Chamber and committees

This question relates to operational matters that are the responsibility of the Scottish Court and Tribunals Service (SCTS) corporate body. The question has been passed to the Chief Executive of the SCTS who will reply in writing within 20 days.

The Tertiary Education and Training (Funding and Governance) (Scotland) Act 2026 (Commencement No. 1) Regulations 2026 were laid on 17 September 2026 and come into force today. The Regulations commence provisions to enable the Council to undertake the preparatory work required to assume its new responsibilities for securing and funding the delivery of national training programmes, apprenticeships and work-based learning on 1 April 2027. The Regulations also commence provisions to enhance the governance of the Council and its oversight of the financial sustainability of colleges and universities.

Section 31 of the Act is now in force and requires the Scottish Funding Council to establish an apprenticeship committee. Section 31 also requires the Scottish Ministers to issue guidance to the Scottish Funding Council on the establishment and operation of that committee. This guidance will be issued to the Scottish Funding Council today and a copy of the guidance will be provided to the Education and Gaelic Committee.

The Scottish Government recognises the important contribution that the skilled workforce at Torness has made and continues to make. The Scottish Government has not made a separate assessment of the figure cited.

Security of electricity supply is reserved to the UK Government and is managed on a Great Britain-wide basis by the National Energy System Operator.

The quality of equipment is an operational matter for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS). SFRS has provided reassurance that it has the equipment required to support firefighters in carrying out their duties safely and effectively. Specialist wildfire equipment continues to be deployed as part of SFRS’s Wildfire Strategy, whilst structural firefighting vehicles, equipment and PPE can also be safely deployed to a wide range of operational incidents, including wildfires.

SFRS continues to invest in operational capability through programmes including the replacement of self-contained breathing apparatus, the expansion of integrated firefighter communications capability and the development of lightweight PPE suitable for wildfire and other operational activities. Investment decisions continue to be informed by operational risk, firefighter safety and relative priorities between estate, fleet and equipment.

The Scottish Government and key partners are currently reviewing the Wildfire Strategic Action Plan to ensure it continues to reflect the increasing wildfire risk, and to identify if further measures are required.

The review is being undertaken alongside continued delivery of the existing action plan and a number of priority areas, including aerial firefighting support, public awareness and prevention communications activity, wildfire danger assessments, and strengthened multi-agency communication and operational arrangements have been identified for increased focus.

It is expected that progress will be delivered on a number of the priority areas ahead of the 2027 wildfire season, with further updates to be provided as the review progresses.

The cost-of-living crisis means that many families are struggling to put food on the table, and we are taking action to help households with those pressures. That is why we are consulting on a proposal which seeks to make essential food items more affordable for households struggling to pay for their weekly shop, particularly those on lower incomes. Through our consultation and ongoing engagement with stakeholders, we are carefully considering the full range of perspectives and evidence to help inform policy development. This engagement will help ensure that any future scheme is proportionate, deliverable and aligned with the policy's objectives.

The Fair Work Oversight Group last met on 8 January 2026.

At that meeting, members reflected on progress made through the Fair Work Action Plan towards the Scottish Government vision for Scotland to be a leading Fair Work nation and discussed the future of Fair Work policy in Scotland.

The final Fair Work Action Plan Report was published on 7 October 2026.

Matters relating to conduct and organisational culture are operational responsibilities for the Chief Constable, who is accountable to the Scottish Police Authority.

Since Dame Elish Angiolini's 2020 review of complaints handling and misconduct, Police Scotland has undertaken significant work to improve organisational culture and address equality, diversity and inclusion recommendations. This has included implementing recommendations through its Policing Together strategy and appointing an Assistant Chief Constable to lead this programme of work.

Progress in implementing the review's recommendations has been reported publicly through a series of thematic progress reports and updates to the Scottish Parliament. All non-legislative policing recommendations arising from the review have now been delivered.

The Police (Ethics, Conduct and Scrutiny) (Scotland) Act 2025 strengthens integrity, accountability and vetting arrangements and supports further reform through updated conduct regulations intended to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of police misconduct procedures.

The provision of training is an operational matter for SFRS. HMFSI conducted a thematic review of the SFRS training function and this was laid before Parliament in June 2026. SFRS accepted all of the recommendations and continues to make improvements and additional investment in its training function. A recent example of this is the investment of £3 million in a new Compartment Fire Behaviour Training (CFBT) facility and a Contaminants Control Unit (CCU) at Perth Training Centre. The objectives of the Service Delivery Review included freeing up resources to allow more firefighters to be deployed in the training function.

The Scottish Government believes no worker should face destitution after losing employment through no fault of their own, including where an employer’s sponsorship licence is revoked. We recognise that workers on employer-sponsored visa routes can face particular vulnerabilities, including an increased risk of exploitation where their immigration status is linked to a single employer.

While immigration policy and employment rights enforcement are reserved to the UK Government, we continue to engage with the UK Government where aspects of the immigration system may increase vulnerability to exploitation or create barriers to workers exercising their rights.

The Scottish Government funds a range of services to support vulnerable migrant workers, including the Worker Support Centre, which provides advice on employment rights and routes to relevant enforcement agencies. We also work with regulators, enforcement bodies and third sector partners to help prevent and tackle labour exploitation and human trafficking.