Chamber and committees

Development of the Ferries Accessibility Standard is underway following engagement with ferry users with disabilities, the Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland (MACS), ferry operators and representatives of port authorities. Work is on track to achieve the new National Islands Plan commitment to publish in 2026.

Work is also progressing on our commitment to open a new Islands Transport Accessibility Fund applicable to both ferries and aviation infrastructure. The new fund will open as soon as possible, subject to available funding.

Information on progress against the two commitments will be included in the National Islands Plan Annual Report to the Scottish Parliament.

Further to my engagement with the sector, I announced on 10 July that the Scottish Government would provide £2 million of direct support to independent Scottish pig producers who have been hit hardest by the market pressures. The Scottish pig Producers Support Scheme opened to applications on 15 July. The support will cover losses between what farmers were paid, and 85% of the Standard Pig Price, between March and August 2026. This vital funding, which is only available in Scotland, will help protect local jobs, sustain Scotland’s pork supply chain, safeguard the Prime Scottish Pork brand, and protect the production of high-quality, high welfare, locally produced food.

I have also written to the UK Government calling for urgent action to support the pig industry, including following our example and increasing resources and investment to improve biosecurity at our borders to prevent diseases such as African Swine Fever entering the country, which have exacerbated the price issues facing the sector.

We will continue to work with the sector through these challenging times.

The following tables present the latest available statistics on the total number of patient non-attendances at a new outpatient appointment for reasons ‘did not attend (DNA)’ (Table 1), ‘could not attend (CNA)’ (Table 2) and ‘cancellation by service’ (Table 3). The data are presented by health board of treatment for all specialties and broken down by calendar year. Please note that calendar year 2026 only includes data up to 30 June 2026 and figures are therefore not reflective of a complete calendar year.

Table 1 – Total number of non-attendances at a new outpatient appointment for reason ‘did not attend (DNA)’ for all specialties, split by health board of treatment, by calendar year from 2021 to present.

The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) is an Executive Agency of the Scottish Government. Training for prisons officers is designed and taken forward by the SPS.

SPS recognise the importance of supporting neurodivergence within the prison population, and although there is no standalone training for supporting neurodivergence in prisons, Officer ‘core to role’ training does cover areas which support trauma-informed practice.

SPS continue to engage with their partners, including Supporting Offenders with Learning Disabilities (SOLD), who together with Association for Real Change (ARC), are developing a framework of principles for inclusive justice which will in turn allow SPS to develop standards to improve support to help neurodivergent people in custody.

The Scottish Government encourages all victims and survivors to report sexual crimes, including those that may have happened some time ago.

The Scottish Government sets the regulatory framework and provides Grant in Aid Funding to SEPA to undertake monitoring of bathing waters.

SEPA undertakes routine monitoring of designated bathing waters, including those in Dundee and Angus, during the bathing season (1 June 2026 to 15 September 2026). Where a potential pollution incident is identified, either through reporting or routine monitoring, SEPA undertakes investigations. SEPA has provided an overview of bathing waters, including its monitoring and investigation process here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcy2_8MjhWg

Work to recruit and appoint a new National Clinical Lead for Palliative Care is ongoing. Further information will be made available in due course.

Cross-portfolio working across directorates and policy areas is a key priority for this Government and there are existing governance structures which support this work. Specifically in relation to the national Good Food Nation Plan, we have committed to establishing mechanisms that enable working at government official as well as ministerial level. Specific accountability mechanisms will be established once the legal duty for Ministers to have regard to the national Good Food Nation Plan when exercising certain functions is in force. These mechanisms will include internal reporting requirements to record how regard was had to the national Good Food Nation Plan.

Operational policing decisions and workload considerations are for the Chief Constable who is accountable to the Scottish Police Authority - not to Scottish Ministers.

Following annual reviews of the number of specialty training places needed to meet anticipated future service demand and consultant need, the Scottish Government has funded the creation of approximately 850 additional posts across multiple specialities since 2014, including in ophthalmology.

The number of Ophthalmology Consultants working in NHS Scotland has increased by 54.7% in the last 20 years, from 86.4 WTE in September 2006 to 133.7 WTE as of 31 March 2026. Over the last decade, the workforce has increased by 3.4%, from 129.3 WTE on 31 March 2016 to 133.7 WTE on 31 March 2026.