Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government has been clear since the Supreme Court ruling that it accepts the judgment. As such, it is taking forward the actions required in response to the ruling.

Trans and non-binary people are a small, marginalised group of 0.44% of Scotland’s population, who are often misunderstood, misrepresented, and receive disproportionate levels of attention. The Scottish Government remains steadfast in its commitment to advancing equality, protecting rights and ensuring that trans and non-binary people can live free from discrimination.

Since the judgment, we have strengthened our direct support for the trans community. This includes additional investment to expand the LGBT Health and Wellbeing Helpline and to increase opportunities for trans people to connect through community virtual and in-person events. Any trans or non-binary person feeling concerned or anxious about the ruling is encouraged to contact the helpline.

The Scottish Government has provided £1.1 million in funding through our Equality and Human Rights Fund in 2025-26 to a range of organisations to promote equality of opportunity and inclusion for LGBTQI+ people. This funding has been used to:

• help LGBT Youth Scotland deliver a range of projects to support LGBTQI+ young people
• commence initiatives such as work supporting ending conversion practices through legislative and non-legislative measures
• advance non-binary equality
• support policy development for LGBTQI+ people
• support research into the lives of the LGBTQI+ community

The Scottish Government accepts the judgment of the Supreme Court. The Court emphasised that this decision does not diminish the protections against discrimination and harassment that trans people are entitled to under the Equality Act 2010, whether or not they hold a Gender Recognition Certificate.

Regarding reports that some youth organisations are excluding trans children and young people from their services, it is important to be clear that all employers and service providers must interpret and comply with the Equality Act 2010. It is for the regulator, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), to enforce the Act. All organisations, whether publicly funded or not, are required to operate within the wider framework of the law.

The Scottish Government is clear that trans men, women and young people are valued in our society. People in Scotland want to live in a country that treats everyone with respect, compassion and care, and we remain firmly committed to protecting the rights of all.

The Scottish Government has no plans to produce guidelines on how BID levies should be set or enforced, as this is a matter for individual BIDs operating within the existing framework of the Business Improvement Districts (Scotland) Regulations 2007.

We do, however, provide funding support for Scotland’s Improvement Districts (SIDs), which delivers advice and governance support for BIDs, including best practice and guidance on levy arrangements.

There are no plans to introduce a public record of the levies charged by BIDs. Scottish Government does not hold this information centrally, local authorities are responsible for administering and collecting BID levies.

Eligibility for higher education student support is assessed by the Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS) at the beginning of each separate course. Students progressing from an HNC or HND to a degree are therefore subject to a new assessment and there are existing funding pathways to support students who are progressing.

The outcome will depend on individual circumstances and what previous study they have undertaken and what financial support they have received.

The Independent Review of the Role of Incineration in the Waste Hierarchy in Scotland made it clear that Scotland does not need additional waste incineration facilities to treat our unavoidable and unrecyclable municipal residual waste, beyond those for which planning permission has already been granted, with very limited exceptions.

That is why the Scottish Government introduced restrictions on energy from waste developments in National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4), which came into effect on 13 February 2023. This sets out that development proposals for energy from waste facilities will not be supported except in limited circumstances where a national or local need has been sufficiently demonstrated (e.g. in terms of capacity need or carbon benefits) as part of a strategic approach to residual waste management. No new energy from waste planning requests have been submitted since NPF4 was adopted.

Any changes to an existing incineration facility’s throughput (i.e. authorised capacity) requires an application to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) for a permit variation.

The Scottish Government recognises that national capacity is not currently considered in SEPA’s environmental permit decisions and will work with SEPA to ensure that the Scottish Government’s indicative capacity cap for residual waste, under development through Scotland’s residual waste plan due in 2027, is reflected in regulations and considered when assessing environmental permits. This will ensure that, going forward, SEPA will consider national capacity as part of environmental permitting.

The Scottish Government is working in partnership with Zero Waste Scotland (ZWS) to undertake an update of their recent capacity analysis, and is being covered as part of ZWS's activities covered under its annual block grant as a non-departmental public body.

The details of any spend on this work would be a matter for Zero Waste Scotland.

The Scottish Government is working with Zero Waste Scotland to update their latest capacity analysis and expect to publish the results in 2026.

This work will inform the development of Scotland's residual waste plan to 2045.

SEPA collect waste returns from waste sites in Scotland and those returns indicate where waste inputs originate.

Although uncommon, waste can travel from across the UK to Scotland for incineration. SEPA data shows small amounts of waste incinerated in Scotland from England, with the majority of that waste made up of wood waste.

Assessments of respiratory prevalence and emergency hospital admissions are produced and published by Public Health Scotland, including data for NHS Grampian and national averages. The Scottish Government draws on these official statistics rather than undertaking separate board-level assessments.

Public Health Scotland (PHS) data shows that respiratory conditions are a major contributor to unplanned hospital demand. Emergency inpatient activity accounts for almost half of all hospital admissions nationally, reflecting sustained pressure on acute services. Longer term projections indicate that unplanned acute inpatient admissions for respiratory conditions are expected to rise by around 23% between 2024 and 2034, confirming the growing burden of respiratory illness across Scotland. A link to PHS data can be found at: Projecting future demand for health and care services in Scotland (2024-2034) - Long term service demand projections in Scotland - Publications - Public Health Scotland.

The Scottish Government recognises these pressures and is taking action. We recently published the NHS Scotland Operational Improvement Plan, the Scotland's Population Health Framework and the Health and Social Care Service Renewal Framework in which we outline our shared, long-term vision for reforming and renewing health and social care services to ensure they are more sustainable, preventative, and equitable.

Our Respiratory Care Action Plan for Scotland has supported national work to strengthen prevention, diagnosis, care and support for people living with respiratory conditions. Through the Centre for Sustainable Delivery, national pathways are being developed for severe asthma, COPD, sleep apnoea and interstitial lung disease. Work is also underway to improve access to pulmonary rehabilitation, a key intervention for people with chronic respiratory conditions.

This work supports resilience across the health system throughout the year, including during periods of increased pressure. Prioritising prevention, early detection and supporting effective long term self-management helps reduce avoidable exacerbations which often drive urgent and unscheduled demand during winter.

The Scottish Government’s strategic direction for respiratory care is currently set through the Respiratory Care Action Plan for Scotland. This work supports resilience across the health system throughout the year, including during periods of increased pressure. Prioritising prevention, early detection and effective long term management helps reduce avoidable exacerbations which often drive urgent and unscheduled demand during winter.

The Scottish Government is aware of calls from respiratory stakeholders in England for a Modern Service Framework focused on respiratory care. To clarify, the UK Government has not introduced such a framework. Modern Service Frameworks are being developed for major conditions such as cardiovascular disease and dementia, but respiratory conditions are not currently included.

The Scottish Government will continue to monitor emerging approaches from across the UK while taking forward our long term, evidence informed approach.