Chamber and committees

VisitScotland’s system does not allow point in time reporting required to share location-specific information for staff for each December since 2018.

VisitScotland’s staff numbers at the end of each financial year are reported in its annual accounts as follows:

The information requested is not held centrally by Scottish Government the member may wish to contact health boards directly for further information on waiting times for echocardiograms locally.

The following table captures current roles and locations and indicates whether the role has been in place since 2018:

• Highlands and Islands includes the following local authorities: Highland, Orkney Islands, Shetland Islands and Western Isles (aka Outer Hebrides / Eilean Siar).
• Average spend figures are shown in pounds. These figures are nominal and have not been adjusted for inflation.
• There is a break in the time series in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID19 pandemic so there is no data available for these years.
• The source for domestic overnight figures is the Great Britain Tourism Survey.
• The source for international figures is the International Passenger Survey.

The following table captures current roles and locations and indicates whether the role has been in place since 2018:

In accordance with the Scottish Ministerial Code paragraph 6.42, Ministers should use Government systems for all Government business. Any communication on Government business engages Ministers’ obligations to ensure accurate public records are kept.

The Scottish Government policy on use of mobile messaging apps can only be enforced using technical means on corporate devices connected to the Scottish Government.

There were no prosecutions under the Freshwater Fish Conservative (Prohibition on Fishing for Eels) (Scotland) Regulations 2008, where main crime, between 2021-22 and 2022-23.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that individuals impacted by Huntington’s disease, including those in the NHS Highland area, can access the mental health support they need.

This includes access to community mental health teams and psychiatry by referral through their GP or a Huntington’s specialist. Clinical leads and Huntington’s disease specialists, supported by the Scottish Huntington’s Association network, coordinate physical and mental health care and provide clear pathways to mental health services, including psychiatry.

We have published Core Mental Health Quality Standards which aim to ensure equitable access to mental health services, through clear referral processes, reduced barriers, and prioritisation of those most in need, which could include those with Huntington’s.

(a) It was never envisaged that the Verity House Agreement principles themselves would be introduced in legislation. However, much of the language used in the Verity House Agreement was heavily drawn upon from the European Charter of Local Self-Government. The Scottish Government remains fully committed to supporting Mark Ruskell MSP to progress his Member’s Bill to incorporate the Charter into domestic law as soon as practical.

(b) A commitment was made within the Verity House Agreement to jointly considered the first year of implementation, not to complete annual reviews. This was fulfilled through the stocktake report published on the 21 November 2024. We are in the process of creating Accountability and Assurance arrangements and a monitoring framework and have committed to regular engagement with COSLA. These will ensure the delivery of our joint priorities and that VHA principles are being adhered to.

The purpose of having bees at the Parliament is not to produce honey but to partially demonstrate our compliance with the biodiversity duty under the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004 which places a statutory duty on all public sector bodies in Scotland to further the conservation of biodiversity. The honey is a by-product from having bees and is sold at a profit minus any costs for bottling and labelling.