Chamber and committees

Air Weapons licensing statistics are published by Police Scotland annually. Most recent statistics were published in August 2024 .

A table has been provided below noting the number of Air Weapons Licence applications made since 1 November 2016 including the numbers (a) received, (b) processed, (c) granted and (d) refused.

Total Number of Air Weapon Licence Applications

Since 2021, Scottish Ministers have regularly met with Council Leaders, including Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, to discuss a range of issues of mutual interest.

The First Minister and previous First Minister have also committed to meeting with the COSLA Presidential team biannually to discuss key priorities and issues for local government. The First Minister and previous First Ministers have also delivered keynote speeches at the COSLA Annual Conference since 2021.

The Economic Impact Assessment has been shared with the Economy and Fair Work Committee.

NHS Scotland is facing an unprecedented financial challenge, but all NHS Boards continue to have a statutory responsibility to reach a break-even financial position.

NHS Borders delivered a deficit outturn in 2023-24 and continue to manage financial pressures in 2024-25. Scottish Government are working with NHS Borders to create a credible and realistic path to balance and, once that path balance has been achieved, the Board would start to repay outstanding brokerage.

For the Scottish Government to meet our commitment of ensuring that at least 1000 people receive public funding for their stay in Residential Rehabilitation, it is largely dependent on capacity in the residential rehabilitation providers who provide the service, rather than the alcohol and drug partnership workforce.

Since 2021, Scottish Ministers have regularly met with Council Leaders, including Highland Council, to discuss a range of issues of mutual interest.

The First Minister and previous First Minister have also committed to meeting with the COSLA Presidential team biannually to discuss key priorities and issues for local government. The First Minister and previous First Ministers have also delivered keynote speeches at the COSLA Annual Conference since 2021.

ScotRail was brought into the public sector under Scottish Government control.

Transport Scotland carries out, on behalf of Scottish Ministers, the role of the Franchising Authority. ScotRail Trains Limited (SRT) is a train operating company who provides certain rail passenger services.

Scottish Rail Holdings (SRH) is an arm’s length entity, who manages and oversees delivery of SRT services.

Special Advisers are appointed in accordance with Part 1 of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010 by the First Minister as a Special Adviser for the purpose of providing assistance to the Scottish Ministers.

The total cost of Special Advisers employed during the financial year 2023-24 was £1,906,963. Total cost includes all salary costs, employer NI, and employer pension contributions. The level of employer NI, and civil service pension contribution is reserved and is not a matter for the Scottish Government.

The cost of Special Advisers during 2023-24 was based on the following Pay Bands and Pay Ranges:

The cost incurred to date in relation to the planned National Treatment Centre in NHS Ayrshire and Arran, NHS Grampian, NHS Lanarkshire, NHS Lothian and NHS Tayside is as follows.

Transport Scotland has already allocated £46.7 million of funding to Sustrans for Places for Everyone for 2024-25 which will deliver a range of active travel infrastructure this year. More broadly in 2024-25 financial year more than £145 million has been allocated for Active Travel.

The utmost importance is placed on balancing the Scottish Government’s budget each financial year. The Scottish Government and the whole of the public sector face a financial position that is extremely challenging. It is always necessary to ensure resources are used economically, efficiently and effectively, and increased scrutiny and spending controls are in place across all expenditure. As with all programmes across Scottish Government, further funding for Places for Everyone will need to be considered in this context for 2024-25.

Increased Active Travel funding has led to major change programme for Active Travel delivery starting in 2024. This is aligned with the Verity House Agreement (June 2023) which confirmed the direction of travel towards more direct funding to Local Authorities and for local control over that budget, with a driving principle of ‘local by default, national by agreement’.

As part of this, from 2025-26, Transport Scotland will be providing funding for all active travel infrastructure projects of the type that have historically been delivered through Places for Everyone directly to Local Authorities, Regional Transport Partnerships and National Park Authorities rather than via Sustrans. A managed transition of existing projects from Sustrans to Transport Scotland is underway and for those which are likely to be completed by December 2025, it is the intention that these will continue to be managed by Sustrans.