Crown Estate Scotland estimate £186 million will be paid by the developers for the 50-year lease for the Inch Cape Offshore Wind Farm site. This figure is based on Minimum output and tenant projections for production over the 50 year period, based on 2025 RPI.

Questions regarding day-to-day operational matters of Historic Environment Scotland, including queries relating to staff appointments, are best answered directly by Historic Environment Scotland.

I have asked Historic Environment Scotland to respond directly to the member with a full reply to his question in writing.

The Scottish Government has no plans to conduct an equality and human rights impact assessment on paediatric long COVID services.

NHS Boards exercise responsibilities in relation to planning, commissioning and delivering healthcare services, and take overall responsibility for the health and wellbeing of the populations they serve. NHS Boards are discrete legal entities and legally accountable and responsible for how they carry out their functions, services, duties and responsibilities.

As part of the NHS Scotland Board Annual Review process, feedback was obtained from Area Partnership forums that highlighted safety concerns on any further reductions of the working week in 2025. Area Partnership Forum’s include representatives from Agenda for Change and other staffing groups.

To confirm, there is no delay in the implementation of the reduction of the working week to 36 hours for Agenda for Change staff. It was always the intention to use the initial 30 minute reduction in April 2024 as an opportunity to learn and assess how best to move forward with any further reduction in the working week.

The Scottish Government is therefore committed to fully implementing the remaining 60 minute reduction in the working week for all Agenda for Change staff on 1 April 2026. This will facilitate patient and staff safety, support the continued recovery of services and avoid any extra burden for our workforce.

This implementation date of 1 April 2026 remains fully in line with the commitment made as part of the 2023-24 Agenda for Change pay settlement and the Scottish Government’s Programme for Government.

I met with the former Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health and Prevention on 04 November 2024 to discuss the Tobacco and Vapes Bill where I reaffirmed my support for this historic piece of legislation and highlighted how it could positively impact health inequalities in Scotland.

The Bill’s subsequent re-introduction on 5 November 2024 followed close collaborative work across the four nations over the content of the Bill. Officials across the four nations continue meet regularly to discuss the Bill to ensure coherence and alignment of policies, where this is possible and appropriate.

The Bill will gradually increase the age of sale for tobacco products and provide powers to legislate on vape flavours, displays, packaging, as well introduce an advertising ban for vapes and nicotine products. This will create a generational change, meaning that children born after 1 January 2009 will never legally be able to buy tobacco. This landmark legislation will ban vapes and nicotine products from being deliberately promoted and advertised to children to stop the next generation from becoming hooked on nicotine.

On 21 November 2024 a Legislative Consent Memorandum was introduced for consideration by the Scottish Parliament and I provided evidence to the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee on the Memorandum on 17 December 2024. I await the report from the Committee, and will then update Members and Committee on the next steps.

I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

This was a 2-stage procurement process, and 4 contractors bid at the 1st stage Pre-construction phase of the process. These bidders were Balfour Beatty Group, Kier Construction, Robertson Group Ltd and Galliford Try Construction t/a Morrison Construction.

As set out in the answer to question S6W-35253 on 11 March 2025, as part of the NHS Scotland Board Annual Review process, the feedback obtained from Area Partnership forums highlighted safety related concerns from a wide range of Agenda for Change colleagues on any reduction to the working week in 2025.

To confirm, there is no delay in the implementation of the reduction of the working week to 36 hours for Agenda for Change staff. It was always the intention to use the initial 30 minute reduction in April 2024 as an opportunity to learn and assess how best to move forward with any further reduction in the working week.

The Scottish Government is therefore committed to fully implementing the remaining 60 minute reduction in the working week for all Agenda for Change staff on 1 April 2026. This will facilitate patient and staff safety, support the continued recovery of services and avoid any extra burden for our workforce.

This implementation date of 1 April 2026 remains fully in line with the commitment made as part of the 2023-24 Agenda for Change pay settlement and the Scottish Government’s Programme for Government.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

Extensive research was undertaken on the impact of the first 30 minute reduction of the working week for Agenda for Change staff. This included its impact on maintaining system performance, meeting legislative requirements around safe staffing and the delivery of planned initiatives to support service recovery.

On review of this research it was clear that, to avoid unacceptable levels of risk to service resilience and patient safety, introducing the remaining hour on 1 April 2026 would be the most appropriate option. This also upholds the Scottish Government's commitment made in the 2023-24 Agenda for Change pay deal.

There has been regular communication between the Scottish Government and the Scottish Prison Service on HMP Highland, including costs, since 2011, in line with updates to the Infrastructure Investment Plan.

• In September 2011 the Scottish Government was updated that the total capital investment for HMP Highland was estimated at £52m.
• In August 2014 the Scottish Government was updated that the total capital investment for HMP Highland was estimated at £62.8m.
• In December 2015 the Scottish Government was updated that the total capital investment for HMP Highland was estimated at £66m.
• In July 2018 the Scottish Government was updated that the total capital investment for HMP Highland was estimated at £73.9m.
• In November 2018 the Scottish Government was updated that the total capital investment for HMP Highland was estimated at £80.5m.
• In March 2020 the Scottish Government was updated that the total capital investment for HMP Highland was estimated at £92m.
• In February 2021 the Scottish Government was updated that the total capital investment for HMP Highland was estimated at £98m - £110m.
• In July 2022 the Scottish Government was updated that the total capital investment for HMP Highland was estimated at £139.5m.
• In February 2024 the Scottish Government was updated that the total capital investment for HMP Highland would be £209m.

The Scottish Government is funding a Personality Disorder National Improvement Programme which has been developed in partnership with the Royal College of Psychiatrists in Scotland and is being delivered by Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS).

The aim of the Personality Disorder Improvement Programme is to deliver meaningful improvements in services and supports for people impacted by personality disorder. This includes supporting NHS boards to implement practical changes which will improve care pathways for people with a diagnosis of personality disorder.

Phase 1, which concluded in March 2023, involved developing a national needs assessment, the development and delivery of a Personality Disorder Learning System and developing key performance indications for optimising and standardising data collection across Scotland.

Phase 2 is currently underway. HIS is currently working with NHS Dumfries & Galloway and West Lothian HSCP to review pathways, gather lived experience input and feedback, and capture learning around implementation of new pathways. A working group of internal and external stakeholders has also been established to develop a data and measurement plan.

This will form part of the wider mental health reform programme which aims to reform mental health services by enhancing care quality, access, and equity.