Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government recognises that reform of the legal aid system is needed, which is why we have committed to launching a consultation on a Legal Aid Reform Bill within our first 100 days.

Work continues at pace, including engagement with key stakeholders and consideration of options for reform.

The consultation will explore how the system could be more responsive and user-centred, while ensuring transparency and accountability in the use of publicly funded legal assistance.

We will carefully consider the responses to ensure we deliver an adaptable, flexible, affordable and sustainable legal aid system in Scotland that supports people who are facing challenging issues and problems.

That process will shape the content of the Bill and inform when it can be introduced to Parliament.

Information on how much money the Water Industry Commission for Scotland (WICS) has spent on employment settlement agreements (taken to mean a contract entered into by employer and employee to resolve an employment dispute); associated legal advice; and settlements in relation to employment tribunals (which account for employment dispute costs) in each of the four financial years since 2022-23 can be found at the following link: FOI - Legal Counsel and Settlements | WICS

For financial year 2021-22, there were no employee settlement agreements paid by WICS. Information on costs relating to employment disputes and associated legal advice are not held centrally.

Procurement is underway for a national artificial intelligence solution to support rapid identification of patients who would benefit from a thrombectomy procedure. A further update will be provided following the conclusion of the procurement process.

The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government. In 2026-27 we have added £14.4 million to the record £17.6 billion of core funding to Health Boards to ensure that the ongoing costs of consumables for people currently using closed loop systems continue to be met.

The Cabinet Secretary for Health and Care wrote to Board Chief Executives on 29 May 2026 stating her expectation that this funding is spent on closed loop system consumables as intended and asking them to confirm the steps being taken in their Boards to ensure this happens.

The Scottish Government fully recognises the pain and distress experienced by people impacted by Mr Eljamel’s practice. That is why we established the statutory public inquiry into the actions of Mr Eljamel and NHS Tayside to ensure patients obtain answers to their questions and that lessons are learned.

The Scottish Government has awarded a contract for trauma-informed support for individuals involved in the public inquiry, recognising that for some individuals the process of participating in the Inquiry could cause distress. The award of this contract was published on the Public Contracts Scotland portal in line with Scottish Government policy. Please refer to the link View Notice - Public Contracts Scotland.

The Eljamel Inquiry has also established a dedicated Support Hub to provide information and assistance to individuals affected by, or participating in, the Inquiry. This includes former patients, family members, witnesses, and others who may engage with its work. The Inquiry recognises that many individuals have experienced trauma and is therefore committed to conducting its work in a trauma-informed manner, with the aim of minimising the risk of further distress.

The Support Hub outlines a range of assistance available to those involved. This includes emotional support, including during hearings; participant support for those directly engaging with the Inquiry process; legal support; assistance related to participation in the Independent Clinical Review; and signposting to external organisations offering additional support services.

Furthermore, the Independent Case Note Review (ICR) team also provides dedicated support for former patients and their families. While this service does not directly relate to the operational matters concerning delayed hearings, it represents an additional avenue through which individuals can seek assistance. Through emailing the mailbox, individuals are able to submit requests for support, which are then directed to the appropriate team best placed to provide help. For ease of reference, a link to this information is provided below.

Eljamel Independent Clinical Review: December 2025 update - gov.scot.

The Scottish government acknowledges the important role that artificial intelligence can play in supporting the diagnosis and management of stroke and the procurement of the national solution reflects the intention to include the use of artificial intelligence in the stroke pathway.

The Scottish Government fully recognises the pain and distress experienced by people impacted by Mr Eljamel’s practice. That is why we established the statutory public inquiry into the actions of Mr Eljamel and NHS Tayside to ensure patients obtain answers to their questions and that lessons are learned. The First Minister and former Cabinet Secretary for Health have met on several occasions with affected individuals and have been clear that the Scottish Government will continue to do all we can to ensure they get the answers they are seeking.

The work of the Inquiry is continuing. The Scottish Government accepted that the decision to postpone the hearings scheduled in April and May was one for the Chair, Lord Weir. The work with core participants continues to enable progress to be made on the Inquiry.

It is important that this process takes place, allowing core participants and members of the Inquiry to come together to fully address the issues.

Most recently, Scottish Government officials met with Lord Weir, on 16 April 2026 to discuss various operational matters including those relating to Waverley Gate. Following that meeting, regular action reporting was established, with officials providing weekly updates to the Inquiry, via the Inquiry Secretariat, on progress against actions relating to the hearing suite and impact on the inquiry timeline.

The Inquiry Chair held a virtual Procedural Hearing on 14 May 2026, during which Lord Weir and Counsel to the Inquiry, further examined issues relating to Waverley Gate as well as updating Core Participants on the Inquiry plans for the next scheduled hearings in September 2026. At that hearing, the Scottish Government committed to continue to provide detailed updates on progressing the resolution to the Waverley Gate building issues.

The Scottish Government has since then continued to progress actions arising from that hearing with urgency and have provided the most recent update to the Inquiry Chair which will allow him to consider options to ensure there is no further delay to the Inquiry hearing schedule.

I recognise the significant pressures facing our Emergency Departments. The challenges we see in A&E are due to blockages across the whole-system, including high hospital occupancy, delays in discharge and increasing patient complexity.

This may result in patients waiting longer than we would wish, however we are clear every Health Boards focus on delivery of the A&E target through collaboration and efficiency.

That is why, this government will act immediately to drive improvements on A&E performance and reduce delays for patients, where we are working closely with Health Boards to ensure they have the support in place to cope with peaks in demand.

Building on the improvements made through the NHS Scotland Operational Improvement Plan (OIP), this government will publish a plan to improving flow within the first 100 days of parliament where our approach will be to take early actions focus on improving access to care, reducing waiting times and easing pressure on hospitals, particularly through strengthening primary and community care.

Scotland’s food system is resilient but faces growing risks from global and domestic shocks. While Scotland benefits from diverse supply chains and strong domestic production, recent events in the Middle East have highlighted vulnerabilities to disruption.

Food resilience is a shared responsibility, and collaboration is essential. The Scottish Government monitors food security, including fertiliser, fuel and food supply, working with industry through our Food Sector Resilience Group to share intelligence, identify risks and support coordinated responses.

These arrangements are underpinned by established resilience structures, including the Scottish Government Resilience Room, which can be adapted to respond to specific disruptions, including those affecting food supply. In addition, we liaise with Local and Regional Resilience Partnerships to plan, prepare for and respond to emergencies in ways that reflect Scotland’s unique geography and supply chain challenges.

As the member will be aware, the Rail Enforcement Powers Working Group published its final report and recommendations on 11 February 2026. This contained an output which recommended that the Scottish Government explore whether primary or secondary legislation can be used to create greater protections for rail workers. Since the report was published, Transport Scotland officials have been conducting a feasibility assessment of each of the Working Group’s recommendations.

As part of this, the feasibility work regarding the proposals for specific legal protections against assaults and abuse towards rail workers has now been widened to include all public transport workers, following the manifesto commitment.

This work will inform any potential future approaches towards implementation.