Chamber and committees

All Credit Rating reports will cite factors that could influence a rating action.

Importantly, the Credit Rating results confirmed the Scottish Government as high investment grade, after assessing the credit fundamentals of the Scottish economy, the Scottish Government’s financial stewardship and the approach to debt management. These strengths remain.

In the event of fundamental constitutional change, the Scottish Government would be rated as a Sovereign Government, under a different methodology.

Strategic objectives for the Bond Programme were published in December 2023. These are:

1. To ensure the Scottish Government can access diverse and cost-effective sources of capital funding and enhance Scotland’s fiscal sustainability;

2. To raise Scotland’s profile to financial investors; and

3. To develop Scotland’s institutions and fiscal disciplines.

In November 2025 the Scottish Government published a summary Outline Business Case (OBC) assessing the case for the Bonds Programme. This provides an assessment of the range of total present value of additional costs in 2024-25 prices across different issuance options compared to borrowing via the NLF.

The Summary OBC can be accessed from Scottish Government bonds programme: outline business case summary - gov.scot

There is no single nationally agreed Scottish definition of ‘rapidly progressing cancer’ or ‘aggressive cancer’. Whilst clinicians may use terms such as these on occasion to support patients understand their diagnosis, they are not recognised as clinical descriptors.

Public Health Scotland reports cancer stage using standard stage groups one to four, with Stage One and Two typically classified as early-stage disease and Stage Three and Four as late-stage disease. Cases where stage cannot be assigned are reported as unknown stage.

Scottish Government Ministers have raised the unfair distribution of funds from the Fisheries and Coastal Growth Fund with UK Ministers on many occasions, most recently in the letter of 28 July from the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Rural Affairs to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Regrettably, UK Ministers have shown very little interest and have indicated they believe the matter is closed.

However, Scottish Government Ministers will continue to raise this topic until a satisfactory resolution is achieved.

Our Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Pathways, operational in six health boards across Scotland, provide primary care clinicians with access to a fast-track diagnostic pathway for people with non-specific symptoms suspicious of cancer, such as weight loss and fatigue.

For all other individuals with symptoms of cancer, the Scottish Government would expect primary care clinicians to refer to the Scottish Referral Guidelines for Suspected Cancer (SRGs). A clinical review of SRGs has been completed with updated guidance published on 6 August 2025

The £1.3 million allocated in the 2026-27 Budget is supporting the development of skills needed for the transition to sustainable and regenerative farming and food production. We are targeting that funding, on provision of training, advice and knowledge exchange for farmers, crofters, new entrants and rural businesses. The aim is to encourage businesses to take advantage of the opportunities presented to them to adopt sustainable practices aligned to the principles contained in the Code of practice on Sustainable and Regenerative Practice. Final decisions on any adjustments to allocation will be taken in due course.

Scottish Government’s expectations regarding Caledonian Sleeper performance are set out in https://www.sleeper.scot/media/rerpktgb/caledonian-sleeper-grant-agreement-current.pdf.

In addition, Caledonian Sleeper agrees its business plans annually with Scottish Rail Holdings (SRH), who manages and oversees Caledonian Sleeper services on behalf of Scottish Ministers and is required to hold Caledonian Sleeper to account for meeting its agreed targets. The Member may wish to contact SRH for this information.

The Scottish Government keeps farm animal welfare legislation under review to ensure it reflects the latest evidence and maintains Scotland’s high welfare standards. We have recently updated the Welfare of Farmed Animals (Scotland) Regulations and continue to work with stakeholders to identify and implement further improvements where appropriate. Scottish Government has committed to update the Welfare Codes of sheep and cattle in partnership with Defra and devolved administrations and we have recently published updated Codes for pig welfare. We are working with devolved administrations and Defra on improving welfare of lambs undergoing castration and tail docking by promoting suitable anaesthesia and analgesia.

Caledonian Sleeper Limited (CSL) performance is primarily monitored by Scottish Rail Holdings (SRH), who oversees CSL’s operations. The member may wish to contact CSL or SRH directly for the information requested.

In addition, the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) publishes statistical information on performance data regularly. Information starting from 2022-23 can be accessed here: https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/statistics/performance/passenger-rail-performance/.

Statistics on performance in years prior to that, can be found in the National Archives here: https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20200503203004/https:/orr.gov.uk