Chamber and committees

To the extent such systems are addressed under Scottish Building regulations, such provisions form part of the current review of energy standards.

This review will consult on detailed proposals for change later this year, with the intent of confirming changes in mid 2026 and implementing them in early 2028.

To the extent such systems are addressed under Scottish Building regulations, such provisions were updated as part of the February 2023 publication of Scottish Building Standards Technical Handbooks and supporting documents.

Provisions relating to the control of fixed building services are set out in the 2023 Domestic and Non-domestic Building Services Compliance Guides.

Ministers recognise the very challenging financial landscape across health and social care but remain committed to making progress regarding the removal of non-residential charging in partnership with others.

Ongoing engagement work has made clear there is variation in non-residential care charging across the country and some groups and people are more adversely impacted. We will continue to work with others on this issue to ensure people have greater clarity on what charges apply and where they can go for support.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-37553 on 27 May 2025. 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.

Decisions on whether or not a medicine is accepted for use in NHS England are, rightly, matters for the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), which appraises the clinical and cost-effectiveness of newly licensed medicines in England.

The regulations for the licensing, safety and efficacy of medicines are reserved to the UK Government and are the responsibility of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). For a medicine to be routinely prescribed in the UK, it firstly needs to receive a marketing authorisation. This process ensures the safety, quality and efficacy of medicines placed on the market in the UK. It is the responsibility of individual pharmaceutical companies to apply to the MHRA for a marketing authorisation.

We are committed to upholding human rights and enabling people who lack capacity to live well, with choice and control over their own lives, as well as any care, treatment, or wider assistance they might need. We are grateful to those who responded to our Adults with Incapacity (AWI) consultation last year, the analysis of which was published in January 2025. We are now moving from consultation to collaboration and will establish an AWI Expert Working Group and Minister-led Oversight Group to understand policy, practical and resourcing implications more fully ahead of legislative reform. One of the key areas for further development, drawing on the valuable feedback already gathered, will be Supported Decision Making.

Tovorafenib does not currently have a marketing authorisation from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). It is the responsibility of individual pharmaceutical companies to apply to the MHRA for a marketing authorisation. If a marketing authorisation is granted, the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) would welcome a submission for tovorafenib, however the decision on whether to submit a medicine for appraisal to the SMC, and the timing of that submission, is entirely for the pharmaceutical company that holds the marketing authorisation for the medicine to make.

Tovorafenib does not currently have a marketing authorisation from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). Before a company can place a medicine on the market in the UK it has to obtain regulatory approval by submitting data demonstrating the quality, safety and efficacy of the medicine in terms of treating a specified condition. This data is derived from clinical trials. If a marketing authorisation is granted, the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) would welcome a submission for tovorafenib. The Scottish Government is aware that there is an international, phase 3 clinical trial looking at tovorafenib for the first line treatment of paediatric low-grade glioma which is open to people who meet the eligibility criteria. It is the responsibility of the clinician in charge of a patient’s care to advise on what treatment options may be available.

The Scottish Government is working with COSLA to explore possible options for removing non-residential social care charges within the current budget settlement as part of ongoing social care improvement and reform activity.

The Scottish Government continues to discuss options on non-residential social care charges with CoSLA and other partners whilst acknowledging the challenging financial context and ongoing pressure across the system. The charges people pay can vary across the country and it is important to fully assess impact within this complex delivery environment for people facing charges before agreeing the possible approach to removal.