Chamber and committees

Liberty Steel Dalzell is a privately owned business and issues relating to the potential sale of the Clydebridge site are matters for the company.

The Scottish Government has no plans to acquire the Dalzell plate mill.

For the financial years 2022-23 to 2024-25, I refer the member to question answered on S6W-43202 on 3 February 2026 for information relating to Warmer Homes Scotland, Area Based Schemes, Social Housing Net Zero Fund and Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan.

Special Advisers are temporary civil servants appointed in accordance with Part 1 of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010. All civil servants are provided with the same IT support and services, including email accounts.

The Scottish Government’s records management arrangements are set out in our published Records Management Plan and apply to all civil servants in the Scottish Government.

The Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 defines the information to which it applies, what exemptions may apply and in what circumstances. The Act applies to information irrespective of what media or platform that information is held in or on, whether within a civil service email account, or any other platform or media.

Any organisation provided with Scottish Government grant funding must comply with the terms and conditions set out by Scottish Ministers, ensuring clear accountability and assurance of propriety in the use of public funds and value for money, as per the Scottish Public Finance Manual.

SAMH will receive funding for the Nook programme through a grant authorised by Ministers under Section 16B of the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978. All Scottish Government grants require a formal agreement that sets out the purpose of the funding, expected outcomes, terms and conditions, and payment arrangements. These agreements are supported by robust monitoring and reporting arrangements to ensure the funding is used as intended and delivers the agreed objectives.

The Scottish Government recognises the distress caused by retail crime and is fully supportive of activity to reduce harm.

The Retail Crime Taskforce was established following the launch of Police Scotland's action plan to tackle retail crime in March 2025. Operating under four key objectives – Prevent, Pursue, Protect, and Prepare – the Taskforce focuses on stopping people from becoming offenders, bringing perpetrators to justice, strengthening protections for retailers, and developing direct reporting systems.

The Taskforce works alongside the Scottish Government in the Scottish Partnership Against Acquisitive Crime (SPAACE), a Police Scotland led initiative that brings together retail groups and partners to tackle a range of acquisitive crimes including theft and housebreaking.

This work is supported by Scottish Government investment of £3 million for 2026-27 as part of the record funding of £1.7 billion for policing in 2026-27. Ringfenced retail crime funding of £3 million has been confirmed for a further two financial years.

The Scottish Government’s Programme for Government also commits to provide an additional £1 million to the Taskforce across the next two years bringing the total funding to £10 million over the current Spending Review Period.

The Scottish Government continues to prioritise delivery of the Scottish Marine Recovery Fund (MRF), as demonstrated by its inclusion in the Programme for Government 2026 – 2031, published on 1 September 2026.

Research is underway to identify compensatory measures that could be developed for inclusion in the MRF, with statutory guidance on how to implement compensation published on 06 July 2026.

Work continues in partnership with the UK Government on the delegation of functions required for Scottish Ministers to operate and manage the Scottish MRF.

The fund will become operational once the necessary legislative, governance and delivery arrangements are in place and seed funding can be secured to develop and bank appropriate compensatory measures to be made available through the fund.

The Scottish Government has not undertaken a specific assessment of the relationship between uptake of Hybrid Closed Loop technology and any resulting cost savings to NHS Scotland, including through reductions in emergency hospital admissions.

I recognise that pulmonary rehabilitation is a key intervention for people living with chronic respiratory conditions and that many people across Scotland are affected by lung disease. Improving access to pulmonary rehabilitation remains a priority.

Through the Respiratory Care Action Plan for Scotland, pulmonary rehabilitation was identified as an important area for improvement. The Scottish Respiratory Advisory Committee has endorsed a new national three-tier model comprising universal digital services, targeted community-based provision and specialist hospital-based support for people with more complex needs.

We are working with Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland to develop a digital-first pulmonary rehabilitation offer through the My Lungs, My Life platform, providing rehabilitation resources, self-management support and educational materials that can be accessed across Scotland. In addition, two targeted pulmonary rehabilitation programme pilots are being developed in both central and rural settings.

Alongside this, Short Life Working Groups are developing national referral criteria and implementation tools to support NHS Boards in expanding pulmonary rehabilitation capacity, reducing geographical variation and improving equitable access. This includes promoting virtual and hybrid rehabilitation models where appropriate, helping to address workforce and travel barriers and enabling more people to benefit from pulmonary rehabilitation closer to home.

On the 1 September, as part of the Programme for Government, the First Minister announced the Scottish Government’s intention to simplify the NHS by replacing the current 14 territorial Health Boards with two Strategic Health Boards and build on planned reforms to further reduce the number of special Health Boards.

The First Minister also announced an intensive programme of engagement with local government and partners to consider how health, social care and wider public services can work more effectively together, make best use of public investment and improve outcomes for people and communities. Detailed arrangements will be developed as part of wider public service reform.