Chamber and committees

I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-00484 on 8 June 2026. 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 remains open to considering well-developed proposals for additional Safer Drug Consumption Facilities where there is evidence of local need and support from relevant partners.

Any proposals for further facilities during this parliamentary session would need to come from local areas and demonstrate engagement with the Scottish Government, Police Scotland and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, with continued engagement as proposals develop.

The Scottish Government is delivering the strongest package of winter support in the UK.

Winter Heating Payment replaced the UK Government's Cold Weather Payment in February 2023. The payment is made automatically and provides stable and reliable support to help low-income households with winter heating costs, regardless of the temperature.

Official statistics published on 19 May 2026 shows that as of 31 March 2026, over 472,000 Winter Heating Payments were made to eligible clients, with the vast majority paid automatically in December 2025. The information requested for April 2026 is not yet published.

Further details are available on Social Security Scotland’s website at: Winter Heating Benefit Statistics.

I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-00472 on 8 June 2026. 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.

NHS Grampian has confirmed that arrangements are in place to support access to prescribed medication, including controlled drugs, within its current service model. Individuals are clinically assessed on entry to custody and prescribed medication is provided where clinically indicated, with processes in place to verify community prescriptions.

Arrangements are in place to provide opioid replacement therapy where required. However, at present, this is delivered from the Kittybrewster custody suite, with detainees transferred from other custody locations where necessary to ensure continuity of treatment. NHS Grampian has advised that it is continuing to work with partners to expand provision across all custody settings, including through the development of pharmacy, delivery and remote prescribing arrangements.

The delivery of healthcare services in police custody remains an operational responsibility for NHS boards. The Scottish Government will continue to support further improvement and consistent, timely access to prescribed medication.’

The Scottish Government’s role is to provide strategic leadership for NHS Scotland to ensure a sustainable NHS workforce. Operational matters relating to staffing and the provision of specialist services, such as immunology and allergy services, are the responsibility of individual NHS Boards and will depend on service needs, taking account of national, regional and local priorities.

Boards are required to ensure that suitably qualified and competent staff are available in appropriate numbers to support safe, high-quality care and staff wellbeing, in line with the requirements of the Health and Care (Staffing) (Scotland) Act 2019.

To support them in this regard and in pursuance of our own legal duties under the Act, we keep under regular review NHS Scotland's requirement for immunologists through annual reviews of the number of specialty training places needed to meet anticipated future service demand and consultant need across all specialties.

Figures on violence and aggression towards NHSScotland staff are not collected nationally. This is a matter for NHSScotland boards. All crimes, and instances of violent behaviour, should be reported to Police Scotland.

The Scottish Government does not hold information on any attacks that are reported to the police. The data provided by Police Scotland for the production of the recorded crime statistics does not specifically identify where the victim was a member of NHS staff.

We are committed to strengthening the Adults with Incapacity system in Scotland, including Powers of Attorney, with a specific focus on enhancing the rights and protections of people affected by incapacity law.

We are working with an Expert Working Group to develop proposals for reform, with an Adults with Incapacity Amendment Bill expected to be introduced during the current parliamentary session.

In our manifesto we committed to implementing the stepped care approach to support for adults with neurodevelopmental conditions such as autism and ADHD, as proposed by the Royal College of Psychiatrists. This will expand support to meet people’s needs, whether or not they have a diagnosis, and make accessing support easier by shifting care to community services.

Within the first 100 days of this Parliament, we will meet with stakeholders to agree a route map and timeline for implementation.

Scotland is rolling out MyCare.scot, part of the wider Digital Front Door Programme, which provides a unified, person-centred entry point to both health and social care, rather than focusing solely on NHS services– so this is not an ‘NHS app’. It was made available nationally in April 2026. Functionality will be introduced incrementally through to 2030 and beyond. MyCare.scot is accessed via a web browser; a downloadable app for it will be made available from early summer.