Chamber and committees

Microsoft 365 Copilot licences are purchased through the Scottish Government’s existing Microsoft Enterprise Agreement for use across the SCOTS Connect service, covering Scottish Government Core and Non-Core shared service customers. Expenditure on Microsoft Copilot products purchased during 2026-27 to date is £998,571, including VAT.

This figure does not include AI products and services purchased separately by individual Scottish Government business areas. This expenditure is not recorded centrally and a comprehensive figure is therefore not available.

Information on costs incurred directly by individual non-departmental public bodies outside the SCOTS Connect arrangements is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.

The Scottish Government worked in collaboration with World Horse Welfare and the British Horse Society to draft the new guidance on the welfare of equids. Due consideration was given to section 16 of the Farriers (Registration) Act 1975 during the drafting of the hoof care section, which is why this part of the guidance makes clear that owners and keepers should only use registered farriers or appropriately qualified and insured individuals to perform hoof care procedures.

Policy officials meet regularly with their UK counterparts and we expect to receive the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) report and its recommendations at the end of the year.

The ACMD published a letter to the Home Secretary on 21 September 2026, which updates on its work programme and can be found on the gov.uk website.

Health boards are responsible for the operational management of walk-in services. The Scottish Government has made available up to £4.8 million to NHS Grampian to support the delivery and development of GP-led walk-in services in 2026-27. Whilst NHS Grampian have confirmed an initial phased opening of walk-in centres in Elgin and Inverurie in November to ensure patient safety and to allow for further recruitment of staff, I am clear I expect the service to be further rolled out to 7 days a week. Scottish Government officials are discussing how the service will be developed with NHS Grampian.

The information requested on the amount spent by NHS boards on agency locum anaesthetists in each of the last five years is not held centrally.

However, data on overall medical locum expenditure is published annually and can be accessed here. As part of ongoing efforts to reduce reliance on medical agency staffing, medical agency expenditure decreased by 4.4% over the past year.

The investigation of crime is an operational matter for Police Scotland, who are operationally independent of the Scottish Government. The Scottish Government does not hold information about the number of Police Scotland investigations into alleged criminal offences relating to the recruitment or control of people for the purpose of sexual exploitation committed using social medial platforms or messaging applications.

Regarding the question of whether existing legislation is sufficient to address such activity, I refer the member to the answer to PQ S7W-04486 on 3 November 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.

An Executive Agency of the Scottish Government (SG), The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) has the responsibility for the development and implementation of strategies and policies to support those in their care.

SPS continue to work closely with NHS Prison Healthcare teams to address the diverse health and social care needs of all those in custody, including participation in an SG led multi-partner strategic group to review and amend the delivery of health and social care in prisons.

Although in the early stages, SPS and NHS are now considering a formalised approach to support the wider needs of older adults in custody, in particular those considered frail and those with long term health conditions in Scottish Prisons.

I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-04225 on 3 November 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.

At present, there is no national inhaler recycling scheme in Scotland. However, the Scottish Government is exploring options for running an inhaler return scheme.

'Serving Scotland: our five-year plan’ sets out plans for the Scottish Government to become a smaller, more focused organisation and to continue to build the civil service Scotland needs. The Scottish Government is committed to engaging staff as the commitments in the plan are developed and implemented, including working in partnership with trade unions and providing opportunities for staff to contribute ideas and feedback.

There are currently no plans for a specific public consultation on the proposals in the plan.