A robust analytical process is underway to evaluate the impact of removing ScotRail peak fares. It will take some time to be able to meaningfully analyse the impact of this £35m Scottish Government investment.

We anticipate that we will be able to share emerging findings after the policy has been in place for at least 6 months, with further reporting towards the end of the year due to how sensitive patronage and revenue are to external factors such as pricing and weather.

The Scottish Government has not made an estimate of the number of jobs that could be created by a ferry service between Rosyth and Dunkirk. This is a commercial consideration for the prospective ferry operator and port authority.

Any new ferry service will be required to comply with UK employment laws, including the Seafarers’ Wages Act 2023. Until such time as employment law is devolved, we will continue to do whatever we can with the levers we have to promote trade union recognition and collective bargaining, at both local and sectoral levels, to achieve improved conditions and enhance effective voice.

The Scottish Government has not had recent discussions with the UK Government regarding seafarers’ employment rights on the prospective Rosyth-Dunkirk ferry service.

The UK Government Employment Rights Bill received Royal Assent on 18 December 2025 and includes provisions to create a statutory framework for a mandatory seafarers charter and builds on the Seafarers’ Wages Act 2023 to extend protections beyond pay to include other employment rights. Transport Scotland officials liaised with their UK Government counterparts on this legislation.

The Scottish Government welcomed the additional proposals which aim to strengthen the Seafarers Wage Act by applying new duties in respect of remuneration and safe working.

The Scottish Government has not held discussions regarding the Fair Work Convention in relation to the crewing of vessels on the prospective Rosyth-Dunkirk ferry service. As employment law is reserved, any new ferry service will be required to comply with UK employment laws, including the Seafarers’ Wages Act 2023.

The Scottish Government continues to believe that delivery of local authority duties should be delegated at a local level where possible. The majority of funding provided to local government is made available through a block grant. £8.1 million is included in that block grant in relation to Land Access measures, allocated based on proportions of population and path lengths. However, the funding is not ring-fenced. It is the responsibility of individual councils to manage their budgets and allocate the total financial resources available on the basis of local priorities, once they have met their statutory obligations. The Scottish Government provided record block grant funding of over £15 billion to local authorities in 2025-26, an increase of £1 billion or 4.7 per cent in real terms compared to last year’s budget.

There are many other areas of government funding which deliver benefits for access including health, tourism, active travel and the natural environment.

A new ferry service from Scotland to Continental Europe would be a commercial operation led by a private ferry operator. As employment law is reserved, any new ferry service will be required to comply with UK employment laws, including the Seafarers’ Wages Act 2023.

Our application of Fair Work First criteria in procurement and grant offers is designed to raise employment standards in Scotland. More stringent grant conditionality was introduced from July 2023, requiring employers receiving public sector grants to pay at least the real living wage. Any company receiving Scottish Government grant support would also be required to demonstrate that all workers, including agency workers, have access to effective workers’ voice channels.

The Scottish Government has not made an estimate of the level of public funding required for a ferry service between Scotland and continental Europe. The costs of any such service are a commercial matter for ferry operators to consider. The Scottish Government is open to discussions with ferry operators and other stakeholders about proposals for new ferry services. However, the possibility of public support would depend on the strength of the business case, the availability of funding and compliance with subsidy control rules and other relevant regulations.

The Scottish Government is clear that any care out with standard care areas should be avoided where possible and if required, all actions to mitigate the risks of this should be undertaken, and the length of time in which patients are in these areas should be as short as possible.

We accept that caring for patients in non-standard patient areas is sub-optimal and we are clear that no patient should be treated in a space not fit for clinical care.

Through our NHS Scotland Operational Improvement Plan we are investing £220 million to address high hospital occupancy, improve patient flow and improve the acute care experience for patients. Work has been underway over the last year to develop enhanced frailty services through the Healthcare Improvement Scotland - Frailty at the Front door standard. As a result, all NHS Health Boards have a frailty service which includes Multi-Disciplinary teams which support our front doors.

The large majority of roads in Scotland form part of the local road network, therefore, it is primarily Local Authorities who are responsible for ensuring inclusive access to their network. However, the Scottish Government remains committed to improving accessibility to enable everyone to be able to walk, wheel and cycle. This is both through the funding we provide and a suite of guidance and best practice documentation for those delivering infrastructure.

In April 2025, the Scottish Government published ‘Guidance on Inclusive Design for Town Centres and Busy Streets’, co-produced with disabled people, and other stakeholders, which highlights best practice for co-production and working with disabled people to design inclusive spaces. Most recently, Transport Scotland has also developed Equality Impact Assessment training for Local Authorities, which has been endorsed by the Mobility and Access Committee Scotland.

For the design and construction of new projects on the trunk roads, Transport Scotland produces ‘Cycling by Design’ and the ‘Roads for All’ guidance, which requires the use of inclusive design in the construction, operation and maintenance of road infrastructure and aims to create environments which can be used by everyone regardless of age or disability. Transport Scotland has also sought to highlight best practice and provide practical advice in addition to the requirement to undertake Equality Impact Assessments.

In Scotland Under The Microchipping of Dogs (Scotland) Regulations 2016 all owners are legally obligated to ensure their dog’s microchip details are recorded on a compliant database, and to keep their dog’s microchip details up to date.

Any owner who has not microchipped their dog in accordance with the 2016 Regulations could face a fine of up to £500.