Chamber and committees

I have commissioned a review of the Scottish Government’s Wildfires Strategic Action Plan and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service’s (SFRS) standard operational assurance processes will capture debriefs from attending crews and officers.

In addition, the SFRS have also commissioned an independently led review at a wider partner and multi-agency level to identify issues arising from the Cairngorms wildfire in order to maximise organisational learning and instil public confidence.

These reviews will provide partners with the opportunities to explore issues and experiences arising during this wildfire, ensuring lessons learned are taken forward and that future arrangements are fully informed by operational experience and the expertise of those at the forefront of wildfire management.

While a diagnosis can be important for some people and their wellbeing, in line with GIRFEC, GIRFE and our National Neurodevelopmental Specification for Children and Young People, the Scottish Government’s priority is ensuring people receive the right support, at the right time, based on their needs - and not be required to wait for a diagnosis to access help.

In 2025-26, we provided over £2.9 million additional funding to a number of organisations and projects to improve access to neurodevelopmental support. The 2026-27 Budget includes additional investment of £7.6 million to enable improvements in neurodevelopmental support for children and young people. We also continue to invest in community support through our £2.5 million Autistic Adult Support Fund.

The supply of medicines, and the associated legislation, is a matter reserved to the UK Government.

Since the outset of the supply disruption, the UK Medicines Shortage Response Group (MSRG)'s advice to prescribers has been to switch patients to hydrocortisone sodium succinate 100mg powder for injection, where clinically appropriate. This was communicated to Health Boards and prescribers via a Scottish Government Medicines Supply Alert Notice (MSAN) on 22 January 2025.

Patients who are concerned about the additional preparation steps required when using this powder formulation for emergency injections may wish to discuss with their clinician whether an alternative unlicensed hydrocortisone product would be appropriate for them.

The Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce have met three times this year and each of the minutes have been published on gov.scot which details the work discussed. This can be found here Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce - gov.scot.

On June 11 2026 the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Care announced the Independent Review of Maternity Services in Scotland. Professor Christine McCourt, Chair of the Independent Review will begin her work in September.

The high-level principles of the Independent Review were published on 11 June and are available to read here: https://www.gov.scot/publications/maternity-services-independent-review-principles/

We are currently considering the remit of the Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce and how it may lead on current improvement work, including the HIS Inspection findings whilst the independent review of maternity services takes place.

It is up to individual owners to consider how they manage their pets whilst evacuating their home with consideration given on how to keep them safe and secure. We would encourage pet owners to consider what to do with their pets as part of a home escape plan. However, escape should not be delayed in order to locate or evacuate distressed animals. The last known location of your pet can be given to the fire service on arrival who will consider this in their plan.

SFRS provide information on fire safety in the home on their website: Fire Safety in the Home | Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. They also provide information and guidance regarding wildfires: Wildfires | Scottish Fire and Rescue Service as well as advice on making an escape plan: Escape plan | Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.

A remote sale is any sale where the seller or a person acting on the seller's behalf is not in the presence of the buyer at the point of sale. Section 33 of the Crime and Policing Act 2026 (2026 Act) makes changes to the current requirements falling on remote sellers of bladed products found within the Criminal Justice Act 1988. Section 35 of the 2026 Act makes changes to the current requirements arising for the delivery of bladed products purchased remotely found within the Offensive Weapons Act 2019.

Royal Assent for the 2026 Act was received in late April 2026 and the relevant changes in sections 33 and 35, most of which also apply across the UK, will be commenced in due course further to engagement with UK Government and justice agencies.

In May 2025, UK Government officials made the Scottish Government aware that the UK Government intended to publish a consultation relating to licensing of the sale of knives. This was subsequently published in December 2025 with the consultation finishing in February 2026. As yet, the Scottish Government is not aware of specific proposals from the UK Government to introduce such a scheme following the consultation and will be happy to discuss with the UK Government as any such proposals are developed in terms of any impact for Scotland. In particular, the need to consider the operation of any licensing scheme in respect of the importation of knives will be required by the UK Government for Scotland as this area of law is likely reserved under the Scotland Act 1998.

There is long-standing knife dealer licensing in Scotland operated by local authorities that applies to all retailers including online retailers who sell weapons covered by the licensing scheme. This is unlike the situation in England and Wales.

The Scottish Government is committed to supporting high standards of animal health and welfare and to ensuring that regulatory systems operate in a transparent and proportionate manner. Any decisions on the routine publication of inspection reports must balance transparency with legal obligations, including the protection of personal data and commercially sensitive information.

Scottish Government officials engage regularly with APHA on animal health and welfare matters. However, The Scottish Government has no plans to request that the Animal and Plant Health Agency or the UK Government routinely publish fish welfare inspection reports.

Within the Scottish Government, policy responsibility for Health and Care Research sits with the Chief Scientist Office (CSO).

CSO runs a number of research project and fellowship funding programmes. These are open to applications for research across the clinical spectrum, including mesothelioma. These funding opportunities are well known among the health research community in Scotland.

Response Mode Funding Schemes – Chief Scientist Office

Fellowship Funding – Chief Scientist Office

CSO research project and fellowship funding is awarded following a rigorous independent expert review process. Applications on the diagnosis, treatment and management of mesothelioma from the University of Glasgow and Queen Elizabeth University Hospital are welcomed. Any such applications would go through CSO's standard evaluation process to enable funding decisions to be made.

The Scottish Government has not had any direct discussions with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) regarding encouraging manufacturers to submit a licensing application for the ACT-O-Vial hydrocortisone system and other similar products, as medicines regulation and licensing are reserved matters.

The decision to market a product in the UK rests with the pharmaceutical company. Neither the MHRA nor the UK or Scottish Governments can compel a pharmaceutical company to seek a marketing authorisation for, or supply, a product in the UK market.

The Solu-Cortef Act-O-Vial® 100 mg/2 mL injection is not licensed in the UK but may be supplied as an unlicensed imported medicine through specialist importers where clinically appropriate. Community pharmacists wishing to obtain this product are required to seek approval from their Health Board before ordering an unlicensed import.