Chamber and committees

The 2025-26 draft budget provides increased investment of £139 million across the NHS estate. This allows plans for Monklands and Belford hospital replacements and a new eye pavilion to be progressed, supports a new radiopharmacy facility and provides increased core capital allocations to NHS Boards, as well as additional support for Boards’ priority maintenance and improvements.

The budget also provides continued support for NHS projects already in construction and for the national replacement programmes for ambulances and radiotherapy equipment.

Beyond this, further NHS projects cannot be supported at this time, as there remains challenge and uncertainty in the capital budget position. All due consideration will be given as to which projects are affordable and deliverable, following the outcome of the UK Government’s spending review.

This will be supported by our work with Health Boards to develop a whole-system NHS infrastructure plan which will consider health infrastructure needs for the whole of Scotland, supporting the continued safe operation of existing facilities, as well as determination of longer-term investment priorities.

Decisions on licensing and consenting for offshore oil and gas, as well as the associated fiscal regime and security of supply are matters reserved to the UK Government.

Ministers and officials engage with a wide range of stakeholders in the course of their duties and will continue to do so alongside considering the Court rulings.

Since March 2022, 16.8 whole time equivalent (WTE) posts have been in place. NHS Board partners provide quarterly reports on funding utilisation for Psychological Therapies for the Workforce.

In Quarter 3 of 2024-2025 (October 2024), the staff reported in post were 12.32 WTE, 0.8WTE in recruitment, 0.04WTE vacant.

Scottish Government regularly receives data from wellbeing services that support healthcare professionals. Each of the services actively gather user feedback which is shared with Scottish Government who use it to enhance and develop their wellbeing resources.

Scottish Government funding of over £2.5m has been committed to support the mental health and wellbeing of healthcare professionals in 2024-25. These resources include a 24/7 compassionate listening service, confidential treatment for mental illness through the Workforce Specialist Service and access to psychological therapies and interventions.

Prioritising these treatment and therapeutic programmes reflects our commitment to offer care and support to those staff suffering from burnout and mental illnesses.

In addition, the National Wellbeing Hub offers a range of self-care wellbeing enhancing resources and signposting to relevant mental health and support services. The content of The Hub is fully shaped by Health and Social Care (HSC) stakeholders, with a key focus on providing support and education on recognising and addressing burnout. It aims to help individuals identify burnout in themselves and others, offering practical interventions to prevent or mitigate its effects. These resources are designed both for individuals and those in supportive roles within teams, as well as guidance on accessing further support and recovery services.

It is recognised that more must be done to improve the working conditions of HSC staff to reduce the risk of burnout at its source.

In the past five years 51 calls have been received on the emergency telephones on the A90 north of Dundee.

Transport Scotland’s Traffic Scotland Infrastructure Contractor, Amey Ltd, is paid a monthly Unitary Charge for the inspection, maintenance and repair of ITS (Intelligent Transport System) roadside infrastructure and individual costs specific to emergency telephones cannot be disaggregated.

All emergency telephones on the Scottish Trunk Road Network, including on the A90, are inspected and tested every three months.

The emergency telephones on the A90 are maintained under a term contract managed by Transport Scotland whereby a monthly unitary payment is made, for the maintenance and repair of, Scotland wide, ITS (Intelligent Transport System) roadside assets such as the A90 emergency telephones.

In the summer of 2024, on behalf of Transport Scotland, the Traffic Scotland Service Operator (Mobiie) conducted an Operational Requirement review of Emergency Roadside Telephones (ERT’s) resulting in the recommendation that the ERT’s remain in operation as a service to the public.

There are seven emergency telephones installed on the A90 north of Dundee and two on other sections of the A90.

We support a just transition for Scotland’s valued oil and gas sector. The judgements and issues our view on future licencing of oil and gas are informed and influenced by recent developments in the UK Government’s energy policy and court decisions. This is a rapidly changing landscape, and we are taking time to reflect on those developments before drawing any conclusions and publishing a final strategy.

We continue to call on UK Government to also listen carefully to the concerns being expressed by businesses around risks to jobs and investment in the transition. We also continue to monitor evidence and information on the energy transition and fuel security from a range of sources.