Organisational hierarchies are in operation for performance management, pay and finance purposes. Since October 2024 when the Scottish Government’s new HR and Finance system, Oracle Cloud, went live, the practice of Position Management is being utilised within the organisation. This is a common practice in large public and private sector organisations and means all employees operate within an overarching hierarchy, thus their reporting line follows this hierarchy.

A Professions Strategy is in operation within Scottish Government. This enhances workforce management by adopting a classification system that links all jobs to a profession and a related job family and job type, within the Positions hierarchy. Although there are occasional instances in system reporting when a small number of people may appear not to have a reporting line on a system report, in practice they will be managed in line with Scottish Government’s line management practices.

I have yet to meet with Rail Action Group, East of Scotland, who have recently shown particular interest in transport connectivity in and around Haddington.

We are using every lever at our disposal to create well paid, skilled jobs here in Scotland. Our Programme for Government 2025-26 sets out what we are doing to deliver certainty and stability and make it easier to do business. This includes no further divergence from the UK on Income Tax for the remainder of this Parliament. The latest data shows more taxpayers have been coming to Scotland than leaving since devolution of Scottish Income Tax. Other taxes that may impact private sector job creation, such as Corporation Tax and Employer’s National Insurance Contributions, remain fully reserved to the UK Government.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-40008 on 8 September 2025. 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.

I refer the Member to the answer to question S6W-40018 on 8 September 2025, which outlines work that the Scottish Government is doing with all Health Boards, including NHS Lanarkshire. 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 continues to support the development of our ports including the potential for new direct freight and passenger ferry services linking Scotland to Europe.

I have personally engaged with the UK Government and prospective ferry service promoters; Transport Scotland officials continue to liaise with Forth Ports and other interested parties on the issue. However, no detailed discussions have taken place on specific port infrastructure requirements and costs which are primarily matters for Forth Ports and potential service providers.

The Scottish Government and its agencies have supported a number of maritime initiatives across Scotland, including the establishment of a Green Freeport at Forth Ports, which includes the Port of Rosyth. This involves both seed capital funding, along with businesses locating within the ports being able to access a package of devolved and reserved tax incentives.

We will continue to work with potential service providers and Scotland’s main ports to explore opportunities for new commercial ferry services, so that Scottish exporters and passengers have more direct routes to and from Europe. However, the Scottish Government cannot subsidise routes in ways which would be anti-competitive beyond considering the availability of limited start-up grant funding opportunities for freight initiatives.

The Scottish Growth Scheme (SGS) was established in December 2018 and operational during financial year 2019-20, being set-up to provide early-stage equity and debt to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) across Scotland. To date, the Scottish Government has committed £97 million to the SGS, which is deployed via five commercial fund managers.

Scottish Government has invested the following totals across SGS fund managers:

• 2023-24 - £14.3 million
• 2024-25 - £5.9 million
• 2025-26 – anticipated to total £9.2 million

In summer 2024, at the end of the initial capitalisation period of the SGS, a decision was taken not recapitalise four of the five SGS fund managers. This decision was taken due to the presence of similar public investment offerings and recapitalisation of the SGS could be seen as duplicative which would not be an efficient use of public funds. It should be stated that this decision was taken at the end of the capitalisation period and all fund managers not recapitalised will continue to manage the existing investment portfolio until 2029, as originally agreed.

In closing the fund manager who was recapitalised offered a point of separation from other public sector supported investment offerings, focusing on supporting innovative globally ambitious Scottish companies access key growth equity investment from international markets. This fund manager will continue to manage their initial portfolio to completion until March 2029 but have also been recapitalised and are therefore able to make new investments into companies which align with their investment strategy.

Public Health Scotland publish Official Statistics on the number of people (aged 18 or over) experiencing a delayed discharge from hospital, including the number of people delayed at the monthly census point broken down by primary reason for delay. The latest published statistics show that on 31 July 2025, 453 people were delayed primarily due to awaiting residential place availability; a further 61 people were delayed awaiting place availability in a specialist residential facility where the facility is not currently available and no interim option is appropriate; and a further 54 people were recorded as delayed primarily due to non-availability of statutory funding for a care home place. These reasons accounted for 29% of all people delayed in hospital on 31 July.

Some people whose discharge is delayed primarily for other reasons at the census point (for example, a portion of delays awaiting a social care assessment, or delays relating to Adults With Incapacity legislation) may also require residential placements.

Management Information on the number of available care home beds is collected directly from care homes through the TURAS Care Management system. This provides an indication of care home capacity, including the number of available beds. However, there is no satisfactory source of information on the overall demand for care home places (other than by people experiencing a delayed discharge), and this prevents a full analysis of the shortage of available care home places relative to total demand.

Scottish Government officials regularly review the number of delayed discharges relating to residential place availability, in relation to the number of available care home beds. This information is regularly shared with ministers and has been periodically discussed with the Collaborative Response and Assurance Group.

Social Security Scotland does not currently publish statistics on spending per capita. Expenditure for each individual benefit is included in its Official Statistics publications available on the Social Security Scotland website.

The Scottish Government acknowledges that work is needed to improve the quality of data on neurodevelopmental support and services, including a better understanding of current levels of need and the level of support people currently receive.

We are working with Health Boards and local authorities to improve our understanding of available data, and how this could be used to support improvements for adults, children and families.