The latest official two-child limit statistics show that in April 2025 there were 29,340 households in Scotland affected by the policy.

Over time, the number of households affected by the two-child limit will increase. Scottish Government microsimulation modelling published in March 2025 estimated that our planned mitigation of the two-child limit will result in 20,000 fewer children living in relative poverty in Scotland in 2026-27.

We continue to press the UK Government to remove the two-child limit at source; the limit withheld an estimated cumulative total of £377 million by the end of 2024-25 from Scottish households according to our analysis.

This information is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.

The Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry is investigating abuse experienced by children in care, in Scotland, between 1930 and 2014. The Inquiry has reviewed a wide range of care settings and, to date, has completed nine phases of public hearings, held over 558 days of hearings, heard from over 1,350 witnesses and published 15 volumes of case study interim findings.

The Inquiry has to date examined evidence regarding: (a) the legislative and regulatory frameworks for children in care; (b) the historical practice of child migration; (c) residential establishments run by religious orders; (d) residential establishments operated by non-religious or voluntary organisations; (e) independent boarding schools; (f) foster and kinship care settings; (g) secure care and young offenders institutions; and (h) specialist schools and healthcare establishments.

In December this year, the Inquiry will begin its public hearings in relation to Phase 10 of its investigations, focusing on children's residential care provided by local authorities.

The Scottish Government continues to participate fully in the Inquiry process, providing government records and making submissions as required by the Inquiry.

The Inquiry has cost £98.7 million to date. Whilst the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry is funded by the Scottish Government it operates, like any other public inquiry, independently of government. The Chair of the Inquiry, Lady Smith, has an ongoing duty to avoid unnecessary costs. The Inquiry routinely publishes its expenditure on its website.

When the Inquiry concludes, it will publish a final report that may make recommendations to improve practice, policy and legislation. The Scottish Government is committed to carefully considering the Inquiry’s findings and recommendations.

During Techscaler’s initial pilot cohort to Silicon Valley, two Chief Marketing Officers attended in place of their respective founders, who were unavailable. These individuals were nominated by the founders, and CodeBase confirmed that it was entirely appropriate for senior sales and marketing specialists to participate.

Given the small size and structure of most start-ups, Chief Marketing or Sales Officers are typically among the most senior employees and play a direct role in securing customers, generating revenue and raising investment. Their participation was therefore consistent with the objectives of the programme, ensuring that companies were effectively represented and able to maximise the commercial value of the visit.

Ministers were fully briefed on the purpose and objectives of the pilot programme. As Techscaler has matured, the eligibility criteria have continued to be refined. While founders or co-founders are preferred, substitutes may be approved where they are best placed to engage with the target market and achieve the intended outcomes.

Far from damaging Scotland’s reputation, the Techscaler programme has enhanced it. Through its international activity, Scottish start-ups have secured multiple export contracts, with six participants raising £5.4 million in investment and several others now in active discussions with global investors.

By showcasing Scotland’s entrepreneurial talent on the world stage, Techscaler has helped put our nation firmly on the international start-up map. It has hosted inward visits from twelve countries – including the United States, Singapore and China – all keen to learn from the model and explore opportunities to invest in Scotland.

As Sandeep Casi, a Tokyo-based partner at Antler, a global venture capital fund, observed: “The quality of the founders that travelled to Japan is proof that Scotland is set for success. Japan can be a key territory to drive this.”

The Scottish Government is committed to supporting those living with cancer, including those with secondary breast cancer, to deal with the financial, emotional, and physical health effects of their diagnosis.

We are currently working in partnership with Macmillan to improve the service we offer patients with cancer through the Transforming Cancer Care Programme (TCC). This joint partnership with Macmillan is worth £27 million and is the first of its kind in the UK. The programme ensures that people affected by cancer in Scotland, which includes those living with secondary breast cancer, have access to a specialist key support worker, who can provide emotional, financial, and practical support.

Further, the Single Point of Contact (SPoC) approach ensures that people recently diagnosed with cancer have person-centred support and can discuss their specific circumstances. This will help ease any anxieties related to their care and treatment plans and relay the support available to them and their families. We continue to invest in SPoC pilots and are actively considering how best to scale up the approach to benefit all patients with cancer in Scotland.

The Scottish Government recognises the significant challenges faced by children and young people with cancer, particularly those living in rural and island areas. We are committed to ensuring equitable access to healthcare and support for all patients, regardless of geography.

While there are currently no plans to expand the eligibility criteria for the Young Patients Family Fund, which is designed to support families of young inpatients, additional support is available through NHS Boards’ patient travel reimbursement schemes. Boards have the flexibility to consider individual circumstances and make decision in the best interests of patient care and wellbeing.

These schemes provide financial assistance for eligible patients and authorised escorts, including for outpatient appointments and day treatments, and apply to travel both within and outside Scotland. All eligible patients aged 16 and under automatically qualify for an escort.

International programmes are advertised to Techscaler members.

Under the terms of the contract, we have also instructed CodeBase to publish promotional material for future activities to enhance transparency and public awareness.

In addition, CodeBase will undertake a retrospective communications campaign to share details of all international pop-up activities and the lessons learned from them, demonstrating how participant feedback has been used to refine and strengthen programme delivery.

In the early stages of the programme, a small number of companies were identified directly by CodeBase, drawing on its position as a national start-up incubator with a deep understanding of Scotland’s start-up economy. This approach ensured that the most promising and investment-ready firms were able to represent Scotland and maximise the impact of participation. In doing so, CodeBase considered factors such as company revenue, investment raised, plans for expansion into US or APAC markets and the importance of diversity and regional representation.

As the programme has matured, this has developed into a formal, open and competitive system, with future cohorts chosen through that process and supported by structured pre-departure preparation.

The Scottish Government continues to work closely with CodeBase to drive continuous improvement, drawing on participant feedback and lessons learned from each cohort.

There is no evidence of any misuse of public funds. On the contrary, a number of business leaders who took part in the programme have publicly refuted these claims.

As has been made clear, the costs of flights, accommodation and workspace were covered in line with international best practice for programmes of this nature.

We continue to work closely with CodeBase to review expenditure and ensure all spending is appropriate and aligned with the objectives of the Techscaler contract. Robust governance and assurance processes are in place to oversee the contract and associated payments. On the basis of these processes, and feedback from participants and senior figures internationally, we are confident that public funds have been used properly and in ways that deliver clear benefit to Scotland’s economy.