Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government provides baseline funding to NHS Dumfries and Galloway which is used to best meet the healthcare needs of their resident population. Funding is not ring-fenced for the provision of NHS Dentistry and it is not therefore possible to provide this figure.

The Scottish Government does not hold this information centrally.

I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-00214 on 1 June 2026. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found athttps://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.

The Scottish Government has committed to respond directly to the concerns of rural and island communities which includes the review and refreshment of existing financial incentives available to the sector, such as Golden Hello payments, to better support patient access in rural and island areas. This work is currently underway and we hope to have revised arrangements in place later in this financial year.

The Scottish Government does not hold information on registration and participation centrally. Public Services Delivery Scotland publishes information on patient registration and participation for NHS Boards, including NHS Dumfries and Galloway: NHS dental data monitoring report.

The Scottish Government recognises the challenges faced for patients accessing NHS dentistry in rural and island areas, which is why we have provided an additional £437k of recurring funding from 2025-26 to support access to dental services in NHS Dumfries and Galloway.

The Scottish Government and its agencies have not taken any actions to dredge the River Esk in Langholm.

Local Authorities are responsible for producing local flood risk management plans, and developing, delivering and maintaining flood protection actions. Dumfries and Galloway Council put forward a flood protection scheme for Langholm in its 2015 Local Flood Risk Management Plan, but it was withdrawn due to a lack of community support.

While dredging can play a role in certain flood-management and river-management situations, it is not always effective in reducing water levels and can, in some cases, increase flood risk downstream. It also has the potential to cause significant environmental harm if carried out without the proper due diligence.

Where dredging is appropriate, it can be undertaken subject to certain regulatory controls. Further information is available on the SEPA website at Dredging | Beta | SEPA | Scottish Environment Protection Agency including specific advice for land managers Dredging –A land managers guide to the rules.

The Scottish Government does not hold data on the quantity of gravel extracted from the River Esk at Langholm in each of the past five years.

The Scottish Government has not been made aware of concerns regarding the build-up of gravel in the River Esk or its tributaries in Langholm. Local Authorities are responsible for producing local flood risk management plans, and developing, delivering and maintaining flood protection actions.

While dredging can play a role in certain flood management and river management situations, it is not always effective in reducing water levels and can, in some cases, increase flood risk downstream. It also has the potential to cause significant environmental harm if carried out without the proper due diligence.

Where dredging is appropriate, it can be undertaken subject to certain regulatory controls. Further information is available on the SEPA website at Dredging | Beta | SEPA | Scottish Environment Protection Agency including specific advice for land managers Dredging –A land managers guide to the rules.

The A7 is only a trunk road and hence the responsibility of Scottish Ministers, between its junction with the A6091 near Galashiels and the Canonbie (Bypass) (England Border). The northerly sections of the A7 from Galashiels to Edinburgh are the responsibility of the respective local authority through which the road passes.

Transport Scotland and its Road Operating Company have regular engagement with a range of stakeholders in the course of their roles to manage, maintain and operate the route safely.

A recent example of this is regarding the Center Parcs proposal, located off the A7 between Selkirk and Hawick, in this case Transport Scotland, as one of the statutory consultees in the planning system, was approached by transport consultants representing Center Parcs. Discussions have taken place which are related to the likely effects of the proposed development on the Trunk Road network and the application now has consent and is required to upgrade its immediate access. There are no requirements arising for further upgrades to the A7 as a result of the Center Parcs development.

More widely, the Scottish Government published the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2) in December 2022. STPR2 uses the Sustainable Investment Hierarchy, as outlined in our second National Transport Strategy (NTS2), which prioritises maintaining and safely operating existing assets over targeted infrastructure improvements. STPR2 was a Scotland-wide transport appraisal informed by significant stakeholder engagement, and in this case, through a South of Scotland - Regional Transport Working Group, which comprised officers from Regional and Local authorities, as well as wider public consultation. The A7 trunk road and potential future improvements were considered by the supporting transport appraisal.