Chamber and committees

I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-03716 on 26 October 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.

The Scottish Government’s recognises that food insecurity is driven by insufficient and insecure household income. No one should have to compromise on food or other essentials and people should have sufficient money to access these with dignity and choice. That is why, in 2026-27 we will allocate over £1.7 million to continue to tackle food insecurity and poverty and strengthen incomes by taking a cash-first approach.

The Good Food Nation (Scotland) Act provides an over-arching framework for clear, consistent and coherent future Scottish food policy. The principles include stating that adequate food is a human right as part of the right to an adequate standard of living and essential to the realisation of other human rights.

We recognise the findings of the Scottish Human Rights Commission's report regarding the challenges that can be experienced by some people living in rural communities, including older people.

The Scottish Government funds Food Train which helps older people across Scotland stay healthy, independent, and well-nourished. Food Train's work improves health outcomes, reduces inequalities, and enables older people to live well for longer in their own communities.

To ensure we can support older people to maximise their incomes, tackle problem debt and contribute to reducing poverty, we have provided funding to Age Scotland this year (2026-27) to support their Advice Helpline. This service provides vital income maximisation support to older people across Scotland.

We are also working closely with our key partners through the Older People’s Strategic Forum on a range of issues related to age equality and older people. Through OPSAF we are currently developing work, reflecting the most up-to-date thinking and evidence, to ensure older people’s rights and priorities are embedded in our policy and decision making.

The Scottish Government recognises that thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency is a significant risk factor in the development of alcohol-related brain damage (ARBD). Through our wider work to reduce alcohol-related harm, we support the provision of clinical guidance and educational resources to help healthcare professionals identify and treat people at risk of thiamine deficiency and ARBD. Health and Social Care Partnerships are responsible for ensuring appropriate assessment, treatment and access to thiamine supplementation in line with clinical guidance.

As part of our wider commitment in the Preventing Harm, Promoting Recovery: Scotland’s Alcohol and Drugs Strategic Plan produced with COSLA in March 2026 will continue to work with Partnerships, clinicians and public health partners to promote early intervention for alcohol-related harm and to improve awareness of the risks associated with thiamine deficiency among those most at risk of developing ARBD

Through ongoing engagement with Museums Galleries Scotland (MGS), Scotland's national development body for museums and galleries, the Scottish Government is aware of the challenges facing the sector in retaining specialist roles.

The Scottish Government provides MGS with an annual grant of £8.2 million, including £1.6 million of capital funding and £4 million to deliver the Museum Futures Programme. Through this investment, MGS provides vital support to museums across Scotland, this includes leadership development programmes, apprenticeships, skills development and employability initiatives, helping to build workforce capacity.

In addition, National Museums Scotland provides specialist training and expert advice in areas including collections care, conservation, documentation and digitisation, helping to sustain and develop specialist museum skills across Scotland.

Through the Programme for Government, the Scottish Government has committed to publish a strategic approach to attracting and securing responsible green data centre investment in Scotland, with clear expectations around environmental sustainability, resource use, community benefit and the economic and strategic value these developments should deliver.

We have also committed to publishing planning guidance on data centres before Christmas. In preparing the planning guidance, we will seek targeted input from planning authorities, key agencies and relevant experts from within the scientific community to ensure the guidance is informed by the best available evidence and expertise. There are existing mechanisms within the planning system which provide opportunities for communities and the public to influence decisions about future development proposals, and the guidance will help support that.

The responsibility for dealing with pest control lies with Local Authority Environment Health Departments. Local authorities are separate entities from the Scottish Government and as long as they act lawfully, it is up to each local authority to manage its day-to-day business, including pest control.

Under Section 2 of the Prevention of Damage by Pests Act 1949, local authorities in Scotland are obliged to take such steps as necessary to ensure that, as far as practicable, their local area is kept free from rats and other vermin.

The Scottish Government recognises the importance of ensuring local authorities have the resources required to deliver essential services and support communities across Scotland and that is why the Scottish Budget 2026-27 delivered record funding of almost £15.7 billion.

The cost of vaccination across the south of Scotland alone was estimated to be in the region of £7m. Assuming that government may be able to negotiate a reduced cost with the vaccine manufacturers to cover the whole of Scotland the cost is likely to be in excess of £20m and vaccination would need to be repeated annually.

The Building Safety Levy contains a range of protections for housebuilding on remote, rural and island communities.

These protections include a 29-unit levy free allowance will protect smaller developers from costs associated with the Levy, removing an estimated 85% of developers from scope. As smaller housing developments are more common in rural and island areas, including parts of the Highlands and Islands, the levy-free allowance will have a greater impact in these areas, with up to 89% of new homes in remote small towns and remote rural areas being exempt.

Recognising the additional constraints faced by island communities, including more limited contractor availability and greater reliance on shipping-dependent supply chains, the levy includes an exemption for homes built on islands. In addition, this exemption will be extended to three exceptionally remote mainland communities, Cape Wrath, Knoydart and Scoraig, which are only accessible by boat.

The Scottish Government has considered extending the islands exemption to other rural areas and engaged with stakeholders including local authorities, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, South of Scotland Enterprise, and Scottish Land and Estates.

While recognising that many challenges affecting island developments can also apply in rural mainland areas, The Scottish Government also noted concerns raised by stakeholders regarding how a rural exemption could be defined and applied consistently. In response, the Scottish Government intends to mitigate any potential impacts from the Levy in rural areas through the 29-unit levy free allowance.

The Scottish Government has not specifically assessed the adequacy of specialist training on alcohol-related brain damage for professionals.

The latest edition of the Mental Welfare Commission’s Alcohol-related brain damage: Good practice guide published in 2026 sets out guidance on assessments and interventions. The Scottish Government published its Drugs and Alcohol Workforce Knowledge and Skills Framework in 2025 which defines key competencies. Section 20 of the Clinical guidelines for alcohol treatment also published in 2025 sets out the assessment and treatment options for which relevant workforces would require training. The Scottish Government expects the professional workforce to be acting in accordance with the Good practice guide, the Framework and Guidelines to increase clinical expertise and to improve diagnosis rates across Scotland.