Chamber and committees

I have asked Gerard Hart, Chief Executive of Disclosure Scotland to respond. His response is as follows:

The Scottish Government’s National Innovation Strategy sets out an ambitious programme of actions which aim to use innovation as a key driver of productivity and economic growth.

Since 2007 productivity has grown at an average rate of 0.9% per year compared to the UK average of 0.3%. We continue to work with partners to build upon this and maximise opportunities for sustainable productivity growth.

The Scottish Government has allocated almost £228 million to Scottish Enterprise to support its activity in 2025-26. Scottish Enterprise is delivering on the actions set out by the Innovation Strategy’s Productivity Programme through its two missions aligned to innovation and productivity. These missions aim to:

1. Scale innovation strengths into high-growth industries, strengthen competitive sectors, support scaling companies, create high-value jobs and enhance global competitiveness.
2. Drive capital investment to boost productivity, by increasing business investment, raising productivity, and supporting higher-value employment opportunities that contribute to inclusive economic growth.

The Scottish Government is also working with the Productivity Institute and the University of Glasgow on an Innovation-Driven Productivity Study, which will deliver a productivity framework tailored to Scotland’s high-value sectors, supported by regional and sectoral case studies to inform future policy and practice.

The National Innovation Strategy sets a clear ten-year vision (2023–2033) for Scotland’s innovation and productivity ambitions. It provides a long-term direction for government and partners — a compass setting the course for our innovation journey. While the priorities established in 2023 remain fixed, the delivery of these priorities is designed to be adaptive, allowing programmes and actions to respond effectively to evolving economic conditions, technologies, and business needs, while maintaining alignment with the Strategy’s overarching objectives.

The Scottish Government does not hold this information centrally. Local authorities are responsible for paying foster carers’ allowances. Prior to the introduction of the Scottish Recommended Allowance in August 2023, the Scottish Government had no role in setting allowance rates.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6O-02777 on 23 November 2023 on advising that in 2023 the Scottish Government discussed school provision in the Dargavel and Bishopton areas with Renfrewshire Council. While the Scottish Government has since sought updates, it has had no role in developing the Park Mains High School expansion planning application (25/0510/PP), submitted to Renfrewshire Council on 30th June 2025. It is the statutory responsibility of local authorities to manage their school estates. Answer to oral questions can be found: Meeting of the Parliament: 23/11/2023 | Scottish Parliament Website

Primary responsibility for determining planning applications and local planning matters lies with the local planning authority in the first instance. All planning applications must be determined in accordance with the development plan, unless material considerations indicate otherwise. As this is a live planning case it would be not be appropriate to comment on the merits or handling of the case.

In 2025-26, the Scottish Government committed £975,000 to the National AI Adoption Programme, reflecting its ongoing support for the responsible and inclusive uptake of AI across Scotland’s business community.

Of this total, £290,000 will be delivered as direct grant support to businesses. This includes £200,000 for AI Transformation Grants, which are aimed at helping SMEs discover, explore and implement AI solutions that can drive significant change within their organisations. An additional £90,000 will fund AI Exploration Vouchers, designed to support businesses at the early stages of their AI journey by enabling them to test and explore potential use cases.

No funding has been allocated to loans within the 2025-26 programme. The remainder of the budget will be used to deliver a range of complementary support activities — including expert advice, engagement events and targeted outreach — to help build confidence, capability and awareness around AI adoption across the wider economy.

The Scottish Government is committed to improving perinatal and infant mental health services across Scotland. Anyone with more complex grief where engagement with specialist mental health services would be particularly beneficial should be able to access support through Maternity and Neonatal Psychological Intervention (MNPI) services, as part of their maternity and neonatal care.

Since 2019, our continued investment has resulted in a substantial increase in MNPI services across Scotland. All NHS Boards now provide these services either from a dedicated local team or, for very small Board areas, via pathways to MNPI care in larger Boards that host the maternity hospitals where the patient is receiving inpatient care.

To support greater funding stability, since 2025-26, funding is now included in the recurring baselined funds made available to NHS Boards to use flexibly to deliver the outcomes in the Enhanced Mental Health Outcomes Framework, which includes outcomes related to improving Perinatal and Infant Mental Health services.

The Scottish Government recognises the importance of timely access to psychological support, including psychological therapies for bereaved parents. One of the main ways this is provided is through Maternity and Neonatal Psychological Intervention (MNPI) services. For most parents who have suffered a pregnancy loss, bereavement and grief support provided by their Health Board or third sector organisations will meet their needs and they will not require specialist mental health services.

The Scottish Government funds the baby loss charity Sands to develop, and support NHS Boards to implement, the National Bereavement Care Pathway (NBCP) for pregnancy and baby loss in Scotland. The NBCP includes bereavement care for those who have experienced miscarriage and the sudden death of an infant. All 14 NHS Boards now officially signed up to the NBCP have appointed a NBCP Lead and are at different stages of implementation.

Our Delivery Framework for Miscarriage Care in Scotland, published on 6 February 2025, details work that will map out existing mental health services available following a pregnancy and baby loss to ensure that women can access appropriate mental health support, should they require it.

In 2025-26 the Scottish Government provided third sector organisations with £262,747 funding to support women and families who experience a pregnancy or baby loss.

A small number of parents experience more complicated grief and may benefit from engagement with specialist mental health services. If a parent is identified as requiring Maternity and Neonatal Psychological Intervention (MNPI) services in Scotland after the loss of their baby, they would typically be referred by their midwife, GP or other healthcare professional.

Since 2019, our continued investment has resulted in a substantial increase in MNPI services across Scotland. All NHS Boards now provide these services either from a dedicated local team or, for very small Board areas, via pathways to MNPI care in larger Boards that host the maternity hospitals where the patient is receiving inpatient care.

The loss of a baby, no matter at what stage of pregnancy, is a traumatic event that can have a profound impact on families. The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that families who have experienced a pregnancy or baby loss receive the right information, care and support tailored to their individual circumstances. This includes high quality, sensitive bereavement care and support.

For most parents who have suffered a pregnancy loss, bereavement and grief support provided by their Health Board or third sector organisations will meet their needs and they will not require specialist mental health services.

A small number of parents experience more complicated grief and may benefit from engagement with specialist mental health services. If a parent is identified as requiring Maternity and Neonatal Psychological Intervention (MNPI) services in Scotland after the loss of their baby, they would typically be referred by their midwife, GP or other healthcare professional.

The way in which MNPI services are provided will differ across Boards, depending on population size and birth rate but we expect those who need the services to be able to access them in all areas of Scotland. All NHS Boards now provide these services either from a dedicated local team or, for very small Board areas, via pathways to MNPI care in larger Boards that host the maternity hospitals where the patient is receiving inpatient care.

At the UK Spending Review the Scottish Government received a Barnett share of the net changes to UK departmental budget allocations, which ultimately fed into our total block grant settlement.

Any new or additional spending allocations in 2025-26 associated with this UK policy will be included in the overall budget calculation for the Scottish Government. However, spending changes related to Barnett funding arising from UK policy decisions are not allocated to any specific programme of work in Scotland.

All budget allocation decisions are taken as part of the Scottish Budget process.

In 2023-24 the Scottish Government permanently provided funding for smoking cessation and prevention services to Health Boards as part of the Outcomes Framework funding, which also covered a wider range of outcomes. In 2025-26 territorial Health Boards received an overall funding uplift of 3%.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-40861 on 28 October 2025. 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.