Chamber and committees

A principal lesson learned from international comparisons is reflected in the Scottish Government’s rolling programme of electrification works to reduce unit costs and maintain secure employment. This key difference from the approach taken by the UK Government has contributed to the more efficient electrification costs delivered in Scotland.

The Scottish Government welcomes IBD UK’s latest report, Crohn’s and Colitis Care in Scotland: A Vision for Change and is grateful for their work in this area.

We are committed to ensuring that all people living in Scotland with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) including Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis are able to access the best possible care and support, and benefit from healthcare services that are safe, effective and put people at the centre of their care.

Scottish Government workforce planning guidance requires NHS Boards to take a demand-led approach by determining future staffing requirements in line with healthcare needs within their locality.

We expect Boards to follow best practice and adhere to current guidelines and standards when providing psychological and nutritional support for people with IBD.

This question relates to operational matters that are the responsibility of the Scottish Court and Tribunals Service (SCTS) corporate body. The question has been passed to the Chief Executive of the SCTS who reply in writing within 20 days.

This question relates to operational matters that are the responsibility of the Scottish Court and Tribunals Service (SCTS) corporate body. The question has been passed to the Chief Executive of the SCTS who reply in writing within 20 days.

This is a matter for Network Rail as the landowner. Transport Scotland would be engaged by Network Rail as a mandatory consultee under its license condition 17 obligations, when considering the disposal of railway land and/or rights in railway land.

Further to the response to S6W–32031 of 18 December, the Scottish Government has taken a number of measures within the draft budget to reduce the cost of doing business in Scotland in 2025-26

Scotland’s Tax Strategy provides certainty and stability for taxpayers and businesses and sets out the intention not to introduce any new bands or increase the rates of Scottish Income Tax for the remainder of the parliamentary term. This helps businesses to plan and make investment decisions with confidence. The draft budget also prioritises capital investment in the foundations of our economy, including transport, digital connectivity, and delivering critical infrastructure, all of which support our businesses to thrive.

Local economies will be boosted by £62 million of regeneration funding alongside over £214 million through the City and Regional Growth Deals programme. This will deliver targeted investment in infrastructure, innovation and skills to unlock potential and stimulate growth in all parts of the country. Alongside this, increased investment in our planning system and local planning services, capacity, performance and resilience will ensure planning does all it can to drive the economy and improve certainty for business, reducing costs.

The Budget provides for direct support to business, through funding of over £321m for the enterprise agencies in 2025-26 to attract, start and support businesses across Scotland to grow. An additional, £15m Enterprise Package will be delivered in 2025-26 to expand support for female entrepreneurs, boost the economic impact of universities and fund the development of business clusters in advanced manufacturing and deeptech.

The budget freezes the Non-Domestic Rates Basic Property Rate at 49.8p (for properties with a rateable value up to and including £51,000), and is expected to save ratepayers £9 million next year. We are maintaining the Small Business Bonus Scheme, the most generous scheme of its kind in the UK, at the rates and thresholds introduced in 2023-24. Together, these measures will protect over 200,000 small properties, with an estimated half of properties in the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure sectors continuing to be eligible for 100% relief next year. The Intermediate Property Rate and Higher Property Rate have received inflationary increases (1.7%) however, this still ensures that over 95% of non-domestic properties continue to be liable for a lower property tax rate than anywhere else in the UK. On top of these measures, a new 40% relief will be introduced for Hospitality premises in 2025-26,

To support tourism, culture and hospitality we will continue to offer 100% relief in 2025-26 for hospitality businesses located on islands as defined by the Islands (Scotland) Act 2018, and in prescribed remote areas, capped at £110,000 per business. The new 40% relief for Hospitality premises includes Grassroots Music Venues with capacity up to 1,500, where the property is liable for the Basic Property Rate (rateable value up to and including £51,000) capped at £110,000 per business. The budget makes available up to an additional £2 million for VisitScotland, to work closely with partners to promote lesser-known destinations plus a £4 million capital revitalised Rural Tourism Infrastructure Fund (RTIF) to improve rural areas that face pressure on transport links and infrastructure.

For the retail sector we are providing up to £3 million to Police Scotland to work with the sector to target the unacceptable levels of crime on our high streets. Having committed to exploring the reintroduction of a Public Health Supplement for large retailers in advance of this budget, following exploratory discussions with stakeholders and taking into consideration cumulative burdens, including UK Government increases in employer national insurance contributions, there are no plans to introduce this at this time.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

The Scottish Government’s role is to set the strategic policy for the NHS in Scotland and provide core funding to NHS boards. NHS boards have responsibility for deciding how to use this core funding to deliver services locally based on the needs of the people in their area. Details on how funding has been used specifically for the assessment and treatment of chronic pain can be requested from NHS Boards.

Other than Brussels, Scottish Government international network offices outside the UK are based in the corresponding British Embassy or High Commission. Scottish Government staff in these locations regularly engage with their UK Government counterparts, sharing information to ensure opportunities for collaboration are maximised and to avoid any risk of duplication. All our offices prepare business plans setting out priorities and activity for the year. Where possible we seek to collaborate around key Scottish events in the diplomatic calendar including Burns Night and St Andrew’s Day. Similarly, our teams based in Scotland regularly engage with the FCDO’s devolution unit and with various operational teams and governance structures to ensure a good flow of information.

Proposed adjustments will enable a redeployment of some ScotRail staff to provide more and better assistance for passengers. Passenger assistance services will remain available across ScotRail as they are now and all ScotRail services are specified to convey a member of staff on-board to assist passengers.

ScotRail stations will continue to offer access to assets as they do at present. Facilities and toilets used by the public in most cases will remain open even when ticket office desks are shut. Additionally, help with ticket selection is now available at help points at stations. This help is available whenever the station is open, which is longer than current ticket offices opening times.

ScotRail does not impose penalty fares.

Developing a National Flood Advisory Service to improve Scotland’s flood resilience and embed best practice on a nationwide scale is one of the actions in Scotland’s first National Flood Resilience Strategy. The Service will provide support and advice on building flood resilience to delivery partners and communities and provide the governance framework for progressing high value flood actions such as flood protection schemes.

The implementation plan for the Strategy will focus on the six priority action areas, starting with the establishment of the Flood Advisory Service. That plan will be developed with partners over the coming months.

In addition to existing Scottish Government funding commitments to support Local Authorities with flood resilience, £15 million has been provided in the draft 2025-2026 Scottish Budget to support the delivery of the Strategy’s actions, wider flooding resilience and coastal adaptation work.