Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government has raised this issue with the UK Government’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) at both Ministerial and official level.

I recently wrote to the Foreign Secretary, welcoming the release of detainees and pressing the UK Government to seek reassurance from the Israeli Government regarding the safety and wellbeing of all UK nationals during their detention. I also urged the UK Government to make clear to the Israeli Government that the treatment evidenced is unacceptable, as well as raising concerns on the potential detention of those on the flotilla in international waters. Officials have been in regular contact with FCDO on this issue.

Ministers are at the early stages of taking forward the commitment to introduce a Rural Renewal Bill. Further details on stakeholder engagement will be available in due course.

Ministers are at the early stages of considering how to take forward the commitment to introduce a Rural Renewal Bill. Further details will be available in due course.

Please see the following data from both the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) and the Scottish Government’s Justice Analytical Service. Please note that The Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) (Scotland) Act 2021 came into force on 5 November 2021. The 2021 Act amends the offence under the 1953 Act, so all proceedings are still under the 1953 Act (as amended).

Data on charges under Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Scotland) Act 1953 or the amendment, reported to COPFS, prosecuted, and convicted are given in Table 1.

Table 1: Charges under:- Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1953 S1(1)&(6)-Worry livestock on a farm – attack, reported to COPFS, prosecuted, and convicted.

Financial Year Reported

Ministers are at the early stages of taking forward the commitment to introduce a Rural Renewal Bill. Further details on stakeholder engagement will be available in due course.

Ministers are at the early stages of taking forward the commitment to introduce a Rural Renewal Bill. Further details on stakeholder engagement will be available in due course.

The Scottish Government is committed to supporting the transition to electric vehicles (EVs) by ensuring that charging infrastructure is comprehensive, convenient, and accessible to all. I understand the importance of enabling those without access to off street parking to charge their vehicles conveniently, safely and cost-effectively.

The Road (Scotland) Act 1984 identifies that responsibility for private installations sits with local roads authorities. Under Section 109 of the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991, local authorities have the power to issue permits for the installation of private apparatus, such as cross-pavement charging. Decisions about permitting cross-pavement charging are therefore the responsibility of Scotland’s local authorities.

On 22 May, the Scottish Collaboration of Transport Specialists (SCOTS), a strategic collaborative body representing Scotland’s 32 local authorities and seven regional transport partnerships, published guidance on cross-pavement charging, following a consultation with Scotland’s roads authorities. This guidance addresses legal, safety, and accessibility issues and supports local authorities to make decisions on cross-pavement charging.

Through our Cross-Pavement Charging Grant Fund, this Government is providing up to £3,500 to households to support the installation of cross-pavement charging solutions for domestic properties that lack off-street parking, subject to local authority approval.

I can confirm that the Scottish Government has recently amended the Minimum Requirements for the Location of a Border Control Post through The Official Controls (Location of Border Control Posts) (Scotland) Regulations 2026.

This amendment came into force on 21 March 2026. This amendment allows goods to arrive at a point of entry and then transit to an appropriately designated Border Control Post (BCP), provided that both the point of entry and the BCP are located within the same Scottish Green Freeport zone or within the outer boundary of that Freeport.

The Scottish Government has supported the development of Men’s Sheds across Scotland for over a decade, recognising their important role in improving health, wellbeing and social connection. We have invested more than £1 million in the Scottish Men’s Sheds Association (SMSA) to support the growth and sustainability of the movement, which has helped expand the network from a small number of Sheds to over 200 groups across all 32 local authority areas, with new Sheds continuing to form.

As part of this overall investment, the SMSA received £72,264 from the Social Isolation and Loneliness Fund to support the development of Sheds in the Highland area.

The SMSA provides guidance, and advice on all governance and infrastructure matters to both new and existing Sheds. The SMSA also helps Sheds secure appropriate insurance, health and safety compliance, develop sustainable funding models, and access training, resources and peer support networks. In addition, it offers practical assistance to allow Sheds to operate effectively and remain viable over time.

Individual Sheds are however responsible for securing their own funding and, collectively, have received £452,819 through the Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for adults in the first four years of the Fund.

The Scottish Government has confirmed funding of £75,000 for financial year 2026-27 to the Scottish Men’s Sheds Association in Scotland.

The 2025-26 budget and Programme for Government set out current infrastructure investment commitments for acute sites, and this was reconfirmed in the Infrastructure Delivery Pipeline published on 13 January.

The financial position is expected to remain challenging and to ensure that available capital funding can be directed to best effect, we are currently working with all health boards to develop an NHS whole system infrastructure plan for Scotland. This will support continued safe and effective use of existing facilities as well as informing future investment priorities based on assessment of need across the whole of Scotland.

The first phase, Business Continuity Planning, is focussed on priority investment in the existing estate to support service continuity. Boards have already completed their risk-based assessments and received confirmation of items which can be progressed with additional funding from the Scottish Government.

The second phase is focussed on the longer-term development of the estate to meet national, regional and local needs. All health boards have been asked to undertake strategic needs assessments for three local investment priorities. Returns will then be considered on a whole of Scotland basis.

This approach aligns with the Scottish Government’s Health and Social Care Service Renewal Framework, which was published in June. You may also find DL(2025) 15 helpful, which provides further information on NHS whole system infrastructure planning (DL 2025-15).

In addition, NHS Boards have full delegated authority to allocate funding from within their annual capital allocation budget towards maintenance, equipment and other items of capital outlay. Any requests for capital funding outwith their annual capital allocation must follow the governance process and be approved by the appropriate Scottish Government official as outlined in the Annex to DL (2025) 15.