Chamber and committees

The Democracy Matters steering group last met on 11 June 2025. The steering group is focused on developing the views that communities shared during the Democracy Matters engagement process into practical models for democratic decision-making.

The Dynamic Support Register (DSR) provides a mechanism for national data collection on people with learning disabilities and complex care needs. Out-of-area placements are those where the individual is accommodated out with their Health and Social Care Partnership area. Out-of-area placements can be an appropriate option, depending on an individual’s needs and preferences. The focus of the Coming Home Implementation Report is to reduce inappropriate out-of-area placements.

The DSR only collects data on adults (aged 18+ years) and, therefore, cannot provide data on children with learning disabilities who are in out-of-area accommodation. Additionally, as the DSR was established in May 2023, we do not hold data for adults before 2023.

Public Health Scotland (PHS) collect and publish quarterly data from the DSR, with the most recent collection from 7 March 2025 published on 17 June 2025. At that time, there were an estimated an estimated 1,264 people on the DSR, of which 842 were appropriate out-of-area placements, and 45 were inappropriate out-of-area placements.

Additionally, PHS publish monthly data on delayed discharges. The most recent figures for May 2025 can be found here. This data is broken down to Health Board and Local Authority level.

Scotland’s National Parks generate significant economic benefits via tourism, employment and investment. Like all Non-Departmental Public Bodies (NDPBs), National Park’s Annual Reports & Accounts are formally reviewed by external auditors before being laid in the Scottish Parliament for public scrutiny. The Scottish Government has not routinely raised concerns about these formally audited records of public spend, and nor have concerns been raised by other bodies.

There are no current plans for the Scottish Government to conduct an independent review of the two existing National Parks in Scotland, as we consider there are already adequate accountability mechanisms in place. As set out in their underpinning legislation, National Parks are accountable to their boards and to the Scottish Government. They are required to produce a five year National Park Partnership Plan and their Corporate Plans are aligned to these. These Plans, including the aims and objectives within them, are signed off by Ministers.

Delivery is monitored and reviewed at regular meetings between the Scottish Government and National Park authority Convenors and Chief Executives. Park authorities are also required to report on their delivery and performance through their Annual Report and Accounts, which are laid before Parliament and published.

The Scottish Parliament can also scrutinise the Parks’ performance directly, as it can for all public sector bodies.

The Scottish Government has published this information since the amended economic link licence condition was implemented from 1 January 2023. It can be found at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-economic-link/

Victims are not provided, in whole or in part, the criminal record of any offender in the context of a prosecution.

Prosecutors may present an accused person’s previous convictions to the court for specific purposes, including the consideration of bail and bail conditions, or in determining the most appropriate sentence. This information is obtained from Police Scotland using the accused person’s Scottish Crime Records Office (SCRO) number, which is a unique identifier used across the justice system in Scotland. This ensures that relevant information is accurately linked to the individual, regardless of any change of name or gender identity.

The Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Act 2024 requires the Scottish Ministers to publish a five-year Rural Support Plan and have regard to it when exercising functions under the 2024 Act. The Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Act 2024 (Commencement No. 1) Regulations 2025 came into force on 16 June 2025. In the first instance it provides the legal basis for the introduction of the Rural Support Plan, which will set out how support over each five-year period will deliver to 2024 Act objectives and wider Scottish Government priorities.

It will build upon for the Vision for Scottish Agriculture and the Agricultural Reform Route Map and outline the phased transition from legacy EU Common Agricultural Policy support to the new four-tier framework. It will reflect the on-going engagement and co-development taking place within the Agriculture Reform Programme. The Rural Support Plan will collate this information into a single strategic and coherent package, add programme level input and ensure the totality of measures is considered. This work is part of normal duties within the Agricultural Reform Programme and any costs will be met within existing budgets.

The initial Rural Support Plan is intended to be drafted through the remainder of 2025 and laid in Winter 2025, to reflect the Route Map, the on-going work of the Agricultural Reform Programme and published ahead of the first plan period of 2026-2030.

The Scottish Government has conducted an evidence review on hybrid working to support decisions on hybrid expectations for its own staff but has not undertaken analysis on the economic impact of hybrid and remote working policies on city centre economies.

The Scottish Government regularly monitors evidence on the prevalence of home or hybrid working through our publication of data from the Office for National Statistics Business Insights and Conditions Survey(BICS). The most recent iteration of data on home or hybrid working (for 19 May to 1 June 2025) indicated that 13.8% of businesses in Scotland are using or intend to use increased homeworking as a permanent business model, rising to 68.5% of businesses in the Information & Communication sector. Around 4 out of 5 businesses (79.6%) that are using or intending to use increased homeworking are doing it because it improves staff wellbeing, while 43.9% indicated that it offered them the ability to recruit from a wider geographical pool in the UK, and 34.4% indicated it supported improved productivity.

Around two thirds of businesses (65.5%) indicated they were not using or intending to use increased home working as a permanent businesses model going forward, with 84.9% of these businesses giving the reason that homeworking is not suitable for their business.

The Scottish Government have no current plans to change the fine balance of rights and responsibilities in relation to access which was agreed by the Parliament and is set out in the Scottish Outdoor Access Code. NatureScot work with the National Access Forum (NAF) to address access issues that do arise though providing new guidance, resources and advice.

Those working in our retail sector should be lauded for the important work they are continuing to do during such challenging economic circumstances. They, like anybody, should be able to work without fear of abuse.

Retail workers (as well as all other workers) are protected by a wide range of criminal laws (i.e. the statutory offence of threatening or abusive behaviour; the common law offence of assault; and the common law offence of breach of the peace).

In addition, the Protection of Workers (Retail and Age-Restricted Products) (Scotland) Act 2021(“the 2021 Act”) came into force in August 2021 and created a statutory offence of threatening, abusing, or assaulting a retail worker, adding to the offences that can already be used to prosecute those who abuse retail workers.

Scottish Government partners, like the Scottish Retail Consortium (SRC) and Scottish Grocers’ Federation (SGF), share best guidance and resources, such as the free GroceryAid helpline, and Victim Support, for victims of violence and abuse in a retail setting.

As part of its budget for 2025-26, the Scottish Government is making an additional £3 million available for Police Scotland to work with the sector to tackle retail crime.