Chamber and committees

The Visitor Levy (Scotland) Act 2024 allows local authorities to introduce a visitor levy where this meets the needs of their areas, after consultation with local communities and businesses. The Act also allows authorities to introduce local exemptions as part of their visitor levy scheme. In such circumstances individuals who meet the criteria as defined by the local authority are exempt from paying levy or may be subsequently reimbursed any levy paid. Exemptions would reduce the amount of levy generated by a visitor levy scheme but would not involve public funds being used to subsidise tourists and business travellers.

Taxis and Private Hire Cars (PHCs) are licensed under the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 (“the 1982 Act”).

While the Scottish Government and Scottish Parliament has responsibility for the overarching legislation, the day to day administration of the licensing regime is devolved to independent licensing authorities through the 1982 Act – in effect the 32 Scottish local authorities.

All licensing authorities have a duty under section 17 of the 1982 Act to fix the scales for fares and all other charges in connection with the hire of taxis in their area, and have a duty to review the resultant fare scales within 18 months of the scales coming into effect. These are matters for each licensing authority to determine.

While the Scottish Ministers do not have any specific functions in relation to the day to day operation of the Taxi/ PHC licensing regime in any given local authority area, we provide best practice guidance to inform and assist local licensing authorities in their independent decision making.

In 2023 the Scottish Government published updated best practice guidance for local licensing authorities and Taxi and PHC operators on the licensing of Taxis and PHCs and their drivers. Chapter six of the best practice guidance includes information in relation to taxi fares.

Language is fundamental to all aspects of refugee integration. The findings of the British Council study, Language, Learning and Belonging: Practice, Policy and Refugee Voice, reinforce the importance of supporting language learning as a key element of successful integration. The Scottish Government will continue to work closely with partners to develop the next New Scots Delivery Plan, ensuring that key priorities, including language education continue to be addressed. Lived experience involvement in the New Scots Core Group, which is chaired by Professor Alison Phipps, who is also one of the co-authors of this report, ensures that the voices and contributions of New Scots are at the centre of this work.

The Scottish Government is aware of three economic impact assessments undertaken for the 7stanes mountain bike network in 2004, 2007 and 2012. Those studies found that the network generated significant economic benefits for the South of Scotland, including Dumfries and Galloway and the Scottish Borders.

The most recent assessment, undertaken in 2012, estimated that the 7stanes network generated approximately £11 million of net additional visitor expenditure across the South of Scotland and helped attract almost 400,000 visits annually, with around 82% of visitors originating from outside the region.

The studies also found that the network supported local businesses, increased overnight stays and contributed to employment in rural communities.

The Scottish Government has not undertaken a more recent economic impact assessment of the 7stanes network.

I would refer the member to the answer to question S7W-02351 on 3 September 2026. This answer sets out that the Scottish Government has received clear and unambiguous assurance that the voluntary run parental group, Queer Milk, is not training men to lactate and feed infants. Any claim to the contrary is untrue. In addition, the Scottish Government does not directly fund Queer Milk. 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

LGBT Health and Wellbeing receives funding from the Scottish Government via the Equality and Human Rights Fund to help shape policy and practice to improve outcomes for LGBTQI+ communities. Further information on funding given to LGBT Health and Wellbeing via the Equality and Human Rights Fund between 2021-2026 can be viewed at: Equality and Human Rights Fund: projects funded - gov.scot. LGBT Health and Wellbeing is listed here as LGBT Healthy Living Centre.

The Scottish Government also provides funding to LGBT Health and Wellbeing for LGBTQI+ community support services, including support for victims and survivors of conversion practices.

Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) do not hold information for the full ten-year period, likewise it does not allocate or record budgets on a 7stanes-wide or site-by-site basis. Funding is provided through regional recreation and facilities budgets. As a result, a complete ten-year record in the format requested is not available.

The FLS budget allocated to recreation site maintenance needs across the South Region are as follows. A significant proportion of these budgets will have been allocated to the maintenance, upkeep and upgrading of the cycle trails across the 7stanes network.

The Scottish Government recognises the significant contribution that independent and voluntary sector care at home providers make to Scotland's social care system and to local communities. As at 31 December 2025, there were 77,080 people employed in housing support/care at home services in Scotland, three quarters of whom were in the voluntary (41%) and private (33%) sectors, supporting local employment and the delivery of care and support in communities across the country.

Independent and voluntary sector providers play an important role in delivering care and support services, contributing both to local economies and to the resilience and sustainability of community based care.

As set out in the Programme for Government, the Scottish Government will undertake a period of intensive dialogue with local government and other partners to inform consideration of future social care reform options. The Scottish Government is approaching this work with an open mind and no decisions have been taken on specific reform proposals. Any future proposals will be developed in consultation with relevant partners, including providers and people with lived experience.

The policy was implemented on 3 September 2025 following the First Minister's statement to Parliament. As previously stated, the policy remains under continuous review given its nature as a pause. An update on publication of the associated Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment (BRIA) will be provided in due course.

The information requested requires further collation and verification. I will write to the member as soon as this work is complete, and a copy of that correspondence will be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 66908).

The 13,500 figure is not a recent proposal and the UK Government has not provided an updated plan.