Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government is carefully considering the findings and recommendations of the Thirlwall Inquiry.

Recommendation 11 refers to the role of Medical Examiners and the guidance on Sudden Unexpected Death In Infancy and Childhood. Our systems in Scotland differ from those in England in relation to investigation of deaths through the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal service, the guidance on investigation Sudden Unexpected Deaths in Infancy and safeguarding process.

The Scottish Government will consider whether any changes to existing arrangements are required in light of the inquiry's recommendations, including how potential harm and safeguarding concerns are identified and escalated following neonatal deaths. This will be considered alongside existing review processes and wider work to strengthen learning and patient safety across maternity and neonatal services.

Any such assessment would be a matter for the Highland Council as the relevant planning authority that designated the control area.

The Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service, Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and Police Scotland have operational independence to deliver their public service duties in an inclusive and accessible way. A partnership approach is taken to agreeing and delivering a shared Justice vision through the Justice Board and this board has made clear its priorities which include a focus on designing and delivering a trauma-informed justice system that takes account of the needs of all of those who are engaged with it, whether in criminal or civil proceedings and whether they are accused, defenders, witnesses or pursuers.

In 2025, the Scottish Government consulted on strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs), calling for evidence on the prevalence of SLAPPs in Scotland and seeking views on a draft Model Law prepared by interested stakeholders. This included evidence from journalists and news organisations, legal academics and community campaigners. The Scottish Government is progressing work on the Model Law, including working with a number of stakeholders, and is committed to bringing forward reform to identify and prevent SLAPPS in this Parliamentary term.

The Scottish Government produces a wide range of Official Statistics on domestic abuse in Scotland.

At the broadest level the Scottish Crime and Justice Survey estimates the proportion of adults living in Scotland who have experienced partner abuse, split into male and female victims and whether the latest incident of abuse was reported to the police. The survey has been revamped to include new questions on partner abuse, reflecting the latest legislation and public concern. The first results for these new questions, covering 2023-24 and 2024-25 combined, will be published next year.

Where domestic abuse comes to the attention of police, information is available in the recorded domestic abuse incidents statistics (Domestic abuse: statistics recorded by the police in Scotland, 2024-25 - gov.scot). Further details are provided in the recorded crime official statistics (for crimes recorded under the Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2018 (Recorded Crime in Scotland, 2025-26 - gov.scot – see Table 2A), as well as the homicide statistics for cases involving partners or ex-partners (Homicide in Scotland 2025-26 see Table 8 for relationship between victim and accused). For each of these three products data is available split by male and female victims, and for the Fife council area (either through existing publications or on request). In line with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics, each publication invites feedback on people’s use of our statistics and any suggestions for improvement.

The 2026-31 Programme for Government sets out the strategic direction and ambitions of the Scottish Government over the five years of this Parliamentary session. It outlines 11 ambitions the government will drive forward to eradicate child poverty, grow the economy, tackle climate change and improve public services.

The Scottish Government is committed to bringing forward reform to identify and prevent SLAPPS in this Parliamentary term.

A significant rise in recorded shoplifting, driven by the cost of living, is seen throughout the United Kingdom. As Police Scotland takes steps to make reporting of retail crime easier, it is likely that the number of recorded incidents in Scotland will continue to rise.

The Scottish Government's Programme for Government commits to provide £10 million over the next three years to tackle retail crime through Police Scotland’s Retail Crime Taskforce. An additional £3 million has been provided to Police Scotland in 2026-27 to support this work, which helps to target repeat offenders and to drive enforcement in the most affected areas.

The 2027-28 draft Scottish Budget will be presented to Parliament on Thursday 3 December 2026.

Support for families and unpaid carers of people living with alcohol-related brain damage (ARBD) is available through Scotland's carers' support framework, including local carers' services, advocacy and guardianship arrangements, alcohol and drug family support services and, where available, specialist ARBD services. Families and carers also have an important role in assessment, care planning and rehabilitation.

The Scottish Government recognises the significant impact that ARBD can have on individuals, families and carers. National reviews have highlighted variation in the availability of specialist ARBD services across Scotland and identified opportunities to strengthen support pathways. The Scottish Government continues to work with health, social care and third-sector partners to improve outcomes for people affected by ARBD and those who provide care and support to them

The Scottish Government does not hold information on whether every neonatal unit in Scotland has a designated member of staff responsible for reviewing neonatal mortality and other safety data and reporting concerns to NHS board level.

NHS boards are responsible for the governance and oversight of their neonatal services, including arrangements for monitoring mortality, reviewing adverse events and escalating patient safety concerns.

All neonatal units in Scotland contribute data to the MBRRACE-UK perinatal mortality surveillance programme, and each Board gets a bespoke report on the findings of the surveillance programme in their Board.

The Scottish Government is considering the recommendations of the Thirlwall Inquiry. Any implications for neonatal services in Scotland will be considered through the Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce.

Before making a decision on a planning application, it is for the planning authority to interpret and implement all relevant planning legislation, policies and guidance as it deems appropriate, given the circumstances in each case, and to ensure that the provisions of the planning system are applied properly.

We do not anticipate any applications will be determined by planning authorities before our planning guidance on data centres is issued later this year. Through the notification direction we issued during the summer we are actively monitoring live applications and their intended timescales for determination.