Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government recognises the continued pressures facing Police Scotland’s ability to support abnormal load movement requirements for the energy industry and continues to meet regularly with Police Scotland and industry.

The escorting of abnormal loads often requires traffic to be stopped and directed and in Scotland such action can only be undertaken by police officers. The legislation which underpins this requirement is reserved to the UK Government.

The Scottish Government is working closely with the UK Government to identify workable solutions. However, any legislative change in this area would require action by Westminster.

The Scottish Government will publish a summary of responses to the compulsory purchase reform consultation shortly, and will provide an update on the reform programme in line with our commitment for the first 100 days of government.

The Scottish Government does not hold data on how many missed GP appointments there have been in each year since 2021, broken down by NHS board.

PHS publishes information relevant to this question using GP encounters data as part of the General Practice in-hours activity visualisation publication. Encounters are not the same as appointments as not all encounters will be recorded on an appointment booking system. Further information on the limitations of this data can be found on the publication website.

Pay supplements are operational matters for the Scottish Government Civil Service and are, by design, temporary and subject to periodic review. They are typically approved for a fixed term of up to three years and may be continued, varied, or withdrawn based on the outcome of that review. These supplements are attached to specific roles rather than individuals and are used to address recruitment and retention pressures in areas where market conditions require it.

The Scottish Government recognises the pressures facing Local Government and that is why the Local Government Settlement provided record funding of £15.7 billion for 2026-27. Local authorities also have a range of revenue raising powers that are not available to other public services and the ability to borrow to fund their capital programme.

The vast majority of funding allocated by the Scottish Government is provided by means of a block grant and it is then for individual Local Authorities to allocate the total resources available to them, on the basis of local needs and priorities.

The Scottish Government have had to take difficult decisions in light of the disappointing capital settlement from the UK Government’s Spending Review. However, the Scottish Government has a long history of working with COSLA and Local Authorities to make sure Council finances are sustainable and that available resources can meet long-term commitments.

Decisions on future Local Government Settlements will be the subject of negotiations with COSLA on behalf of all 32 Local Authorities and announced as part of the outcome of future Scottish Budgets.

Decisions on council tax levels and charges for local services are a matter for Councils to determine locally.

The Scottish Government encourages Local Government to consult with their communities to inform decisions and consider the potential impacts of charges or taxation, particularly on low-income households and vulnerable groups. However, as long as they act lawfully, it is up to each local authority how it manages its day-to-day business and decision-making processes.

Social Security Scotland does not collect employment information as part of the Adult Disability Payment application process because it is a non-means tested benefit intended to help people with a disability or long-term health condition that affects their everyday life. Eligibility is not linked to whether someone is in work.

The aim of consolidation legislation is to bring together, restate and simplify existing legislation, not to review or change the underlying policy framework or levels of protection afforded to particular species.

The Scottish Government has therefore not asked the Scottish Law Commission to consider strengthening or harmonising protections for different species as part of their consolidation of nature legislation project.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that the offshore wind opportunity for Scotland is realised, maximising economic growth and creating well-paid jobs in communities across Scotland.

Including the Scottish National Investment Bank's investment in the Port of Ardersier, more than £150 million has been invested in projects to strengthen port infrastructure and supply chain capability. This is leveraging up to £675 million in private investment and £70 million from UK public finance institutions into projects that have the potential to support up to 5,000 jobs.

A list of announced investments can be found on the Scottish Government website.

Social Security Scotland publishes expenditure and caseload statistics for the benefits it administers. However, expenditure information is not routinely collected or published by age group and benefit type.

As a result, information on welfare payments made to 16 to 24-year-olds in each of the last five years, broken down by benefit type, is not available.