Chamber and committees

Self-referral pathways will feature in the National Eating Disorders Network’s webinar Early Intervention for Eating Disorders in Scotland: Real-World Examples of Service-Based Changes in Scottish Health Boards. This will take place on 12 March 2026.

Further webinar dates are still to be confirmed.

The position of the Scottish Government has not changed: we support fully dualling the A96 and we are already starting the dualling process from Inverness to Nairn, including a Nairn Bypass.

I can confirm today that we remain committed to dualling the A96 and are pressing forward steps to make this happen.

The commitment to progressing A96 dualling is included in the Scottish Spending Review 2026 along with the Infrastructure Delivery Pipeline 2026, both of which were published on 13 January 2026.

Investment in the trunk road network over the four year Capital Spending Review period to 2029/30 will allow us to make further progress on dualling the A96 between Inverness and Nairn, including the Nairn Bypass, and the adjacent A9/A96 Inshes to Smithton link road.

With the land acquired for both schemes in 2025, funding is included in the 2026-27 draft Budget to commence the delivery of advanced works. This will include vital archaeological investigation works and other key environmental and ecological measures, along with significant work to facilitate complex Public Utility diversions.

In parallel to the advanced works, this investment in 2026-27 will also allow Transport Scotland to continue to take forward the work to determine the most suitable procurement option for delivering these schemes and further develop the Business Cases.

The Scottish Government’s preference would be to deliver the A96 Dualling Inverness to Nairn (including Nairn Bypass) as one project. However, due to the continued fiscal challenges, it is planned that we will take forward a phased approach to delivery, starting with the Nairn Bypass, followed by the remaining sections of the scheme, from Seafield, east of Inverness, to Balloch and then on from Balloch to the Nairn Bypass.

Completion of the preparatory work, including approval of the Business Cases, will enable a firm timetable for delivery to be set as part of the annual budget setting process, with a view to commencing procurement of the main works contract for the Nairn Bypass and the A9/A96 Inshes to Smithton link road within this capital spending review period.

The Capital Spending Review allows for the commencement of the construction of the A9/A96 Inshes to Smithton link road in 2028-29 and the Nairn Bypass in
2029-30, subject to business case approval and confirmation of funding beyond the spending review period. We also expect to commence the delivery of advanced works for the Seafield to Balloch section of the scheme during this capital spending review period.

Despite the current fiscal position and following the A9/A96 Inshes to Smithton and A96 Dualling Inverness to Nairn (including Nairn Bypass) schemes, the Scottish Government will continue to progress improvements to the A96 eastwards, including an Elgin Bypass. Next steps in taking forward an Elgin bypass will include further route development and preparatory considerations.

As part of the then Bute House Agreement the Scottish Government agreed to undertake a review of the A96 corridor. The detailed appraisal stage of the A96 Corridor Review was published in November 2024 and Transport Scotland has consulted on the draft outcomes.

The 12-week consultation, which ended on 21 February 2025 with over 1,400 responses received, provided the public and other stakeholders with the opportunity to fully consider and feedback on the findings from the appraisal. The feedback received has been collated and analysed by Transport Scotland with a report summarising this feedback published on 19 June 2025.

The Scottish Government has listened to the important views of the people of the north and north east along with stakeholders on the draft outcomes from the review and that is why a phased approach to dualling the A96 is its response to the Review. It is clear to this government how vital improvements are to the route to improve safety, remove strategic traffic from settlements along the corridor and support economic growth in response to the fiscal challenges this country continues to face.

The Scottish Government has been clear that the current system of transmission charging is unfit for purpose and unfairly penalises Scottish renewable energy generators, putting them at a commercial disadvantage. I and Officials regularly raise this with UK Government including most recently with Minister Shanks on 21 January at the Offshore Wind Roundtable.

The Scottish Government has been clear that the current system of transmission charging is unfit for purpose and unfairly penalises Scottish renewable energy generators, putting them at a commercial disadvantage. I and Officials regularly raise this with UK Government including most recently with Minister Shanks on 21 January at the Offshore Wind Roundtable.

We are unequivocal that the UK Government must, as a matter of urgency, set out the long-term direction of reforms to the transmission charging regime. The current charging system makes Scottish projects less competitive in Contracts for Difference (CfD) auctions and undermines investor confidence. We have therefore been equally clear that the UK Government must also set out measures to address the impacts of unfair transmission charges in the short to medium term.

The Scottish Government has been clear that the current system of transmission charging is unfit for purpose, and unfairly penalises Scottish renewable energy generators, putting them at a commercial disadvantage and Officials regularly raise this with UK Government including most recently with Minister Shanks on Wednesday 21 January at the Offshore Wind Roundtable.

We are unequivocal that the UK Government must, as a matter of urgency, set out the long-term direction of reforms to the transmission charging regime. The current charging system makes Scottish projects less competitive in Contracts for Difference (CfD) auctions and undermines investor confidence. We have therefore been equally clear that the UK Government must also set out measures to address the impacts of unfair transmission charges in the short to medium term.

The Scottish Government does not collect data on the implementation of the PEACE pathway.

We are aware that several NHS Boards are implementing the pathway across both CAMHS and adult services, and that others are interested in progressing this work.

To support Boards wanting to implement the PEACE pathway, the Eating Disorders National Network previously organised a webinar, where over 100 attendees heard from experts, and one of the Boards currently implementing the pathway locally.

The Scottish Government’s grant funding to Beat provides places for Continuing Professional Development (CPD) training for those in Scotland, and a recent webinar on eating disorders and autism included content on the PEACE pathway.

The Scottish Government does not routinely collect data on which NHS Boards accept child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) self-referrals from those with eating disorders.

The Scottish Government’s National Specification for the Care and Treatment of Eating Disorders in Scotland sets out the expectation that pathways and processes are developed with people with living/ lived experience, ensuring accessible and responsive care, including self-referral options. Specialist eating disorder services should be supported to accept self-referrals.

Through the Eating Disorders National Network, we continue to work with Boards to understand how best to support them in this area, and plan to host webinars on self-referral pathways.

The National Eating Disorder Network are considering how to take forward the longer term recommendations of the National Review of Eating Disorder Services.

This includes building, implementing and evaluating a public health strategy for Scotland that makes eating disorder prevention everyone's business, including social media companies.

Keeping young people safe online is of paramount importance for the Scottish Government, and prevention is key. While regulation of the internet remains a reserved matter, we have successfully engaged with the UK Government on its Online Safety Act to strengthen protections for young people.

Ministers met Ofcom in August 2024 to emphasise the responsibility of tech firms to deliver effective safeguards for young people online, and in June 2025 to discuss ongoing implementation and regulation of the Online Safety Act and possible further action. The First Minister wrote directly to tech firms in 2024 to remind them of their responsibilities and Ministers have invited X, Meta, Snap Inc and TikTok to meet.

We will continue to engage with the UK Government and Ofcom on the implementation of this important piece of legislation and to press for stronger protections to help keep children and young people in Scotland safe online.

Eating disorder charity Beat promotes its services through existing partnerships with clinical services, carer organisations, Health Boards, universities, and education authorities. This financial year, we have provided over £600,000 to Beat.

For mental health more generally, we have invested £164 million in community-based mental health support for adults and children since 2020.