Chamber and committees

Scottish Household Survey results on percentage of adults reporting that drug misuse or dealing was very or fairly common in their neighbourhood, by year and by local authority area, are publicly available from https://www.gov.scot/publications/neighbourhoods-communities-2023-findings-scottish-household-survey/documents/ (see table 2.31 in the OpenDocument Spreadsheet).

The Scottish Government recognises that the availability, affordability and reliability of transport can influence participation in education, particularly in rural and island communities. While we have not undertaken a national assessment specifically examining the impact of transport connectivity on college uptake, attendance or course completion, work undertaken through the National Transport Strategy and the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2) highlights transport connectivity as an important factor in accessing education, training and employment opportunities.

We continue to reduce transport-related barriers to education through investment in local bus services, demand responsive transport, ferry, rail and bus networks, and by maintaining the Young Persons’ Free Bus Travel Scheme. We also work closely with the Scottish Funding Council, colleges and universities to support fair access, while eligible students may be able to access bursary or discretionary support with travel costs.

The UK Government's decision to amend the State Pension triple lock from 2030 is a significant change that will affect more than one million pensioners in Scotland. Using the Department of Work and Pensions’ analysis, we estimate the real-terms loss of annual pension at around £2,000 per person by 2049-50.

Cost of living pressures continue to hit pensioners hard and any move to weaken or remove the State Pension triple lock risks creating further financial uncertainty and anxiety, particularly for those already struggling with household costs.

We will continue to express these concerns directly to the UK Government.

I have asked Alison Byrne, Chief Executive of National Records of Scotland (NRS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

NRS has reviewed its portfolio of statistical publications to ensure that statistical production remains sustainable, continues to meet user needs and delivers maximum public value. The review considered whether changes to the frequency, format or production arrangements of some statistical publications may be appropriate.

The main changes NRS is proposing are:

Scaling back the frequency or content of some publications

• Households and Dwellings in Scotland: reducing from annual to every two years
• Small Area Population Estimates: releasing only final estimates and no provisional figures
• Alzheimer's and Other Dementia Deaths: reducing standalone publication from annual to every two years. Annual analysis on leading causes of death will continue to be published in another publication
• Homeless Deaths: reducing from annual to every two years
• Avoidable Mortality: converting to a data-only release
• Monthly Mortality Analysis, Scotland: reducing from monthly to quarterly

Changing responsibility for production

• Healthy Life Expectancy: transferring production from NRS to Public Health Scotland (PHS) after the 2023-2025 reporting period. PHS will assume responsibility for the production and development of Healthy Life Expectancy statistics, while NRS will continue to publish annual Life Expectancy statistics
• People Registered to Vote: Transferring production from NRS to the Scottish Government

Engagement to date has focused primarily on organisations and stakeholders who use statistics for policy development, we have also considered known user needs established through ongoing engagement with our customers.

This early engagement has provided valuable insight into how statistics are used to support policy development, operational decision-making and public services. We also explored the impact our proposals would have on their stakeholders and the wider public. We now want to hear directly from the wider community of users.

Today, 22 October 2026, NRS will publish a Call for Feedback and launch a six-week public engagement exercise alongside its Annual Statistical Work Programme. This will give users, stakeholders and members of the public an opportunity to provide views on the proposed changes to NRS statistical publications. Further details will be made available on a dedicated Call for Feedback page.

Feedback received through the engagement exercise will be carefully considered before any final decisions are made. NRS will publish a summary of the feedback received and its conclusions following the engagement period.

The review is intended to ensure that Scotland continues to benefit from a sustainable, high-quality statistical system, with resources directed towards outputs that provide the greatest value for users and decision-makers.

The Scottish Government has had no involvement in the trials of the sale of alcohol at Scottish football matches to date. I understand the SPFL commissioned an independent assessment of the trials. The assessment report has not been published, nor has the Scottish Government seen it, but I understand that the assessment recorded no negative impact in terms of supporter behaviour in any of the areas observed.

The Scottish Government recognises the importance of the joint Volunteer Charter, developed by Volunteer Scotland and the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC), in promoting good practice in volunteering and ensuring that volunteers complement, rather than replace, paid workers. The Charter sets out ten key principles to support positive relationships between volunteers and paid staff and help prevent the exploitation of either group.

We promote awareness of the Charter through our ongoing engagement with Volunteer Scotland, Third Sector Interfaces, public bodies and volunteer-involving organisations.

The Charter is also promoted through Volunteer Scotland's training, events, knowledge-sharing platforms and Charter Champion programme, which encourages organisations and individuals to publicly commit to its principles.

We endorse the Charter and encourage organisations to sign up to it. However, we recognise that it is a voluntary framework rather than a legal requirement. While the Charter is not a condition of Scottish Government funding, we expect organisations that receive public funding to comply with relevant legislation, follow good volunteering practice and consider its principles when involving volunteers.

The Scottish Government supported provisions in section 60 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2025 to transfer disputes under the Mobile Homes Act 1983 from the Sheriff Court to the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland, while ensuring the option of arbitration is still available, for dispute resolution, where both parties have signed a written arbitration agreement in advance.

Detailed policy, legal work and engagement is required before we can commence provisions to ensure a smooth and fair transfer of jurisdiction. For example, we intend to make legal aid available in line with the arrangements already in place for the private rented sector. We are currently in the process of developing a plan to deliver the change which we will discuss and agree with the partners involved in its implementation.

The Scottish Government has already raised the implementation of the swift nest box provisions in the Natural Environment (Scotland) Act 2026 with stakeholders through the Building Standards Stakeholder Group and the Building Standards Futures Board. Engagement with the housing, design and construction sectors will continue as this work is taken forward and will inform the development of the necessary building regulations and supporting guidance. Stakeholders will have the opportunity to contribute through the established review and consultation processes for building regulations, helping to ensure that any new requirements are practical, proportionate and effective.

Section 41 (swift nest boxes) of the Natural Environment (Scotland) Act 2026 will be commenced once a timetable for introducing the necessary building regulations has been established. Officials are progressing the preparatory work required to support delivery of the provision, including the development of regulations and guidance and engagement with relevant stakeholders, in line with the established processes for changes to building standards requirements. The Scottish Government is committed to implementing this provision and securing the biodiversity benefits intended by Parliament. The timing of commencement will be considered as part of the wider building standards work programme.

The Scottish Government is actively engaging with Communities Housing Trust to understand the implications of its decision and consider potential support, including how communities can continue to access the support needed to progress community-led housing projects.