Chamber and committees

With respect to the use of e-consultations and telephone triage, while the Scottish Government sets the strategic direction, it is for Health Boards to plan their services based on local need. What is most important is appointments are agreed through shared decision making, balancing patient choice and clinical judgement. We continue to engage with stakeholders in support of service delivery.

The NHS Recovery Plan 2021-2026 was published in August 2021 with a commitment to provide annual reports on progress through the delivery outcomes set out in the plan. These reports are published online and can be found at:

NHS Recovery Plan: annual progress update 2022 – https://www.gov.scot/publications/nhs-recovery-plan-annual-progress-update/

NHS recovery plan: progress report 2023 – https://www.gov.scot/publications/nhs-recovery-plan-progress-report-2023/

NHS Recovery Plan 2021-2026: annual progress update report 2024 – https://www.gov.scot/publications/nhs-recovery-plan-2021-2026-annual-progress-update-report-2024/

In line with previous years, an further annual progress report for 2025 will be published by the end of this year.

The Scottish Government does not collect or hold statistics specifically on sustained employment for people who register with an employment agency.

The Scottish Government collects and publishes statistics related to Scottish Government funded employability support, No One Left Behind and Fair Start Scotland, including data on sustained employment by participants.

The most recent statistics for Scottish Government funded employability support are available at: Scotland's Devolved Employment Services statistics - gov.scot.

Local authorities employ education staff and must ensure their schools have policies in place that determine clearly what action should be taken to address challenging behaviour and protect their staff in the workplace. This includes having processes in place to record violent and abusive incidents towards staff including teachers.

Data on school violence and staff assaults is collected at local authority level, where it is primarily used to monitor trends and ensure appropriate support is available for staff and young people. This remains appropriate and we have no plans to collect and publish this data on a quarterly basis.

I have made clear to Parliament on several occasions, including in my statement to Parliament on 29 November 2023, my position on the need for more accurate recording of all incidents of inappropriate, abusive or violent behaviour in our schools, and I continue to encourage all schools to do that. To support schools and education authorities, as part of the Relationships and Behaviour in Schools Action Plan 2024-27, over the coming year we will undertake work to review processes for recording incidents, with a view to streamlining and improving consistency. We will also commission the next wave of the Behaviour in Scottish Schools Research, with fieldwork expected in early 2026.

Exclusion statistics are currently reported biennially. The next data will be published in December 2025 covering 2024-2025. There are currently no plans to change the frequency of this publication.

The Scottish Government routinely analyses data related to the labour market. The link between waiting times and the economy is most frequently viewed through economic inactivity due to ill-health. A 2024 Scottish Parliament Information Centre briefing, for example, examined Annual Population Survey responses alongside Accident and Emergency (A&E) performance in Scotland. They found that the correlation between A&E performance and economic inactivity due to ill health was very low but statistically significant. Similarly, the Office for Budget Responsibility in 2023 found that “the rising NHS waiting list itself is unlikely to have been a significant driver of rising inactivity due to long-term sickness in recent years”.

We are looking closely at how our health system can better support people to stay healthy in work and move back in to work, alongside actions which can be taken by government, employers and individuals.

The Programme for Government sets out action we will take in health to address the challenges faced by those who are economically inactive, and to support those at risk of becoming economically inactive. This includes:

• Creating a single point of access through Healthy Working Lives for employers and workers to access advice and support, with ongoing improvements to the site’s accessibility and navigation.
• Free NHS case management support, available through Working Health Services Scotland, is available to employees and employers, focusing on small to medium size businesses. As of January 2025, within existing budget, we have been able to expand this service to 8am – 8pm Monday to Friday with early indications showing healthy demand for these extended hours (between 80-90% of appt slots filled).
• Continued support for the Healthy Working Lives’ online platform to help employers build mentally healthy workplaces, and delivery of the Mentally Healthy Workplaces network for employers.

We are also developing a new heath and work action plan, with engagement currently taking place cross-government.

Ministers approved recommendations in July 2024 to maximise the effect of existing service provision across fair work and employability, health and local service delivery to reduce the risk of people leaving the labour market due to ill health.

Our evidence review, published September 2024, examines the evidence on supporting those with longer-term conditions and disabilities to remain in work. Its focus is on the upstream prevention of economic inactivity to ensure the protective factors for health that good work provides.

The action plan, due for Summer 2025, will reflect both the priorities of the Programme for Government and the longer-term system changes noted in the forthcoming Population Health Framework and will focus on enabling those wanting to work to enter, thrive and remain in the workforce and to tackle Scotland’s increasing rates of economic inactivity due to ill health.

Recognising reserved powers and our own levers within the Scottish Government, the plan will bring together health, mental health, employability services, social security, business representative organisations, the UK government and other organisations established in the delivery of healthy, safe and fair work.

There have been 35 public bodies established since 2013 which are included below. Further information on their core functions is publicly available on the National Public Bodies Directory: https://www.gov.scot/publications/national-public-bodies-directory/.

The Scottish Ministers keep the law that sits within the powers of the Scottish Parliament under review to ensure it is fit for purpose.

The Scottish Law Commission’s aspects of family law project is focusing on a review of the civil remedies available for domestic abuse as part of the 11th Programme of Law Reform. We will consider the outcomes of this work when the Commission’s report is published.

In terms of safe accommodation, local authorities have the legal duty to provide advice and assistance to people who are at risk of homelessness or experiencing homelessness. This includes providing temporary accommodation in the short term if someone has nowhere safe to stay, and permanent accommodation if someone is found unintentionally homeless. Therefore, anyone at risk of homelessness following court proceedings should contact their local authority. They are best placed to provide advice on the housing options available and what further support they can offer.

Scottish Government do not hold information on all public sector leases centrally. The following table shows the top 10 most expensive leases held by Scottish Government. This is made up of the costs of rent and service charges.

The Scottish Government’s "National Strategy for Economic Transformation" sets out our aim to make Scotland’s regions, businesses, industries, communities and public services more productive and innovative.

It is important to note that in Scotland, not everyone who is receiving Social Security benefits are out of work. Our data shows that 33% of people on Universal Credit are in employment.

However, the Scottish Government aims to improve employment opportunities for those who face barriers in the labour market. Our No One Left Behind approach delivers an all-age, place-based, person-centred model of employability support in Scotland. Services are designed local to ensure the needs of that particular demographic are met. Services are voluntary, aiming to support individuals towards the right job at the right time.

Scotland also has 2 Investment Zones designed to deliver economic growth, more high skilled jobs, investment, and future opportunities for local people, as well as 2 Green Freeports which will boost innovation and inclusive growth within communities and both will support economic transformation and stimulate employment opportunities.

The latest Poverty and Inequality Statistics in Scotland publication can be accessed here: https://data.gov.scot/poverty/

The publication reports that 75% of children in relative poverty were living in working households in the period 2021-24.