Chamber and committees

Matters relating to conduct and organisational culture are operational responsibilities for the Chief Constable, who is accountable to the Scottish Police Authority.

Since Dame Elish Angiolini's 2020 review of complaints handling and misconduct, Police Scotland has undertaken significant work to improve organisational culture and address equality, diversity and inclusion recommendations. This has included implementing recommendations through its Policing Together strategy and appointing an Assistant Chief Constable to lead this programme of work.

Progress in implementing the review's recommendations has been reported publicly through a series of thematic progress reports and updates to the Scottish Parliament. All non-legislative policing recommendations arising from the review have now been delivered.

The Police (Ethics, Conduct and Scrutiny) (Scotland) Act 2025 strengthens integrity, accountability and vetting arrangements and supports further reform through updated conduct regulations intended to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of police misconduct procedures.

AI is currently at different stages of deployment across a wide range of clinical and administrative functions. This includes AI-enabled diagnostic pathways for lung cancer, stroke and breast screening, use of Microsoft Copilot to support administrative productivity, and evaluations of Ambient Voice Technology in clinical settings.

NHS Boards are responsible for ensuring that technologies, including software and AI, are deployed safely and used appropriately. Any use of AI is subject to relevant safety, governance and assurance processes, with human oversight remaining a key principle. The Scottish Government published Interim Guidance on the Use of AI in Health and Social Care in August 2026 and will publish an AI Policy Framework for Health and Social Care later this year further clarifying appropriate safeguards. We will also be responding to the recommendations made by the National AI Commission on regulatory and assurance frameworks for AI in healthcare.

I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-02033 on 20 August 2026. 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.

The Detailed Options Appraisal (DOA) for the St Andrews Transport Appraisal was submitted to Transport Scotland by the StARLink group in March 2024.

The appraisal looked at both light rail and heavy rail options for reconnecting St Andrews to the rail network via Leuchars. Following its review, Transport Scotland concluded that there was not enough evidence to justify taking either rail option forward at this stage.

However, the appraisal found that improving connections between rail and bus services at Leuchars station could benefit passengers travelling to and from St Andrews.

As with any regional transport proposal, the appraisal could be reviewed again if there is a significant change in circumstances or new evidence becomes available. Since the East Coast Arc proposals are still at an early stage, it is currently too soon to determine whether they would have a sufficient impact to justify revisiting the appraisal. Any decision to update the St Andrews Transport Appraisal to reflect the potential effects of the East Coast Arc would be a matter for the StARLink group, or another interested organisation, to consider and progress.

The East Coast Arc will boost productivity and innovation in North East Fife and ultimately help contribute to our key objective of growing the Scottish economy. Information on the proposal, which was introduced in our ambitious Programme for Government, will be set out in more detail soon.

The Scottish Government published its Infrastructure Delivery Pipeline back in January, and this featured a range of capital investments in Fife. This includes the completed Dunfermline Learning Campus (Fife College element) project investment of £154.5 million and the Fife Railway Electrification project totalling £311.5 million, as well as a number of infrastructure investments via the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal programme, the Tay Cities Region Deal programme, and the Green Freeports programme. This planned and committed investment, which will support the East Coast Arc, underpins productivity, connects communities to opportunities, and supports long-term resilience in important areas like housing, energy, transport, and digital connectivity.

I am committed to ensuring that people with respiratory conditions receive timely access to high-quality care and treatment to enable them to live longer, healthier, and more independent lives.

The Respiratory Specialty Delivery Group, within the Centre for Sustainable Delivery is developing a number of national pathways for conditions including COPD, severe asthma, bronchiectasis and sleep apnoea. This work aims to improve referral processes, support earlier intervention and ensure that patients receive the right care, in the right place and at the right time.

We are also improving access to respiratory services, including pulmonary rehabilitation through digital, community and specialist provision to increase capacity and reduce variation across Scotland. This includes work with Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland to develop pulmonary rehabilitation resources and a digital-first offer through their My Lungs, My Life platform, and setting up pulmonary rehabilitation pilots in central and rural areas, helping to ensure people can access consistent support regardless of where they live.

In addition, recommendations from the Long Term Conditions Advisory Group on Respiratory Conditions which will inform the Long-Term Conditions Strategy, due to be published in March 27. This will help inform future action to support equitable and sustainable access to services, including respiratory care.

More broadly, the commitments set out in the 2026-27 Budget will deliver record investment of £22.5 billion for health and social care, supporting delivery of planned care and increasing capacity across NHS Scotland. We have invested an additional £100 million this year to build on progress made through the NHS Operational Improvement Plan and have announced a further £90 million to support those waiting longest for treatment and create additional capacity across the healthcare system.

As a pilot, monitoring and evaluating the walk-in services is absolutely essential. That’s why we have commissioned PHS to collect and report on the data, and HIS to provide an independent evaluation. It is important we do not pre-empt the results of that, but it is encouraging that people are already using the services and benefiting from same day, appointment free care. The evaluation is considering a range of evidence, including service activity, patient experience, workforce impacts, costs and wider system effects. Already we are seeing and hearing from patients who have used and appreciated the services.

No decisions have been taken to delay or cancel any planned walk-in services. Forty GP walk-in service locations are planned in total, of which 11 are currently operational.

The Scottish Government recognises the potential of AI to improve outcomes, support service renewal and increase productivity across health and social care. The Programme for Government includes a five-year commitment to "Develop an AI Hub to accelerate safe adoption of AI across the health and care system." The purpose of the AI Hub for Scotland is to provide greater support for organisations navigating the challenges of deploying AI safely and effectively and to develop common approaches to accelerate progress in high impact use cases.

Work is underway to support the safe adoption of AI at a national scale. For example, the Chest X-ray AI programme, approved through the Accelerated National Innovation Adoption (ANIA) pathway in July 2026, will implement and evaluate an AI-enabled lung cancer diagnostic pathway across NHS Scotland to support earlier diagnosis and treatment.

The NHS Scotland Innovation Hubs support the development, testing and scaling of innovative technologies, including AI. By working with staff, patients and communities, they help address real-world challenges, build evidence for decision-making, and ensure technologies are evaluated safely and robustly. Their work helps to create the conditions for safe and effective adoption of AI.

I recognise that pulmonary rehabilitation is a key intervention for people living with chronic respiratory conditions and that many people across Scotland are affected by lung disease. Improving access to pulmonary rehabilitation remains a priority.

Through the Respiratory Care Action Plan for Scotland, pulmonary rehabilitation was identified as an important area for improvement. The Scottish Respiratory Advisory Committee has endorsed a new national three-tier model comprising universal digital services, targeted community-based provision and specialist hospital-based support for people with more complex needs.

We are working with Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland to develop a digital-first pulmonary rehabilitation offer through the My Lungs, My Life platform, providing rehabilitation resources, self-management support and educational materials that can be accessed across Scotland. In addition, two targeted pulmonary rehabilitation programme pilots are being developed in both central and rural settings.

Alongside this, Short Life Working Groups are developing national referral criteria and implementation tools to support NHS Boards in expanding pulmonary rehabilitation capacity, reducing geographical variation and improving equitable access. This includes promoting virtual and hybrid rehabilitation models where appropriate, helping to address workforce and travel barriers and enabling more people to benefit from pulmonary rehabilitation closer to home.