As I have said in my response to Parliamentary Question S6W-42512 on 12 January 2026, broadcasting is a reserved issue, and the switch-off of television transmitters - leading to internet-only access to television services - is a matter for the UK Government. We are clear on the importance of people in Scotland being able to continue to access the high-quality broadcast TV and radio services they rely on and enjoy, and we urge the UK Government to engage with all relevant parties to ensure that remains the case into the future, and to be particularly cognisant of inequitable impacts on vulnerable people, including those in rural communities and from lower socio-economic backgrounds.

To support connectivity and digital access, the Scottish Government has invested over £600 million in our Reaching 100% (R100) programme to deliver future-proofed broadband infrastructure, particularly in many of Scotland’s most hard-to-reach communities. Through our Connecting Scotland programme, we have also provided over 61,000 devices and, since 2023, delivered more than £389,000 in grant funding for local digital inclusion projects. In October 2025, we introduced two new funds worth £1.4 million to further support digital inclusion work. We also continue to work with partners to raise awareness of affordable connectivity options.

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.

Following a positive recommendation from the UK National Screening Committee, from the 12 January 2026, all newborn babies in Scotland will be eligible for testing for Hereditary Tyrosinemia Type 1 (HT1) through the existing bloodspot test. Introducing newborn screening for HT1 will enable earlier diagnosis and treatment for babies born with this life-threatening condition. This will significantly reduce the number of babies who develop severe liver disease as a result of this condition. It may also lower the likelihood that those diagnosed with HT1 will require a liver transplant later in life.

The review of facilities across the Scottish Government core estate is progressing at pace, though it is important that this work is completed thoroughly. While no fixed end date has been set, physical building surveys are complete and contractor reporting is expected to conclude by the end of March 2026. The next steps include will include reviewing outputs against EHRC guidance, undertaking an Equalities Impact Assessment, consulting with stakeholders, clarifying policy positions, and agreeing recommended actions with an implementation plan.

The Scottish Government does not hold information on the specific costs of flood insurance for residential properties. Insurance premiums are set by individual insurers who use commercial risk maps, developed by a number of providers, for pricing purposes.

SEPA’s flood risk maps are produced to inform public awareness, planning, and flood risk management. They are not commercial risk maps and are not developed for insurers to use to set premiums.

The Scottish Government continues to work in co-operation with the UK Government and the other devolved administrations to ensure flood insurance remains widely available and affordable. This includes engaging with the UK Flood Re scheme. Every insurer that offers home insurance in the UK must pay into the Flood Re scheme, raising £160m annually that is used to cover flood risks in home insurance policies for properties that might otherwise find it difficult to get insurance. Over 22,000 properties in Scotland were part of the scheme in 2025.

While insurance regulation is a reserved matter, the Scottish Government continues to engage with the UK Government and industry partners to ensure that the needs of households in Scotland are fully considered.

SEPA has a statutory duty to reduce overall flood risk and will provide advice accordingly to planning authorities in its role as a statutory consultee on development proposals. SEPA’s guidance has been taken forward with an approach consistent with advice from the Climate Change Committee.

NPF4 policy aims to strengthen flood resilience and reduce the vulnerability of existing and future development to flooding. The planning system requires decision makers to weigh up all relevant policies, for example, flood risk, quality homes, brownfield development and town centre living, in applying balanced planning judgement.

I met with the UK Minister for Energy Consumers most recently on 3 December during which the Warm Homes Plan was discussed.

In its advice to the Scottish Government on Scotland’s Carbon Budgets, the Climate Change Committee noted that “Making electricity cheaper, through rebalancing prices to remove policy levies from electricity bills, is a key recommendation the Committee have made to the UK Government and will be essential to delivering Scotland’s targets, in tandem with action by the Scottish Government.”

It is therefore legitimate that the Scottish Parliament should be able to consider the Heat in Buildings Bill in the context of the Warm Homes Plan and any UK-wide action that may be taken to make electricity cheaper. We will therefore continue to press the UK Government to share more information on the timing and content of the Plan in order to bring forward legislation whilst ensuring the transition to clean heat is affordable and deliverable.

Broadcasting is a reserved issue, and the Scottish Government has long been clear that it should be devolved, so that services can meet the needs of Scottish audiences. We join the public service broadcasters and other stakeholders in urging the UK Government to ensure that the future of digital terrestrial television is considered carefully, and any future switch-off of services is managed inclusively, and does not unfairly impact vulnerable people, including those in rural communities and from lower socio-economic backgrounds.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that everyone in Scotland has the skills, confidence, and access they need to participate fully in the digital world. In addition to digital inclusion programme delivery, the Scottish Government has commissioned and published research on a Minimum Digital Living Standard for Scotland, which will inform our future digital inclusion policy.

The Scottish Government does not hold this information centrally.

The Scottish Government does not hold centrally data on how many cases of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) in children have resulted specifically from delayed diagnosis in each of the last five years.

While information on diabetes diagnoses and hospital admissions for DKA is recorded nationally, through SCI-Diabetes, these datasets do not capture whether an episode of DKA was attributable to delayed diagnosis. Assessment of the clinical circumstances leading to DKA sits with local NHS Boards and care teams.

Reducing the number of children presenting in diabetic ketoacidosis remains a priority. Evidence shows that improved awareness, timely referral, and better glucose control can reduce the likelihood and severity of DKA.

Closed Loop Systems support more stable blood glucose control and provide early alerts that can help prevent deterioration and emergency admissions. Local experience in Scotland demonstrates sustained improvements in glycaemic control among children using these systems, reducing future risk of acute complications.

The Scottish Diabetes Survey 2024 highlights continued improvement in monitoring and technology uptake among children and young people, reinforcing the importance of prevention and early intervention across the pathway rather than retrospective attribution of individual cases.

Alongside technological advances, the Scottish Government continues to support early detection and prompt referral through national clinical guidance, professional education and the Diabetes Improvement Plan, overseen by the Scottish Diabetes Group. This approach is intended to reduce avoidable harm, including diabetic ketoacidosis, in children and young people with type 1 diabetes.

The Scottish Government has not engaged directly with families or clinicians calling for the introduction of routine point-of-care testing for diabetes symptoms. However, we regularly engage with Diabetes Scotland and other third-sector organisations, and clinicians, through forums such as the Scottish Diabetes Group, which provide opportunities for clinical leaders and patient representatives to inform policy development.

We also engage with people with lived experience of diabetes through events such as World Diabetes Day and other awareness activities, ensuring their perspectives help shape our approach to improving care and early diagnosis.

Through these channels, we ensure that views from healthcare professionals, organisations supporting families and those directly affected by diabetes are considered in shaping policy.