Chamber and committees

Within the Scottish Government policy responsibility for Health and Care Research sits with the Chief Scientist Office (CSO).

NHS Research Scotland (NRS) is a partnership between the NHS Boards and CSO. NRS works to ensure that the NHS in Scotland provides the best environment to support clinical trials. The Scottish Government provides annual NRS Infrastructure support funding. The 2025-26 figure for this funding was £46.16 million.

The above infrastructure includes the NRS Cancer Research Network that supports the set up and delivery of cancer clinical trials including in brain tumours (Cancer | NHS Research Scotland | NHS Research Scotland) – annual Scottish Government funding to the NRS Cancer Network is in the region of £1 million per annum. The NRS Cancer Network is currently supporting 10 brain tumour studies open to recruitment in the NHS in Scotland – these studies have recruited a total of over 120 patients to date.

CSO co-funds in partnership with Cancer Research UK, the Adult Experimental Cancer Medicine Centres (ECMC's) in Edinburgh and Glasgow, and a Paediatric ECMC in Glasgow. These form part of a UK-wide ECMC Network that works to support the delivery of early phase cancer studies including in Brain Tumours (Edinburgh adult centre | Experimental cancer medicine centres) and (Glasgow adult centre | Experimental cancer medicine centres) – CSO’s annual contribution is approximately £470K.

The VPAG Commercial Clinical Trials Investment Programme was agreed as part of the 2024 Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing, Access and Growth (VPAG). It aims to strengthen the UK’s global competitiveness in life sciences and support innovation led growth. The programme is supported by approximately £400 million of funding from the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry members.

The clinical trials component of VPAG is intended to enhance capacity and delivery of commercial clinical research across the UK. Approximately £40 million from this element of the VPAG investment programme is expected to be invested in Scotland over the five year scheme. CSO has worked with NRS to configure this investment to maximise the opportunities for patients to participate in commercial clinical trials.

This includes the setting up of 4 Commercial Research Delivery Centres (CRDC's) - based in Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow - to accelerate and strengthen commercial clinical research delivery. It is anticipated that Cancer trials (including Brain Tumour trials) will represent around 50% of the commercial trial portfolio.

The Scottish Government recognises the workforce and skills implications of delivering across these sectors and is working to ensure the skills system can respond.

The consented onshore wind pipeline presents a significant opportunity for Scotland’s economy, as does the transmission infrastructure needed to unlock the full benefit of the clean, affordable and secure power that Scotland can generate from its own resources.

Delivery of the pipeline and investment by Scotland’s Transmission Owners will support thousands of skilled jobs in construction, engineering and the wider supply chain. The Scottish Government is supporting this through the skills system and working with industry, developers and our skills agencies to ensure that communities across Scotland benefit from these opportunities.

In respect of data centres, we continue to take steps to understand the impact on Scotland’s construction supply chain. This includes working with wider public sector to understand what research may be required to fully account for the current projects in the planning system.

The Scottish Government has also introduced a Scottish Government-led skills planning model, being developed in partnership with stakeholders, to ensure the post school education and skills system becomes more responsive to Scotland’s strategic skills priorities.

The General Medical Council (GMC), the independent UK statutory regulator for the medical profession, publishes its guidance Good Medical Practice (GMP), which sets the standards for professional practice and how doctors should work with patients.

While the title “consultant” is not a protected title under the Medical Act 1983, GMP is clear that doctors must always be honest and transparent about their experience, qualifications and current role.

Therefore, the Scottish Government has no plans at present to issue separate national guidance on the use of professional titles. NHS Boards are expected to ensure that employment and governance arrangements are consistent with relevant professional and regulatory requirements.

The estimated number of individuals prescribed methadone nationally in each financial year since 2020/21 is presented in the following table:

The Scottish Government’s approach to safeguarding alcohol policy from undue industry influence is set out in its Alcohol Framework published in 2018. The framework states that the Scottish Government will not work with the alcohol industry on health policy development, on health messaging campaigns or on provision of education in schools and beyond the school setting.

Regulated lobbying of members of the Scottish Government as well as MSPs must be recorded on the Scottish Parliament’s lobbying register, and minutes of meetings with Scottish Government Ministers, including by the alcohol industry, are retained as part of the Scottish Government’s corporate record.

The Scottish Government is committed to improving timely access to needs-based support for children and young people, in line with GIRFEC and the National Neurodevelopmental Specification. Access to support should not be dependent on a diagnosis, except in limited circumstances such as the prescribing of ADHD medication.

We are continuing our work with COSLA and the Children and Young People’s Neurodevelopment Taskforce to deliver on the actions set out in the Review of the Specification for Children and Young People.

In 2025-26 we provided over £2.9 million of funding to support projects to improve access to neurodevelopmental support across Scotland. The 2026/27 Budget includes additional investment of £7.6 million.

It is important to recognise that CAMHS is a specialist service for those experiencing significant mental health issues. Neurodevelopmental conditions, such as autism and ADHD, are not mental health conditions. CAMHS is therefore not the correct service for neurodevelopmental diagnostic assessment, unless there is a co-occurring mental health condition that meets CAMHS criteria.

Transport Scotland and its Operating Company, Amey, worked collaboratively to develop the most effective approach for delivering these works. Each project must achieve an appropriate balance between safety, efficient delivery, minimising impacts on local communities, and ensuring value for money in the use of public funds. To reduce disruption as far as possible, a range of options was considered before a preferred approach was identified. This involved maintaining access across the bridge throughout the works by keeping one lane open during daytime hours and limiting full closures to overnight periods only. Where overnight closures are necessary, a Standard Incident Diversion Route is implemented. This route is assessed and agreed by Police Scotland, Moray Council, and Amey. It is important to recognise that both the traffic management arrangements and the works themselves operate within a dynamic environment that can change on a daily basis. While no traffic management solution can completely eliminate delays, Amey will continue to monitor traffic conditions closely and make adjustments to temporary signal timings where appropriate. The aim is to achieve the best possible balance between traffic flow and project delivery, minimising impacts on all stakeholders while ensuring the works are carried out safely and efficiently.

Public Services Delivery Scotland are obtaining the requisite clinical, planning, financial and staffing information from NHS Boards to understand what would be required to make 24/7 thrombectomy available across Scotland.

Individuals who are considered ordinarily resident in Scotland at the start of their course, and meet the relevant eligibility criteria, will be able to access the home tuition fee rate and student support to study courses of further and higher education.

There is no specific provision in place as part of the eligibility criteria for individuals coming to Scotland to work, and who require additional qualifications to meet national occupational standards.

Students who are ordinarily resident in other areas of the UK should apply to their relevant funding body for student support.

Transport Scotland worked closely with its operating company, Amey, to develop and deliver the scheme, including the associated traffic management arrangements. Throughout the planning process, careful consideration was given to the potential impacts on local communities and businesses, with every effort made to minimise disruption. Ahead of the works, Amey implemented a comprehensive communications campaign to raise awareness of the project and inform road users and businesses of potential delays. Mobile Variable Message Signs were deployed on the trunk road at Elgin and Keith for more than two weeks prior to the commencement of works. In addition, details of the overnight road closures and diversion routes were shared in advance with local MSPs and elected members. Information was also disseminated directly to residents and stakeholders through letter drops, local print media, social media campaigns, email alerts and Traffic Scotland communication channels.