Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government has been monitoring settlement agreement proposals since 2014-15, which is the first reporting year for which NHSS settlement records are available. The last year for which this data is available is 2025-26. The number of settlements signed by NHS Scotland each year during this period is given in the following table.

We have not had any engagement with OSCR regarding its inquiry into the John Muir Trust. As charities and OSCR are independent of government, it would not be appropriate for Scottish Ministers to intervene in any ongoing inquiries. Any queries regarding the inquiry should be directed to OSCR.

The Scottish Government draws on a range of evidence to inform its understanding of outcomes across the justice system, including: official statistics, research, inspection findings, stakeholder engagement, lived experience and feedback from those who interact with justice services, as well as information provided by justice agencies.

We recognise that outcomes and experiences are not always as they should be. In some cases, the causes may be operational and relate to the delivery of services by individual organisations. In others they may reflect wider pressures and broader challenges across the system.

That is why we work with justice partners to both identify and address specific issues where they arise; and to collaborate with them to pursue the system-wide reform needed to deliver a more efficient, person-centred and trauma-informed justice system.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that all victims of domestic abuse or sexual assault can access support and assistance.

The Scottish Government is aware of the pressures front line support services are under in Moray and elsewhere. That is why the Delivering Equally Safe fund, which supports a range of violence against women and girls survivor support and prevention activity, benefited from a 5% increase in 2026-27. This takes total investment in the fund to almost £46 million over 2026-2028 (almost £23 million per year).

Our Programme for Government 2026 to 2031, sets out that we will enhance arrangements for the Delivering Equally Safe Fund and develop a new multi-year fund to ensure vital services are sustainable and can respond flexibly to need.

Motability is responsible for operational aspects relating to the standard annual inclusive mileage allowance, which customers can continue to use at their discretion, including for short leisure trips. Motability reduced the standard allowance following UK Government tax changes. Whilst we know that this has created uncertainty for clients, Scottish Government engagement with Motability on the changes means that additional mileage support is available for customers who live in certain rural and island areas and for those who use more than 3,000 of the standard mileage allowance for essential healthcare, education and employment journeys.

The Scottish Government recognises the potential contribution that Local Area Coordination (LAC) can make in helping people, families and communities build resilience, improve wellbeing and access support at an early stage. The principles underpinning LAC align with our Getting It Right For Everyone (GIRFE) approach, which promotes co-ordinated, person-centred support through a ‘team around the person’ model.

The Scottish Government has no current plans to establish a dedicated national funding programme for Local Area Coordination, as decisions on the development and funding of local services are primarily for local authorities and Integration Joint Boards, reflecting local needs and priorities.

However, we remain committed to preventative, community-based and person-centred approaches that support people to live independent, connected and fulfilling lives. These priorities are reflected in our wider ambitions for health and social care reform and renewal, as set out in the Programme for Government, Service Renewal Framework and Population Health Framework.

As a controlled entry subject, Scottish Ministers make a recommendation each year on the overall undergraduate intake for domestic and international students at Scottish dental schools. The domestic student intake recommendations for the University of Dundee and University of Glasgow for the last three academic years are as follows:

The Invest to Save Fund supports projects intended to deliver efficiencies, service improvements and financial savings across the public sector. Many projects require a period of implementation before benefits can be realised, and it may take between two and three years for projects to mature sufficiently to begin delivering their full savings potential.

As part of the application and assessment process, funded projects are required to identify anticipated benefits and savings. Projects supported through the current funding round are forecast to deliver approximately £178 million of savings over five years.

Projects supported through the first year of the Fund identified anticipated savings of approximately £167 million over the next five years. These projects are at varying stages of delivery.

The Scottish Government continues to monitor project delivery and benefits realisation, including financial savings, through its fund management and reporting arrangements. No consolidated assessment of realised savings is yet available.

The Scottish Government does not this information. Workforce management and deployment are operational matters for the Chief Constable, with oversight by the Scottish Police Authority.

The Scottish Government does not hold this information. Workforce management and deployment are operational matters for the Chief Constable, with oversight by the Scottish Police Authority.