Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government has made continued progress on its review of the Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation System (AKIS). Work has focused on engaging with key stakeholders to identify current strengths and opportunities to support the development of the AKIS. This includes activities to better support knowledge exchange and the flow of knowledge and innovation between stakeholders in the AKIS and to understand how to better co-ordinate the AKIS in Scotland.

The Scottish Government’s Strategic Action Plan on Wildfires sets out a coordinated approach to preventing, preparing for and responding to wildfires, including through national initiatives to strengthen resilience to all climate-related hazards as outlined in the Scottish National Adaptation Plan, such as peatland restoration.

Through our world leading Peatland ACTION programme, we have carried out restoration on over 59,000 hectares of peatland since 2020, including a record 15,448 hectares in 2025-26. This work will continue in 2026-27, investing a further £28 million to deliver at least another 10,000 ha of peatland restoration, towards our aim of restoring more than 400,000 ha of peatland by 2040.

Our recently published Peatland Action Partnership Plan commits to working with our delivery partners to strategically prioritise peatland restoration where it can maximise the multiple benefits for climate, nature and people. Understanding which parts of Scotland face the greatest risk from wildfire as the climate changes, and which could benefit most from rewetting degraded peatlands, will be part of this work.

Restoring degraded peatlands involves taking measures such as drain blocking, creating bunds and reprofiling gullies in order to reinstate the site’s natural hydrology, raise the water table and increase wetness. This plays an important role in halting the spread and extent of fires, and in reducing their intensity and the risk of them burning deep into the peat.

Our Climate Change Plan commits to restoring more than 400,000 hectares of degraded peatland by 2040. Recent successes in upscaling continued in 2025-26 with the restoration of 15,448 hectares – the highest area ever in a single year.

Our recently published Peatland Action Partnership Plan commits to working with our delivery partners to strategically prioritise peatland restoration where it can maximise the multiple benefits for climate, nature and people. Understanding which parts of Scotland face the greatest risk from wildfire as the climate changes, and which could benefit most from rewetting degraded peatlands, will be part of this work.

The Scottish Government recognises the positive role that Eurasian beavers can play as a native keystone species, and we remain supportive of their managed expansion in appropriate areas, as set out in Scotland’s Beaver Strategy 2022–2045.

Beavers can create wetlands, retain water and contribute to wider ecosystem resilience, which can reduce burn severity in some settings. However, our assessment is that their contribution to preventing large-scale wildfire events such as the 2025 Dava Moor fire is likely to be limited, localised and realised over the longer term, rather than offering a systemic or immediate solution to megafire risk.

Beaver expansion offers one helpful nature-based measure within a broader package of actions, alongside peatland restoration, preparedness and wildfire prevention, rather than as a stand-alone answer to Scotland’s growing wildfire risk.

The Scottish Government are not currently making any considerations to establish an independent body to investigate complaints regarding the financial practices of adult social care providers.

Scotland has in place the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO) which provides a well-established, fully independent route for complaints relating to adult social care services provided by the public sector.

When a person is self-funding their care this becomes a contractual matter between the individual and their care home. Families in Scotland can contact their local trading standards team who will investigate any breach of contract.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), which is a statutory body and accountable to the UK Parliament, has guidance for care homes on deposits and fees. We expect all providers operating in Scotland to abide by the guidance clearly set out by the CMA.

Work is underway to modernise the Adults with Incapacity system in Scotland, including Powers of Attorney, with a specific focus on enhancing the rights and protections of people affected by incapacity law. We are working collaboratively with an Expert Working Group, convened in September 2025, to develop evidence-based recommendations for legislative and procedural reform and to improve the experience of those affected by incapacity law.

Financial support is already in place to obtain a Power of Attorney in circumstances where an individual may not otherwise be able to afford it. Legal aid may be available to support the cost of a solicitor drawing up a Power of Attorney and individuals may be able to claim a fee in relation to registering their Power of Attorney with the Office of the Public Guardian.

The Scottish Government is considering plans to deliver the commitment to temporarily reduce the power of attorney registration fees within this parliamentary term and will engage with relevant stakeholders to do so.

Bullying of any kind is unacceptable and all children and young people have the right to learn in a safe, supportive and inclusive environment.

Responsibility for the operational management of schools, including responding to bullying incidents and safeguarding concerns, rests with local authorities and schools.

To support schools and local authorities, the Scottish Government published updated anti-bullying guidance in November 2024. We expect all local authorities, schools and organisations to develop and implement anti-bullying policies in line with Respect for All. The guidance is clear that responses to bullying should be addressed in line with a school’s relationships and behaviour policy, with a focus on prevention, early intervention and appropriate support for all children and young people involved.

In 2026-27, we are providing £310,480 to respectme, Scotland’s anti-bullying service to provide advice, resources, and training for schools, local authorities and parents to help prevent and address bullying.

As I set out in my letter of 11 February 2026 to the Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee regarding Petition PE1900, NHS boards are asked to provide annual updates each November on progress in addressing the issues identified through the rapid review of healthcare provision in police custody.

These annual returns seek information on arrangements for the safe storage and supply of controlled drugs, the existence of written policies to ensure detainees can access prescribed medication (including opioid substitution therapy), and the operation of clinical governance processes such as the recording and review of adverse events, complaints and feedback. Boards are also asked to set out improvement actions and timescales where gaps are identified.

This monitoring is complemented by scrutiny from HM Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland and Healthcare Improvement Scotland. Their joint work has established an inspection framework for healthcare services in police custody, underpinned by a human rights-based approach and aligned with Healthcare Improvement Scotland’s quality indicators, to provide assurance on the quality and safety of care.

Delivery of healthcare in police custody remains an operational responsibility for NHS boards. The Scottish Government will continue to work with partners to support consistent implementation across Scotland.

NHS Grampian has confirmed that arrangements are in place to support access to prescribed medication, including controlled drugs, within its current service model. Individuals are clinically assessed on entry to custody and prescribed medication is provided where clinically indicated, with processes in place to verify community prescriptions.

Arrangements are in place to provide opioid replacement therapy where required. However, at present, this is delivered from the Kittybrewster custody suite, with detainees transferred from other custody locations where necessary to ensure continuity of treatment. NHS Grampian has advised that it is continuing to work with partners to expand provision across all custody settings, including through the development of pharmacy, delivery and remote prescribing arrangements.

The delivery of healthcare services in police custody remains an operational responsibility for NHS boards. The Scottish Government will continue to support further improvement and consistent, timely access to prescribed medication.’

While statutory responsibility for managing and maintaining school estates rests with local authorities, the Scottish Government has engaged with the Highland Council on the issues at Rosebank Primary School. The Council has confirmed that no further class cancellations are expected and that remedial works to the affected toilet facilities will be completed before the start of the new school session in August. It has also committed to keeping the Parent Council updated on progress.

Through the £2 billion Learning Estate Investment Programme, the Scottish Government is providing the Council with significant funding support for its Broadford Primary School, Nairn Academy and Tain Campus projects. This funding is intended to augment, rather than replace, the Council’s own investment in its school estate.

More broadly, the latest School Estate Statistics, published in September, show that the proportion of school buildings reported as being in “good” or “satisfactory” condition has increased to a record 92%, compared with 62.7% in 2007.