I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-44387 on 20 March 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 refer the member to the answer to question S6W-44387 on 20 March 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.

The Scottish Government does not hold this information centrally, as the data provided by Police Scotland for the production of recorded crime statistics consists solely of aggregate counts of the number and categories of crimes and offences recorded. We do not receive further detail that would allow us to identify whether any of these crimes, including offences of sexual assault, occurred within hospital settings.

Both Police Scotland and NHS Boards operate robust and well established recording systems, and they continue to gather and manage detailed operational information for their respective purposes. However, this level of detail is not supplied to the Scottish Government. The data we receive from Police Scotland does not specify whether a crime took place in a hospital, nor does it identify the NHS Board area in which crimes were recorded, although it does include the relevant local authority and police division.

The Scottish Government’s Service Renewal Framework and Public Service Reform Strategy set out long-term transformation to support sustainability.

This includes restructuring national NHS Boards by merging NES and NSS into Public Services Delivery Scotland, streamlining once-for-Scotland support and governance.

Health Boards in the East and West are required through sub-national arrangements to develop joint plans that improve equity and access across their populations.

We are strengthening integration authorities and progressing Single Authority Model development with three local partners to explore alternative governance approaches.

Any further structural changes will be for an incoming administration to determine.

Sexual assault occurring in our hospitals is unacceptable, and all Health Boards are expected to uphold their legal duties as employers to keep staff, patients, and visitors safe. Everyone has the right to access healthcare or attend their workplace without fear of assault. Patient and staff safety remains our absolute priority.

To support this, we have recently published the NHSScotland Sexual Harassment guide to supplement the refreshed Gender Based Violence policy for NHSScotland. The guide has been developed to support employees who are currently experiencing or have experienced sexual harassment in the workplace. This includes information on how to report incidents.

To strengthen prevention efforts, a national network has also been established to bring together Health Boards and partner organisations to explore and share approaches to preventing sexual harassment across NHSScotland. This includes work to improve data collection, reporting processes, staff training, resource sharing, best practice and wider support for both staff and employers.

Officials continue to work closely with Health Boards, NHS Education for Scotland (NES) and Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) to review current training provision and reporting mechanisms. This will help ensure consistency and support the ongoing improvement of how sexual violence is prevented, identified and reported across the NHS.

Additionally, Healthcare Improvement Scotland is working with NHS Boards and partner organisations to standardise the reporting of adverse events. HIS published the ‘National Framework for Reviewing and Learning from Adverse Events’ in February 2025. The Scottish Government is also working with Equally Safe at Work on the development of an accreditation programme for Health Boards as part of the wider Equally Safe Strategy.

Healthcare Improvement Scotland are working with all NHS boards and partner organisations to standardise the reporting of adverse events, and developed a national framework published in February 2025.

We expect all Health Boards to uphold their legal duties as employers in keeping staff, patients and visitors safe. Health Boards are expected to record all incidences of assaults using their local reporting systems and escalate to Police Scotland, where appropriate.

The Permanent Secretary is responsible for the Scottish Government’s operational arrangements, including its hybrid working policy.

Staff in roles compatible with hybrid working are expected to aim for working 40% of their contracted hours in person, either at a Scottish Government workplace or another agreed location, such as attending Parliament or working with stakeholders. This can include meetings, collaboration, training, fieldwork, or official travel, and may vary where a reasonable adjustment or agreed exemption applies.

Attendance is normally considered over a four-week period, and line managers monitor this to ensure arrangements meet business needs and align with the policy.

As outlined on page 17 of the Infrastructure Investment Plan 2021-22 to 2025-26: Major capital projects progress update (August 2025) the NHS Ayrshire and Arran National Treatment Centre has been paused.

We are currently working with all health boards to develop an NHS whole system infrastructure plan for Scotland. This will support continued safe and effective use of existing facilities as well as informing future investment priorities based on assessment of need across the whole of Scotland.

This Government is committed to building a vibrant, sustainable, and inclusive rural economy.

The Rural Entrepreneur Fund was a 2021-22 Programme for Government commitment to invest £20 million over the lifetime of the current parliament. However, in light of the challenging financial environment, the Scottish Resource Spending Review prioritised investment plans to ensure that they were deliverable, impactful and affordable. Consequently, there has been no money invested in the Rural Entrepreneur Fund to date.

We are providing support to our rural businesses through a variety of mechanisms, such as our Pathways Pre-Start programme, our Ecosystem Fund and our Techscaler network.

The Scottish Government does not expect to make any further announcements regarding the A9 Dualling Programme before the end of the current Parliamentary session. Regular progress updates and details of planned traffic management works are available on our dedicated A9 Dualling Programme website at the following link: www.a9dualling.scot.