Chamber and committees

Whilst the UK Government is yet to share any detailed impact assessment with Scottish Ministers, we are continuing to work closely with the UK Government to assess the costs and benefits of the deal, including the implications of recently announced implementation measures and pilot programmes.

When the impact assessments are made available, we will consider the implications the price changes for medicines will have on the NHS in Scotland.

The Scottish Government recognises the positive impact that Instrumental Music Instructors play in supporting young people to learn a musical instrument.

I am aware that a range of music stakeholders representing Instrumental Music Instructors (IMIs) have advocated for IMI’s to be registered as Instrumental Music Teachers for some time. That is why we recently undertook a consultation exercise to understand the implications of this change and gather information from a range of partners on the consequences of this change in their respective areas. Following the conclusion of this consultation period I will be reviewing the information gathered with my officials, recognising the complexities which do exist when considering a change of this kind.

It is expected that most patients will be seen and treated locally wherever possible and appropriate, based on clinical need.

The NHSScotland National Access Policy (December 2023) sets out the national framework for how Health Boards ensure equitable and timely access to care. Under this policy, Health Boards are responsible for ensuring patients are treated as quickly as possible, including by optimising available capacity and working collaboratively across NHS Scotland.

Patients may be offered treatment within another NHS Board where this is clinically appropriate and capacity is available. Where necessary, Health Boards may also arrange treatment with alternative providers, including elsewhere within the UK.

The policy does not prevent patients from independently seeking treatment outside NHS arrangements. However, patients should not assume that the costs of such treatment will be met by the NHS. Any request for NHS funding must be agreed in advance by the responsible Health Board, which remains accountable for the patient's care.

The Sustainable Procurement Duty of the Procurement Reform Scotland Act 2014 places a requirement on public bodies to consider how their procurements can be used to improve economic, social and environmental well-being, and reduce inequality.

Under the 2014 Act, Public Bodies with contractual expenditure over £5 million per annum, must publish a Procurement Strategy and annually report on the delivery of their strategy. Their strategy must include information on how they intend to ensure their regulated procurements will be carried out in compliance with the sustainable procurement duty. They are then required to report on this and provide a summary of any community benefits that were delivered that year through their procurement activities, within their public annual procurement reports.

The most recent Scottish Ministers' Annual Report on Procurement Activity in Scotland (2023-24) demonstrates that public procurement is delivering a wide range of economic, social and environmental benefits to communities across Scotland.

We promote socially responsible public procurement through guidance, tools, learning opportunities, and engagement with procurement professionals. For example through the use of the national Sustainable Procurement Tools, associated guidance and training and Fair Work First in procurement e-learning.

The Care Reform (Scotland) Act 2025 places a duty on Scottish Ministers to produce statutory guidance on ethical commissioning, supporting consistency of approach across Scotland. Before issuing any guidance Ministers must consult with a broad range of organisations, including local authorities, health boards, integration joint boards, and others. Once published this guidance will also support our efforts to promote social responsibility in public care contracts.

The responsibility for these matters rests with local authorities in their role as employers of teachers. You may wish to contact the relevant local authority. You may also wish to contact the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS), the independent regulator of teachers in Scotland.

It is expected that most patients will be seen and treated locally wherever possible and appropriate, based on clinical need.

The NHSScotland National Access Policy sets out that Health Boards must optimise available capacity and work collaboratively to ensure patients are treated as quickly as possible. This includes offering treatment outwith a patient’s local Health Board where this is clinically appropriate and capacity is available.

Patients may therefore be offered appointments or treatment in another NHS Board, including National Treatment Centres or the Golden Jubilee University National Hospital. Decisions on these arrangements are made by clinical teams and Health Boards, and follow robust clinical pathways.

Patients may choose whether to accept an alternative offer; however, accommodating requests for a specific location cannot be guaranteed and should be discussed with the relevant clinical team.

The Scottish Government is not currently considering a 500 hectare cap on the amount of land that can be owned by individuals, companies or other corporate entities.

Similar proposals were considered previously during the development and parliamentary scrutiny of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2025, with page 32 of the Policy Memorandum noting:

“There is insufficient evidence to justify a limit or presumed limit on the size of landholding that can be owned. Land Commission research, and prior research by the Scottish Government, did not find clear links between scale alone and wider social, economic and environmental outcomes. This proposal would also have significant financial consequences, particularly in relation to compensation.”

This remains the position of the Scottish Government.

ScotRail Spirit of Scotland pass is aimed at leisure travellers, with morning timing restrictions in place to encourage travel at quieter times out with busy commuting times.

For those who wish to travel earlier, we’ve reduced the cost of rail travel by removing ScotRail peak fares for good, saving 17% on average on previously peak fares. We’ve also frozen rail fares this year. Given these significant savings already in place for rail passengers before 9:15 am, we have no plans to review the conditions of the Spirit of Scotland pass.

The Scottish Government is clear that everyone should be able to practise their faith safely and free from fear and condemns all forms of religiously motivated violence affecting Muslim communities and places of worship.

We are continuing to work closely with Police Scotland, Muslim communities and local partners to understand the concerns being felt, particularly following recent incidents, and to identify what support may be needed to provide reassurance and enhance security. This includes ongoing dialogue to ensure that responses are informed by the experiences of those directly affected.

We will continue to support communities and work in partnership with local and national organisations to help ensure that places of worship remain safe and that communities feel reassured in their daily lives.

It should be noted that the UK Government’s Places of Worship Protective Security Scheme is available for communities in Scotland, with applications open continuously, and details of how to apply can be found at Protective Security for Mosques Scheme - GOV.UK.

Alongside this, we will continue to consider how our wider work on community safety and resilience, including through the Hate Crime Strategy, can support communities and respond to emerging concerns.

The Community Needs Assessments (CNAs) for the Cowal and Rosneath were published on 11 September 2024. Further CNAs are currently in progress and are expected to be completed by the end of this year. These cover the following:

1.Coll, Colonsay, Iona, Kerrera, Lismore, Mull and Tiree

2.Outer Hebrides, Small Isles, Skye and Raasay

The intention is to commence work on the remaining CNAs in the Clyde and Hebrides during 2026 subject to agreed staff and budget resource.