefore, a structured reset programme is already well under way to develop a more affordable and sustainable proposal. My officials are working closely with NHS Lanarkshire to develop revised proposals as soon as possible. That work is being developed alongside ongoing engagement with staff, patients, local communities and elected representatives through the formal stakeholder arrangements that NHS Lanarkshire has established. I will be in a position to consider the board’s recommendation and determine the next step once I receive a revised proposition.
The Scottish Mail on Sunday has reported that the new Monklands hospital will likely not open until 2031 and will be smaller and have fewer services than was originally planned.
NHS Lanarkshire needs a new hospital, and patients deserve clarity. Can the cabinet secretary tell us exactly why the costs escalated with the previous proposal to the extent that she felt compelled to cancel it when she did? Can she tell us which services and specialisms that are provided in the current hospital should be withdrawn from the new one?
I have been very clear with the Parliament and the people of Lanarkshire that there will be a new Monklands hospital. The Scottish National Party was the only political party that made that commitment in its manifesto. The hospital will be on the Wester Moffat site; it will have a type 1 accident and emergency department, and will be an acute hospital and a district general hospital.
However, as I have said, if Mr Fagan follows the logic, I am still to receive a revised proposition. He should remember that there is no credible path to delivery if a plan is not affordable. We seek to deliver a credible plan for the good people of Lanarkshire.
From what I hear from constituents, the current main concern is not so much about whether there will be a new Monklands hospital but more about what services will be included in the new hospital, as Joe Fagan asked about. We all await further details. I was therefore pleased to hear the announcement that the east Airdrie link road has been given the green light, which is an important step in the delivery of the new hospital. Does the cabinet secretary agree that such a significant commitment perhaps demonstrates the Scottish Government’s desired scale for the project?
I certainly hope so, and I welcome the progress that has been made on the east Airdrie link road, which is an important enabling piece of infrastructure for the new hospital at Wester Moffat. As I have said, the Scottish Government remains absolutely committed to the Monklands replacement project and has confirmed its support for continued development of the road project and a significant financial contribution towards its delivery.
The cabinet secretary rejected the proposal for the new Monklands hospital, as it was coming in at £2.1 billion, which she said did not represent value for money. However, in a briefing to MSPs, the health board confirmed that the cabinet secretary has not said what she would regard as value for money. We could end up with a new proposal for a smaller Monklands hospital that, with inflation, comes back at a figure that the cabinet secretary again rejects. Why will she not tell the health board what budget it should be working to?
That is a fair question, but there is a process that I currently have to undergo with the health board. Importantly, the health board accepts that there needs to be a reset to deliver a programme that is affordable, and it is undertaking all that work. It is important that the board is given time and space, limited though that is, because I want a proposition to come back to me by the middle of next year. The board is narrowing its options for consideration, so I want to allow it a bit of space to do further work. However, I reassure the member that, in the not-too-distant future, we will have to get clarity on the financial envelope. It is not in the interests of the people of Lanarkshire for me to pre-empt the work that the health board now must do, but I accept that we need to get an envelope that we all sign up to and agree to.
Covid-19 and Flu Winter Vaccination Programme
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the Covid-19 and flu winter vaccination programme. (S7O-00397)
The flu programme launched in early September, and Covid vaccination started on 5 October. Uptake is progressing well. As of 18 October, more than 678,000 flu vaccinations had been administered, which is ahead of the figure at the same point last winter. More than 39 per cent of care home residents and 25 per cent of those aged 65 and over have received their flu vaccine. In the first two weeks of the Covid programme, more than 89,000 vaccinations have been administered, with more than 36,000 care home residents receiving their vaccine. I encourage everyone who is eligible to come forward when invited.
I thank the cabinet secretary for that encouraging answer and I encourage everyone who qualifies for a vaccine to get one as quickly as possible. However, I have been contacted by a constituent who previously met the eligibility criteria for the flu and Covid vaccination programmes but for whom that changed in 2025. That followed recommendations from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, which restricted access to the Covid vaccination at that time. My constituent is deeply concerned that they have been missing out since then.
Although I absolutely acknowledge the role of the independent JCVI, does the cabinet secretary appreciate the concerns of those who now miss out on the Covid vaccination? Will the Scottish Government consider making that vaccination freely available on request for those who previously qualified but who now miss out?
I would be happy to receive further information from Mr Doris about his constituent’s concern. However, I confirm that the eligibility criteria for the Covid programme have not changed and are identical to the eligibility criteria for the winter 2025 programme. As Mr Doris acknowledged, eligibility is based on the recommendations and advice of the JCVI. Eligibility has reduced over time as the threat of the virus has, thankfully, decreased due to increases in population immunity, which resulted from a combination of vaccinations and naturally acquired immunity after infection. The programme is therefore targeted at the groups who remain at risk of severe illness, hospitalisation or death—that is, residents in care homes for older adults, everyone aged 75 and over, and everyone aged six months and above who is immunosuppressed.
Public Health Scotland’s June 2026 report on immunisation and vaccine-preventable diseases highlighted significant inequality in vaccination uptake between those who live in the most and least deprived areas. Given that uptake for the Covid and flu vaccination programmes is a long-standing issue in Scotland, what measures will the Scottish Government take this winter to ensure that people with the dual challenges of potential illness and deprivation are accessing vaccinations?
Ms Baillie makes a legitimate point, and it is one that needs to be addressed and wrestled with each year. Various courses of action have been undertaken. As she knows, the situation is monitored, and weekly figures are published by Public Health Scotland. There have been communication campaigns, such as the “For some, flu hits harder” campaign and the “Help beat flu with a simple wee scoosh” campaign, which is targeted at children. We continue to work closely with Public Health Scotland and health boards to find better ways to communicate with particular communities, whether those are communities that are more impacted by poverty, or groups for whom there are other barriers, such as language. I am happy to continue to engage with Ms Baillie on that point.
Care Placements (Support for Social Work Services)
I refer to my entry in the register of members’ interests, which states that I am a sitting councillor on Glasgow City Council.
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure the availability of safe and suitable alternative placements for children requiring care, and what support it provides to social work services experiencing acute capacity shortages. (S7O-00398)
In August, the Minister for Children, Young People and The Promise convened a multi-agency round table, jointly with Councillor Tony Buchanan from the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, to identify practical actions that can be taken to ensure safe and suitable placements for children who require care. The National Social Work Agency is co-ordinating our ongoing action, and all partners are committed to delivering meaningful and sustained improvements. Through that collaborative work, partners have agreed to take a range of measures to address immediate pressures in the system alongside longer-term actions that are aimed at increasing capacity. That activity includes reviewing assistance for foster and kinship carers and addressing barriers to new children’s care services, and it sits alongside broader action that is under way to support a sustainable, responsive and trauma-informed social work workforce.
Social work in Scotland is at a crisis point. Earlier this year, all 32 of our chief social work officers raised the alarm about the shortage of suitable homes and carers for children, which is putting children at serious risk of abuse and needless hardship. Children as young as three were being housed in accommodation with young adults, and social workers felt forced to take children into their own homes. The minister identified some concrete measures that will be taken to improve capacity, but what measures will be taken in Glasgow to ensure that every child who needs a safe and suitable home is given one and that no social worker is forced to take a child into their personal care?
I pay tribute to social workers for the work that they do in incredibly difficult circumstances. We recognise those pressures and we are working alongside Social Work Scotland, COSLA and local authorities to consider the issue in more detail. As a former Glasgow councillor, I know that a lot of work has been done over the years to tackle, for example, the issue of children being put in expensive out-of-area placements. Good work has gone on there, but I would be more than happy to meet Holly Bruce to discuss in more detail those pressures in Glasgow.
Public Health (East Kilbride)
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve public health in East Kilbride, including through its proposed reform of health and social care services. (S7O-00399)
The Scottish Government is committed to improving public health across Scotland, including in East Kilbride, through reforms that will make health and care services simpler to access, more consistent and better connected to people’s needs. We want people to experience a more joined-up system in which services work together and care is co-ordinated around every person’s needs.
The reform process will support the delivery of more care closer to home through community services, digital care and local support, while helping people to stay healthier and independent for longer through a greater focus on prevention and early intervention.
It is important that timely, high-quality hospital care is delivered alongside strong preventative services. I welcome the proposed lung and heart health MOTs and the Scottish Government’s investment in tackling waiting times, including in Lanarkshire, where waiting times for many specialties are falling. It is vital that we ensure that health and social care is easy to access. How will the MyCare.scot service be enhanced? What benefits will that bring for patients? When will the proposed general practitioner walk-in clinic in East Kilbride open?
The walk-in service in East Kilbride is part of the second wave of the pilot programme, as part of which services will open from April 2027. I will set out further details as plans develop.
MyCare.scot, which continues to develop incrementally, will be a key enabler of Scotland’s wider programme of digital health and care reform. As functionality is introduced, people will be able to receive care-related communications, to view and manage appointments, to manage prescriptions and to access an expanding range of health and care information through a secure platform. The digital front door programme is prioritising the roll-out of secondary care digital communications and appointment functionality across Scotland, before being expanded into wider health and care services.
Care-at-home and Community-based Services
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to expand care-at-home and community-based services in order to prevent avoidable hospital admissions. (S7O-00400)
While the Scottish Government sets the overall policy framework for health and social care in Scotland, responsibility for assessing local need, ensuring that appropriate social work support is available and commissioning the services that are required to support people in their homes or communities rests with local authorities and health and social care partnerships.
Our programme for government places a strong emphasis on shifting support closer to communities and homes to enable people to live independently with the right support around them. That is why we have provided a record settlement for local government of almost £22.5 billion to health and social care in 2026-27. The provision of that real-terms uplift will enable the delivery of more sustainable and resilient services.
Does the minister agree that increasing the capacity of hospital at home in my constituency of Midlothian North is key not only to helping people to remain independent for longer, but to reducing avoidable pressure on hospital services across NHS Lothian?
I very much agree with Mr Beattie’s point. Hospital at home is a real success story in NHS Lothian, with 2,216 patients having benefited from the service between May and July this year. By providing hospital-level care at home, the service is delivering timely access to care while reducing avoidable hospital admissions. The service, which is operating across all territorial health boards, is central to our ambition to deliver care closer to home.
Care at home and other community-based services are hugely important, and they would not be possible without the brilliant social care workforce that we have in Scotland. However, care workers are often undervalued and underappreciated, and current pay levels reflect that. What will the Scottish Government do to ensure that members of the social care workforce receive fair pay and conditions for their work, in recognition of unions’ call for a minimum wage of £15 per hour?
I certainly value and appreciate the care workforce and the incredible job that those workers do. A lot of work is being done to look at how wages and terms and conditions are negotiated by employers, providers, staff in care settings and the trade unions, and there will be more to come on that.
I have always understood that the primary aim is to treat people in a hospital-at-home setting as much as possible. Most people agree that they want that. However, in large parts of rural Scotland, and particularly the Highlands and Islands, that is unachievable because we just cannot get the staff to deliver it. That means that outcomes for people are getting worse and worse, and hospitals such as Raigmore have significant delayed discharges. Should we not face the reality that in some parts of Scotland we need bricks-and-mortar, set-down settings in communities, such as community hospitals?
I agree that we need both. I would argue that it is not an either/or. Hospital at home is available in all the territorial health board areas. It provides a service for people who do not really need to be in a hospital setting and who can have their conditions managed at home by NHS staff. It is a very important programme for keeping people at home in their own settings.
Chronic Pain Services
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve access to chronic pain services. (S7O-00401)
We are investing a record £22.5 billion in health and social care in 2026-27, including £100 million through the national health service operational improvement plan and a further £90 million package that is targeted at reducing the longest waits for care for conditions such as chronic pain.
We have worked collaboratively with people with lived experience, clinicians, service leads and the third sector to improve access to chronic pain services through our pain management service delivery framework. We have worked with Public Health Scotland to improve the collection of waiting times data for chronic pain to provide a clearer understanding of the different pathways that are offered to patients who are referred to pain services. We also continue to support the development of new educational resources on chronic pain for clinicians.
Kirstin Laing and her husband are both long-term patients at the pain management centre in Golspie, and her husband relies on infusions to enable him to walk. Kirstin fears that NHS Highland’s plans to review services, coupled with its current policy of not offering injections to new chronic pain patients, could leave many people across the Highlands living with preventable pain. The Scottish Health Technologies Group recommends that all health boards provide specialist injections as part of their chronic pain services. Does the minister agree?
I certainly do. Let me be absolutely clear: I expect all NHS boards to provide a service that enables people with chronic pain to access appropriate support for their condition. I have received firm assurances that NHS Highland continues to provide a specialist chronic pain service for patients across the whole NHS Highland area and that the service is delivered by a multidisciplinary team of consultants, specialist nurses, psychologists and physiotherapists. The service remains open to new referrals, with patients being assessed to identify the appropriate pathway and the most appropriate intervention for them, based on clinical assessment.
I would be more than happy for the member to write to me with the details that he has provided today and to pick those up with NHS Highland to ensure that, exactly as I stated, all NHS boards are providing a service that enables people with chronic pain to access appropriate support.
People across Scotland who are living with long-term conditions must be properly supported to live pain free and to have access to the care that they need as close to home as possible. What work is the Scottish Government doing with organisations that represent people with long-term conditions to deliver a new long-term conditions framework, as set out in the programme for government?
We will publish the long-term conditions strategy for adults in March 2027, with a first refresh being planned after three years. The strategy will set out our future approach to improving care and support for long-term conditions, recognising the impact of multimorbidity and the fact that an increasing number of people in Scotland are living with one or more long-term conditions. We are engaging closely with organisations that represent people living with long-term conditions, as well as people with lived experience and clinicians, as we develop the strategy.
PANS and PANDAS
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support people with paediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome and paediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections, commonly referred to as PANS and PANDAS. (S7O-00402)
I recognise how distressing acute-onset neuropsychiatric symptoms can be for children, young people and their families. At present, there is no formal clinical guidance in the United Kingdom specifically for PANS or PANDAS. Children and young people presenting with those symptoms are cared for through existing national health service services, with clinicians working across relevant specialties to provide multidisciplinary assessment and treatment based on clinical need.
I am aware that the UK-wide PANS PANDAS steering group is leading work to publish clinical guidance and improve pathways for care and treatment. The group has representation from relevant clinical professional bodies and third sector partners.
We will continue to monitor emerging clinical guidance and research evidence. Where that supports a need for new service models, NHS Scotland will review arrangements as appropriate to ensure that patients receive the best possible care and support.
Given the concerns that the minister has outlined about the recognition, diagnosis and management of PANS and PANDAS and the need to improve awareness and support across NHS Scotland, education and social care, will she agree to meet representatives of PANS+ Scotland, which has recently become a registered charity, to discuss how clinical guidance can be disseminated and implemented and how support for affected individuals and their families can be improved?
Let me be clear: I recognise the concerns that have been raised about PANS and PANDAS and the impact that the conditions have on affected children and their families. The UK PANS PANDAS steering group is developing guidelines that have the potential to provide greater clarity on best practice for assessment, diagnosis and management. As that work is still under way, it would be premature to reach conclusions about the dissemination and implementation before the recommendations are available.
I absolutely welcome the work of PANS+ Scotland and its recent establishment as a registered charity. Once the guidance is published, I would encourage representatives of the charity to engage with Scottish Government officials to discuss its implications for Scotland and how awareness and support might be strengthened across the relevant services. I would be more than happy for the member to write to me about the issue after the guidance has been published.
ADHD or Autism Assessments (Reform of NHS Boards)
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it will take to ensure that people waiting for an attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or autism assessment are not adversely impacted by its planned integration of national health service boards. (S7O-00403)
I recognise that the proposed changes may cause concern to those who are waiting for neurodevelopmental support, including diagnostic assessment. However, public service reform is fundamentally about improving services and simplifying how we deliver care. It will enable us to provide more consistency to those who are seeking neurodevelopmental support as we reduce 14 different approaches to one joined-up system that will be delivered through two strategic boards.
We are in the design phase of our reform work, which will be developed in partnership with staff, staff representatives, trade unions, stakeholders and the public. Alongside that work, we are continuing to improve neurodevelopmental support. That includes adopting the Royal College of Psychiatrists national neurodevelopmental pathway for adults, supporting the implementation of the children and young people’s neurodevelopmental specification, and providing additional funding to ensure that support is available where people need it most.
Children who are seeking support rely on the education pathway, which is meant to lead to NHS intervention if appropriate. However, that is not happening in reality and the pathway is incredibly disjointed. How will the Scottish Government ensure that every step of the pathway is resourced and integrated between health and education to ensure that children who need assessments will get them?
The member is absolutely correct that, within schools, neurodevelopmental support is delivered through additional support for learning and is underpinned by the principle that support should be provided based on identified need, rather than on a formal diagnosis.
Our work on our national staged intervention model and additional support needs data improvement will support greater consistency in the identification and recording of children and young people’s needs and the response to them. That will ensure that the needs of neurodivergent learners are met consistently, regardless of where a child or young person lives in Scotland. In the shorter term, we are providing an additional £29 million of ASN funding to local authorities to support the ASN workforce in 2026-27.
Drug-related Deaths (East Ayrshire)
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the upward trend in drug-related death statistics for East Ayrshire. (S7O-00404)
Any drug-related death is a tragedy and my heartfelt condolences go out to those who have lost loved ones.
We are concerned by National Records of Scotland figures that show an 11 per cent increase in drug-related deaths across Scotland between 2024 and 2025, with East Ayrshire recording the largest percentage increase of any local authority. Those figures are an important indicator of where further attention might be needed, although year-on-year changes can be particularly pronounced in areas with smaller numbers of deaths and they do not necessarily reflect an established trend. It is really important for local partners to monitor trends in their areas, to understand what is driving them and to ensure that services respond to local need. We remain in close contact with partners in East Ayrshire, who have strengthened outreach, expanded harm reduction activity and improved access to treatment and support.
As the minister said, each death is a tragedy, and East Ayrshire has had the biggest increase of all local authority areas, with 27 additional deaths between 2024 and 2025. The stark reality is that the figure is higher than the figures for Glasgow and Edinburgh combined, and it more than doubles the number of families in my area who are dealing with the death of a loved one for this reason.
What additional analysis has been undertaken to understand the underlying causes of the increase? Will additional resource be made available, particularly for rehabilitation and post-recovery support services? That issue was identified in the Scottish Human Rights Commission report “Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in the South of Scotland”.
Let me be clear that nobody can look at the figures without concern. East Ayrshire saw a significant rise in drug-related deaths in 2025, and we owe it to those affected to understand what is behind the increase. We are working with Public Health Scotland and local partners to assess the factors involved, such as synthetic opioids. Many people who are affected by problematic drug use today have been living with addiction for a long time and they often face a range of health, housing and social challenges alongside their substance use. Those factors can increase vulnerability and the risk of harm, but evidence-based treatments such as methadone and buprenorphine play an important role in reducing risk and keeping people engaged with support.
In East Ayrshire, local partners have strengthened their support through assertive outreach, proactively engaging people who are at the greatest risk, alongside wider harm reduction and treatment services. We will continue to work with local partners and Public Health Scotland to understand the increase and ensure that support is targeted where it is most needed.
That concludes portfolio questions. We are seven minutes over time, and the reason for that is that a few questions were quite long and a lot of the answers were very long. I apologise to members who could not ask a question, but that is why.