Chamber and committees

The Rural and Islands Housing Fund is a demand-led fund. The following table shows how much the Scottish Government has spent on the Rural and Islands Housing Fund in each year since 2023-24, broken down by local authority area:

I refer the Member to the answer to question S6W-42084 on 21 November 2025. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.

Since the publication of the Rail Recharged strategy, the newly constructed electrification system on the East Kilbride line entered service in December 2025.

Below is a link to the Rail Recharged document:

Rail Recharged: Scotland’s Fleet Transition Strategy - Delivering a Modern Fleet for a Connected Scotland | Transport Scotland

Data about previous convictions of individuals who have been convicted of wildlife crime is detailed in the most recent Wildlife Crime in Scotland publication which can be found here: https://www.gov.scot/publications/wildlife-crime-in-scotland-2024/. Although the Scottish Government does not specifically undertake evaluation on the reoffending rates for those who receive an alternative to prosecution for wildlife crime offences, it does publish data on reoffending rates more broadly, which can be found here:https://www.gov.scot/publications/reconviction-rates-in-scotland-2021-22-offender-cohort/.

The tables below set out fixed penalty notices for breaches of the Register of Tobacco and Nicotine Vapour Product Retailers covering the period you request.

Scottish Government has no plans to provide specific funding for the initiatives proposed by FSB in their 2024 report The Future of the High Street. However, we remain committed to supporting vibrant, thriving towns and town centres, and we are continuing our long standing commitment to regeneration with investment of up to £52 million in 2026-27.

This investment supports the revitalisation of our towns and town centres, helps to bring vacant properties back into productive use, and unlocks opportunities for town centre living, business and community enterprise activity. It also includes support for the Scotland Loves Local programme and Business Improvement Districts.

Since 2014, South Lanarkshire Council has received £25.8 million in regeneration capital funding. This investment has supported a number of projects, including the recently completed Carnwath Business and Community Hub which has transformed a vacant and derelict site in Carnwath town centre.

The information provided by the Lord Advocate to the First Minister on the Peter Murrell case included a warning not to comment on the case. This was because any comments made could amount to contempt of court. Given the nature of this case, it is sensible that a warning on contempt of court was re-affirmed, as questions would likely be asked of the First Minister, and those who speak on the First Minister's behalf, in relation to the case. As such, this is why information was shared to those who speak on the First Minister's behalf.

The Scottish Budget sets out a decrease in the three non-domestic property rates for 2026-27 and offers more than £320 million of support through transitional relief schemes and retail hospitality and leisure relief over the next three years.

Information on the number of community paediatrician vacancies is not held centrally.

Information on the number of consultant paediatrician vacancies are available on the NHS Education for Scotland Data and reports | Turas Data Intelligence website.

Health Boards actively manage their turnover and vacancies throughout the year. Where vacancies do occur the Scottish Government expects Boards to take reasonable steps to ensure the continued delivery of services, including, when necessary, the use of supplementary staffing.

The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government. More detailed information on waiting times will be held locally by NHS boards.

NHS Scotland has separate waiting lists for planned care, including one for new outpatient (NOP) appointment and another for inpatient/day-case (IPDC) procedures.

A clock starts for a NOP appointment once the referral is received by the Health Board and only stops once the patient has had their appointment. Patients may be triaged to the optimal, evidence-based pathway, based on a review of the patient’s records, including any imaging and laboratory results, but their NOP waiting time clock will not be paused during triage.

Most patients will agree any necessary treatment at their NOP appointment and this is when the patient’s waiting time clock for their IPDC treatment should start. Health Boards cannot list a patient for IPDC treatment prior to this appointment because healthcare staff have a responsibility to ensure they obtain valid and informed consent from a patient before putting them on a waiting list for any type of care or treatment intervention. To ensure patients can give informed consent, clinicians must provide information about what the treatment involves, including the benefits and risks, whether there are alternative options, and what will happen if treatment does not go ahead. The NOP appointment provides the opportunity for these discussions to take place.

Local authorities have a statutory duty to make available funded ELC to the children residing within their own area and are also responsible for having regard to the statutory guidance requirements in relation to cross-boundary placements.

There are no current plans to amend legislation relating to local authorities’ statutory duties with respect Funded ELC during the remainder of this parliament.

To ensure families’ choice of provider is not limited by local authority boundaries, local authorities are encouraged to work with neighbouring areas through Funding Follows the Child guidance, developed jointly by COSLA and the Scottish Government.

I wrote to COSLA on 12 March 2026, highlighting the importance of this issue, and asking them to work in partnership with the next national Government to find solutions that work for all Scotland’s children and families.