Chamber and committees

The Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Rural Affairs announced the Pig Producers Scheme on Friday 10 July. This is a £2 million scheme for independent pig producers in Scotland to help with the significant market challenges facing the sector. The funding aims to support farms most at risk from a prolonged drop in pig prices, and those eligible will be able to claim the difference between the price they received for their pigs and 85% of the Standard Pig Price (SPP). The scheme will open to applications from 15 July, and the support will apply retrospectively to losses incurred since March, with provision for the scheme to continue until the end of August 2026.

Individual colleges in Scotland are responsible for their own operational decisions, such as ensuring systems are in place to assess and manage health and safety risks, and working with the relevant bodies to ensure they meet their legal responsibilities. The Scottish Government understands that City of Glasgow College has accepted the Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) findings in full and are implementing all corrective actions identified, which has resulted in the HSE’s intervention being closed.

As part of its ongoing monitoring and assurance processes, the Scottish Funding Council will continue to monitor the college’s progress to ensure improvements are followed through and that staff concerns are addressed.

The cost of waking watch measures implemented in buildings affected by unsafe cladding are as follows:

1.The total cost to date has been circa £6.5m.

2.The total budgeted costs for the 2026-27 Financial year are £1.2m.

3.The average monthly cost is £166,948.

(Period covered in relation to total cost (1) and average cost (3) is from March 2023 to July 2026. Budgeted costs for 2026-27 (2) could be subject to change as part of the annual budget process).

Scottish Government has directly met all of these costs.

We know that the impact of climate change means that summers in Scotland are likely to get drier which may impact summer water scarcity. As a result, it is vital that we take action both to limit further climate change and to adapt to the challenges it is already creating.

Scotland’s National Adaptation Plan sets out the actions that the Scottish Government and partners are taking to respond to the impacts of climate change, and Scotland’s National Water Scarcity Plan sets out how water resources are managed during periods of scarcity - including for users in agriculture and food production.

The Scottish Government supports farmers in efficient water management and to adapt to a changing climate, for example through the Agri-Environment Climate Scheme and through the Agricultural Reform Programme and monitors overall impacts on food production through the Food Security Unit.

The Scottish Government is aware that, as a result of the changes announced by the UK Government in its Budget in November 2025, Motability Operations announced in March 2026 that it would adapt its offer for new and renewing lease customers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland from 1 July 2026. The 1 July commencement is not set to apply in Scotland.

The Scottish Government has been working at pace with Motability to understand how any changes Motability makes to its customer offer as a result of the UK Government Budget announcements might affect the AVE Scheme and Motability customers in Scotland. Customers will be notified as soon as possible about changes that will apply in Scotland and the timeline for these.

Youth work falls within the scope of The Requirements for Community Learning and Development (Scotland) Regulations 2013. This regulation, in effect, requires local authorities to identify need and plan provision of Community Learning and Development (CLD) in their areas.

As the regulatory requirements for CLD are placed with education authorities, the Scottish Government does not collate information on youth workers.

The independent review of Community Learning and Development (Learning: For All. For Life.) report was published in July 2024 and recommended that the CLD Standards Council should lead on work to develop a CLD Workforce Plan.

The CLD Standards Council have established a working group with representation across the CLD sector to progress the recommendation and have also undertaken a National CLD Workforce Survey which will provide more detailed information on the youth work workforce.

Operational matters, including health and safety, remain the responsibility of individual institutions, with regulation and enforcement undertaken by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). The Scottish Government engages regularly with the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) on matters relating to the college sector.

In this instance, the SFC has engaged directly with City of Glasgow College and continues to monitor progress through its ongoing monitoring and assurance processes. The Scottish Government understands that City of Glasgow College has accepted the Health and Safety Executive’s findings in full and are implementing all corrective actions identified, which has resulted in the HSE’s intervention being closed.

The SFC will continue to engage with the College and seek updates as part of its ongoing oversight role.

As set out during the passage of the Non-surgical Procedures and Functions of Medical Reviewers (Scotland) Act 2026, the Scottish Government is considering amendments to the Healthcare Improvement Scotland (Requirements as to Independent Health Care Services) Regulations 2011. Assessment of the options and engagement with affected businesses and Healthcare improvement Scotland will begin over the coming months.

Any amendments to the Regulations will be made in advance of the offences in the Non-Surgical Procedures and Functions of Medical Reviewers (Scotland) Act coming into force. We intend that those offences come into force on 6 September 2027.

Clinical guidelines are intended to support and inform professional clinical judgement, not to replace it. Decisions regarding any specific clinical procedure or treatment must always be made on the basis of the individual patient’s clinical condition, personal circumstances, and expressed preferences, alongside the professional judgement of the responsible healthcare team.

Under current international development priorities, Scottish Government has identified Pakistan and Malawi as key countries for collaboration with British Council. Notably through Scotland Pakistan Scholarships for Young Women and Girls 2025 | British Council administered by British Council team in Pakistan and the Scotland Malawi partnership.

Scottish Government support for the British Council-run Scotland–Pakistan Scholarships for Young Women and Girls scheme has been in place since 2013, reflecting Pakistan’s status as a long-standing country of focus. As the Scottish Government’s longest-running international development programme, the scheme aims to remove barriers for women and girls to pursue and complete secondary education and transition to higher education.

A 2025 British Council evaluation found the programme has expanded girls’ access to education and improved their prospects of entering the labour market. By easing financial barriers and promoting inclusivity, it is driving long-term academic and professional growth and benefiting families and communities.