Chamber and committees

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.

This work will be done with the workforce, not to the workforce. We remain fully committed to partnership working and will work closely with trade unions throughout this process.

For NHS staff the principal change will, in due course, be the transfer of their employment from their current Board to one of the new NHS Boards.

Staff in NHS Scotland continue to receive the best reward package in the UK, and pay, terms and conditions will remain the same, all underpinned by the Scottish Government’s Fair Work principles, and our ongoing commitment to no compulsory redundancies.

Any future workforce changes will be done in full partnership with NHS Trade Unions in a structured and managed way, in line with existing NHS Scotland policies which have been agreed in partnership with trade unions.

The Scottish Government recognises that mountain biking makes an important contribution to tourism and local economies in Dumfries and Galloway. The region is home to five of the seven world-renowned 7stanes trail centres and has developed a strong reputation as a leading mountain biking destination.

The Scottish Government is aware of three economic impact assessments undertaken for the 7stanes network in 2004, 2007 and 2012. The most recent assessment estimated that the network generated approximately £11 million of net additional visitor expenditure annually across the South of Scotland and attracted almost 400,000 visits each year, with around 82% of visitors coming from outside the region. The studies also found that the network supported local businesses, increased overnight stays, and contributed to employment in rural communities.

While a more recent assessment of mountain biking's contribution to tourism expenditure in Dumfries and Galloway has not been undertaken, VisitScotland continues to work with partners through the South of Scotland Cycling Partnership to support cycling tourism through destination development and promotion, investment in trails and infrastructure, support for major events, and destination marketing activity. The South of Scotland's designation as a UCI Bike Label Region further reflects the importance of cycling and mountain biking to the area's visitor economy.

The latest published National Records of Scotland data on life expectancy at birth in Scotland (by council area) for the 5 year period covering 2020-2024, shows that for Dumfries and Galloway males in the 20% least deprived areas are expected to live 80.5 years, compared to those in the 20% most deprived areas who are expected to live 71.3 years – a difference of 9.2 years. Life expectancy at birth for males in Dumfries and Galloway in 2020-2024 was virtually the same as the male life expectancy for Scotland (around 77 years).

The evidence is clear that health and life expectancy are closely linked to the circumstances in which we are born, grow up, live, work and age, known as the wider determinants of health. Last year, alongside COSLA, the Scottish Government published a Population Health Framework: a cross government and cross-sector approach, focussed on prevention, which aims to improve life expectancy while reducing the gap in life expectancy between the 20% most deprived areas and the national average, by 2035.

The Framework sets out the actions the Scottish Government and its partners are taking forward within the first two years: supporting healthy environments; good early years and education; good work and income; and equitable health and care.

The arrangements for the loan provided to Liberty Steel Dalzell, including the balance and any repayment or restructuring of the loan, are matters for Scottish Enterprise who provided the loan.

Transport Scotland analysts estimate that around 64.5 million journeys per year originate from residents of the Strathclyde Partnership for Transport area. The demand response to the bus fare cap is estimated to result in an increase of between around 20% to 40% based on industry standard parameters, reflecting uncertainty around the impact. Baseline data (predating the scheme) will be collected to produce a refined measure of the actual impact.

As a pilot, monitoring and evaluating the walk-in services is absolutely essential. That’s why we have commissioned PHS to collect and report on the data, and HIS to provide an independent evaluation. It is important we do not pre-empt the results of that, but it is encouraging that people are already using the services and benefiting from same day, appointment free care. The evaluation is considering a range of evidence, including service activity, patient experience, workforce impacts, costs and wider system effects. Already we are seeing and hearing from patients who have used and appreciated the services.

No decisions have been taken to delay or cancel any planned walk-in services. Forty GP walk-in service locations are planned in total, of which 11 are currently operational.

The Scottish Government’s human rights due diligence guidance sets out recommendations on how we, executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies – including Scottish Enterprise - should undertake due diligence on an individual or company’s human rights record before entering into an “investment relationship”.

We also have been clear with Scottish public bodies that they should take the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights database of companies believed to be active in listed activity in the Occupied Palestinian Territory into consideration as part of their due diligence processes, writing to them on several occasions to that effect.

It is for the accountable officer of each agency and non-departmental public body to ensure that their organisation complies with guidance issued by Scottish ministers.

The Scottish Government is committed to delivering a breakfast club offer for primary school age children from August 2027. To support this, in 2026-27 we are investing £15 million into local authorities to prepare for the national rollout of breakfast clubs across Scotland, and we have committed to recurring investment of £44 million from 2027-28.

Funding will not be allocated on the basis of a fixed cost per pupil. As a priority, we are continuing to work with local government partners to support delivery.

The Scottish Government has made no direct estimate of the economic cost of poor male health outcomes in Dumfries and Galloway.

Last year, the Scottish Government and COSLA published the Population Health Framework, with a whole-system, cross-sector approach to improving life expectancy and reducing health inequalities, including action in key areas that disproportionately affect men.

As noted in the Framework, maximising access to workplace support services, including online self-help at Healthy Working Lives and case management through Working Health Services Scotland, has the potential to significantly contribute to men’s health outcomes, through prevention of worsening ill health and active participation in labour market.

As part of the Population Health Framework, Scottish Government monitors outcomes using a range of tools including the ScotPHO Profiles tool (ScotPHO profiles) and the Scottish Health Survey (Scottish Health Survey). Both can be used to view outcomes for males in Dumfries and Galloway, among other breakdowns.

Across Scotland Electroconvulsive Therapy has been subject to national audit standards. NHS Boards have all been informed of their status against key indicators as well as issues with compliance of national audit standards.

In April 2026, the Scottish Government was informed of NHS Tayside’s level of compliance with the indicators. Through the audit process NHS Boards must submit investigative reports and action plans that will improve compliance with national standards. NHS Tayside submitted the requested report and action plan which were assessed by the national steering group and are monitored monthly via agreed processes.