Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government is aware that administering authorities of the Scottish Local Government Pension Scheme do not currently report on the level of investment in Scotland. This is a complex matter, and officials are already engaging with the administering authorities about standardising reporting.

Inclusion of this indicator for voluntary use by local authority led Community Wealth Building (CWB) partnerships was agreed by parliament following scrutiny of the legislation by the lead Committee.

The Scottish Government is currently considering the future development of foundation apprenticeships within the wider context of work-based learning and qualifications reform. The Scottish Funding Council(SFC) will take on responsibility for securing and funding the delivery of foundation apprenticeships under current arrangements on 1 April 2027, ensuring continuity for learners. Any changes to commissioning arrangements will be considered with the SFC and partners taking into account the evidence and learning from the delivery of foundation apprenticeships to date.

The Scottish Government is determined to reduce avoidable cardiovascular deaths by a fifth over 20 years by ensuring people receive timely and high-quality care. Obesity medicines, such as semaglutide (Wegovy ®,) offer an effective treatment for obesity and cardiovascular disease, as part of a range of interventions for eligible patients, used alongside a reduced calorie diet and increased physical activity.

The Scottish Government published a national consensus statement in September 2024, to support Health Boards to consider how best to implement these obesity medicines. It is a matter for individual Health Boards to consider the implementation of any new medicine within their services in order to meet the needs of their local population in a safe and clinically appropriate way. This includes determining which criteria they apply in prescribing obesity medicines to individuals, and for taking appropriate phased steps to make them available across their services.

The Scottish Government regularly engages with obesity experts and stakeholders from NHS health boards through a range of forums to share learning and support access to these medicines for people living with obesity in Scotland. We are delivering additional programmes to support these people, including the digital Type 2 Diabetes remission programme, which will support up to 3000 patients to achieve remission by 2029 across Scotland.

As hybrid closed-loop (HCL) systems become embedded within routine diabetes care, funding for their ongoing provision, including £14.4 million for consumable costs, has been incorporated into NHS Board baseline allocations for 2026-27 as part of the wider £17.6 billion allocated to NHS Territorial Boards.

NHS Territorial Boards are responsible for planning and delivering services in line with national clinical guidance and local need. On 29 May, Ms Constance wrote to Boards making clear the expectation that funding transferred into baseline allocations should continue to support people with type 1 diabetes using closed-loop systems and seeking assurance that it is being used as intended.

To inform future decisions on access, the Scottish Government commissioned the Centre for Sustainable Delivery at NHS Golden Jubilee to examine options for further expansion of HCL systems. This work has been completed and is being considered as part of planning for the 2027-28 Budget.

There are currently no plans to establish national targets or timelines for further rollout.

An analysis report of the Consultation on Support for Part-Time Study and Disabled Students was published online on 12 March 2026 - https://www.gov.scot/publications/analysis-consultation-support-part-time-study-disabled-students/

The consultation provided valuable insights and identified clear areas where support is working well and is helping learners to study towards their goals. However it also highlighted that challenges and barriers remain for many learners in accessing the support they need.

The Scottish Government is considering the findings in more detail to understand the complexities of issues facing students and the sector. This includes the challenges felt by some Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) practitioners who wish to access the PTFG to study.

A progress update will issue in the Autumn.

This is an operational matter for Skills Development Scotland (SDS) as they administer Modern Apprenticeships on behalf of the Scottish Government.

The Scottish Government recognises the importance of attracting and supporting new entrants into the Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) workforce and ensuring clear progression pathways into employment and professional development.

We are working with Skills Development Scotland, training providers, local authorities and ELC sector representatives to promote careers in ELC and to strengthen workforce pathways. This includes supporting school-based vocational learning opportunities, Foundation and Modern Apprenticeships, and work-based learning that helps young people gain relevant experience and progress into employment.

The sector does not currently operate a single nationally mandated recruitment pathway. Rather, multiple routes exist to reflect the diverse nature of the workforce and differing employer needs.

The Scottish Government will continue to work with partners to consider how pathways into the sector can be further strengthened and better connected, helping to ensure that learners can progress from school-based learning and workplace experience into employment and subsequent qualification pathways that meet the workforce needs of the sector.

The ask and act homelessness prevention pilot programme, which awarded funding in November 2025 to fifteen consortia made up of a range of named relevant bodies across sectors including health and justice, runs until end December 2026. We have commissioned external research on the outcomes of the pilots, which will report in the summer next year. Advice Direct Scotland, the organisation that manages the pilots, publishes quarterly progress reports on its website: Advice Direct Scotland - User Portal - Quarterly Reports. The latest report, published on 1 September, notes that most pilots are now routinely embedding prevention approaches in their work.

In Scotland, Patient Access Schemes (PAS) offering discounts by pharmaceutical companies to list prices of medicines are considered by the Patient Access Scheme Advisory Group (PASAG) and are commercial-in-confidence. Therefore this information is not held centrally.

The Scottish Government published a national consensus statement in September 2024, to support Health Boards to consider how best to implement these weight loss medicines. It is a matter for individual Health Boards to consider the implementation of any new medicine within their services in order to meet the needs of their local population in a safe and clinically appropriate way. This includes determining which criteria they apply in prescribing obesity medicines to individuals, and for taking appropriate phased steps to make them available across their services.

The Scottish Government is today publishing the Health and Care Improving Flow Plan 2026-2031, delivering our commitment to publish a National Flow Plan within the first 100 days of this administration.

The Plan sets out our ambition for one connected system, simple routes to care, ensuring every person receives the most appropriate response as quickly as possible. It outlines action to improve navigation into care, expand home and community-based services, strengthen discharge arrangements, improve acute hospital flow, and tackle overcrowding and corridor care.

The Plan has been developed jointly with Scotland East and Scotland West Sub-National Planning Committees and informed through engagement with NHS Boards, Health and Social Care Partnerships, clinicians, national agencies, care providers and other partners. Detailed operational implementation arrangements an collaboration with partners will continue to be developed following publication.

The Plan can be accessed here: Health and Care Improving Flow Plan 2026-2031.

Through delivery of this Plan we will improve access to care, support more care closer to home, reduce delays and improve outcomes for people across Scotland.