Chamber and committees

We have allocated funding to all territorial NHS boards in the Highlands and Islands region as part of the recurring £4.5 million investment to support the development of specialist support for people with long COVID, myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME)/chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and other similar conditions.

While the Scottish Government is responsible for setting the strategic policy for the NHS in Scotland, local NHS boards exercise responsibilities in relation to the planning, commissioning and delivery of healthcare services, and take overall responsibility for the health and wellbeing of the populations they serve.

As outlined in correspondence to the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee on 1 October, NHS Highland, NHS Orkney, NHS Shetland and NHS Western Isles have indicated their aspiration to pool resources and collaborate to deliver elements of the support. We understand these boards are engaging with each other in order to scope options for delivery and formalise any necessary partnership agreements.

We will continue to engage with boards to support the allocation of funding and identify any further central support required.

Through Scotland’s Rare Disease Action Plan, we are taking forward actions to improve support for people with Ehlers-Danlos syndromes (EDS) and related conditions, including hypermobility spectrum disorders (HSD). This includes work to support earlier diagnosis, increase awareness among healthcare professionals, and improve coordination of care and access to services. The Rare Disease Action Plan Progress Report, published on 27 February 2026, provides an update on progress to date.

While the Scottish Government sets the strategic policy direction for the NHS in Scotland, the delivery of healthcare services is the responsibility of local NHS Health Boards, in line with national guidance and population needs.

(a) As noted in our 100-day commitment, we will launch a public consultation on a display ban of vapes and nicotine pouches as part of our on-going implementation of the 2026 Tobacco and Vapes Act (the Act). We also continue to work with the 4-nations on policies concerning restrictions on the packaging and device appearance of vapes using powers in the Act. Decisions on further legislative restrictions on displays, packaging and device appearance of vapes will be dependent on the outcome of consultations. As a result of the Act a free distribution and nominal pricing offence comes into force for vaping products on 29 October 2026 and from 1 June 2027 a comprehensive ban on advertising vapes will come into force.

(b) There are currently no plans to introduce regulations regarding the storage of lithium-ion batteries. However, the storage of lithium-ion batteries, which are used in a range of products, should be informed by a fire risk assessment carried out by a competent fire risk assessor. Fire risk assessments are already a legal requirement for duty holders of all relevant (non-domestic) premises.

Work is currently underway to evaluate the long-term effects of removing peak fares for good and the Scottish Government expects to be able to share initial findings later this year, allowing time to take account of seasonal variations in travel patterns and atypical events such as adverse weather events, impact of the fire incident at Glasgow Union Street or major planned events like the Commonwealth Games.

The removal of ScotRail peak fares for good is currently saving money for hundreds of thousands of people in Scotland, who travel by rail. For example, passengers in the Member’s constituency travelling from Baillieston to Glasgow save £2.60 (36%) and from Shettleston to Glasgow save £2.30 (43%) each time they purchase a return ticket to travel during the busiest commuting times, when compared with previous Anytime Day Return prices.