I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-42760 on 16 January 2026. 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

I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

As explained in the answer to S6W-42080; as a public body we must uphold our statutory obligation to ensure everyone in our care has their personal information protected. Given that the 21 transgender people in our custody represent only 0.3% of the total prison population, we are unable to provide any further disaggregation of this data into which estate they are held in as there is a potential risk of identification of individuals due to the very small numbers involved.

You are aware of the current trans policy as set out in S6W-42080 ensures that no trans woman with a risk of violence against women and girls is placed in the female estate and that the relevant data on trans prison numbers is part of the data we publish on a quarterly basis, the last of which can be found here.

The Scottish Government published a High-Level Action Plan in November 2025, outlining current and planned actions in response to the UN Committee’s Concluding Observations. This Plan reaffirms Scotland’s commitment to advancing economic, social and cultural rights and provides a framework for collaboration and accountability. It includes actions we are taking in areas such as social security, housing, health, and education.

Later this year we intend to launch a new Human Rights Tracker – this will further strengthen our ability to take coordinated action on the devolved recommendations we receive from international human rights treaty bodies and to monitor progress.

The Scottish Government welcomes visions that promote the appropriate expansion of tree and woodland coverage across Scotland. We recognise the value of the 3-30-300 rule, alongside other mechanisms for identifying urban areas with low tree cover, as a means to target planting where it can deliver the greatest benefits. This includes building more resilient communities and addressing the twin challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss.

Our commitment to increasing access to urban woodlands and trees is demonstrated through support for the Woodlands In and Around Towns grants under the Forestry Grant Scheme, and through funding partnerships such as the Forth, Clyde and Fife Climate Forests that are delivering projects to expand tree canopy cover across towns and cities in Central Scotland.

The Scottish Government does not routinely collate information on how often if meets with individual sectors and so is unable to provide an accurate and comprehensive response. The details of all Ministerial engagements are proactively published by the Scottish Government and can be accessed here: Ministerial engagements, travel and gifts - gov.scot

However, the following information released in response to requests for information under the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004, and which relate to meetings between Ministers or officials and the Scottish salmon sector may be of interest.

• 52 Ministerial-sector meetings, plus five meetings of the Scottish Aquaculture Council took place between 11 September 2019 and 12 December 2024.
• 13 meetings took place between the Head of the Fish Health Inspectorate and Salmon aquaculture companies between 1 January 2022 to 26 July 2025.

Meetings are reflective of the need for Scottish Government to engage with industries and organisations which are subject to government policy and regulation.

The most recent phase of free school meal expansion to pupils in receipt of Scottish Child Payment in Primary 6 and 7 began from February 2025. This means 84% of pupils in primary schools in Scotland are now eligible to receive a free meal.

It is estimated that an additional 67,910 pupils would be eligible for free school meals if universal provision was extended to primary 6 and 7 pupils.

This information is available from School meal uptake statistics, 2023-24 supplementary statistics document which is available from Supporting documents - School meal uptake: 2023-24 - gov.scot

Officials from the Police Workforce, Diversity and Inquiry Sponsorship Unit attend the Scottish Police Pension Scheme Advisory Board (SAB), where a range of issues related to the Police Pension Scheme are discussed.

Minutes from the SAB are available on the Scottish Public Pension Agency website at: https://pensions.gov.scot/police/scheme-governance-and-legislation/scheme-advisory-board and they show that the SAB has not discussed police officers being unable to retire due to pension buyback or pension scheme interaction issues.

The Scottish Government is not aware of any negative price differentials between the purchase costs of gluten-free food products and the NHS reimbursement rate. The Scottish Drug Tariff contains information regarding the prescribing, dispensing and reimbursement of medicines and appliances. Gluten-free food products are reimbursed in line with this process.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that people living with long term conditions such as coeliac disease receive the care and support they need. People who have been diagnosed with coeliac disease or dermatitis herpetiformis can receive a range of gluten-free foods on prescription at no charge. There is a monthly unit allowance and people may choose to use all or part of that allowance to access these gluten-free items on prescription through their local community pharmacy. Health Boards set out the gluten-free food products available on prescription, taking account of local needs and demands, in their prescribing formularies.

Issues relating to police officers being unable to retire due to pension buyback or pension scheme interaction issues are operational matters for the Chief Constable with oversight from the Scottish Police Authority (SPA). Officials within the Police Workforce, Diversity and Inquiry Sponsorship Unit, have not had any discussions on these matters with the SPA or Police Scotland.