Chamber and committees

The local government settlement already fully funds the provision of 1140 hours of high-quality ELC for all eligible children, with the Scottish Government investing around £1 billion every year since 2021.

Local Authorities are encouraged to work together to offer families a choice of provider which is not limited by local authority boundaries through joint Funding Follows the Child guidance developed by COSLA and the Scottish Government. The Scottish Government continues to call on all local authorities to work together to offer choice and flexibility where families are impacted by boundary lines.

Ministers have committed to exploring cross-boundary provision further with COSLA within the context of wider reform and the Scottish Government’s ambition to transform the wider childcare offer during this parliament.

The Scottish Government has no current plans to undertake a formal review of the impact of the Children (Equal Protection from Assault) (Scotland) Act 2019. Work has been undertaken with a multi-disciplinary Implementation Group to consider the impact of the legislation and how this may be effectively monitored over time. We remain committed to ensuring that children are protected from harm, while also promoting awareness, education and support for families. Should evidence emerge of any unintended or adverse impacts on children or families, we would, of course, be willing to consider whether a formal review is appropriate.

It is estimated that reimbursements made to operators participating in the £2 bus fare cap within the Strathclyde Partnership for Transport area, will cost between £53m to £61m for the 2026-27 financial year.

While structural change will support long-term financial sustainability, the greatest benefits will come from service redesign, better planning and reducing variation in health care and outcomes across Scotland. The costs and benefits of reform will be set out through the programme's business case and developed in partnership with NHS Boards.

This work will complement existing plans to improve financial sustainability and support Boards in returning to financial balance. The programme will be supported by a clear benefits framework and ongoing monitoring to assess whether it delivers improved outcomes and value for money. Decisions on final service structure models and their locations will be worked through during this design phase.

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.

As detailed information on commercial bus journeys is not available, estimates were produced using a model developed for the fare cap pilot. The model uses concessionary travel data and local population information to estimate the number of non-concessionary bus journeys across the area. It then compares these estimates with overall bus revenue and applies standard assumptions about how passenger numbers may change in response to lower fares. These estimates were used to calculate the likely number of eligible journeys and the expected cost of the scheme.

Further details will be published in the Outline Business Case for the scheme.

The Scottish Government recognises that high-quality mountain biking infrastructure is essential to maintaining Scotland's position as a leading destination for the sport.

Through the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal, the Scottish Government has committed to investing £5 million across the south of Scotland in the 7Stanes mountain biking trails, subject to business case approval.

In addition, through sportscotland's Cycling Facilities Fund, the Scottish Government has supported investment in cycling infrastructure across Scotland, including £322,710 for Dalbeattie Community Initiative's Rocks and Wheels project in Dumfries and Galloway.

The Scottish Government continues to support the development of mountain biking infrastructure through sportscotland and its partners. This includes providing core funding to Developing Mountain Biking in Scotland, which leads delivery of the Scottish Mountain Bike Strategy, as well as working with partners to support the development, improvement, and maintenance of Scotland's trail network. Through this support, and by working with local communities and stakeholders to identify opportunities for future investment, we are helping to further strengthen Dumfries and Galloway's position as a world-class mountain biking destination.

Consideration of any publication of the Centre for Sustainable Delivery's value case on the further expansion of Hybrid Closed Loop technology is ongoing and will inform consideration of future investment in diabetes technology as part of the Scottish Government's wider preparations for the 2027-28 Budget.

NHS Tayside is reforming Mental Health and Learning Disability services to provide more person-centred, accessible and community-based support. Following recommendations from the Independent Inquiry into Mental Health Services in Tayside and subsequent oversight reviews, NHS Tayside has brought mental health and learning disability services under a single leadership structure, strengthening governance, accountability and partnership working. A new mental health and learning disability model of care is being developed which aims to improve access to help, provide support closer to home, strengthen support in the community and make sure care is shaped around people's individual needs and rights.

Scottish Government officials continue to closely monitor the progress of this and the overall performance of mental health services in NHS Tayside to ensure the needs of the local population are met, including those who experience auditory, visual or other sensory disturbances.

While structural change will support long-term financial sustainability, the greatest benefits will come from service redesign, better planning and reducing variation in health care and outcomes across Scotland. The costs and benefits of reform will be set out through the programme's business case and developed in partnership with NHS Boards.

This work will complement existing plans to improve financial sustainability and support Boards in returning to financial balance. The programme will be supported by a clear benefits framework and ongoing monitoring to assess whether it delivers improved outcomes and value for money. Decisions on final service structure models and their locations will be worked through during this design phase.

NHS Grampian is responsible for the operational management of the walk-in services in Grampian, including all decisions about the location and model of the services. Officials are in discussion with the board about confirming delivery details.