Chamber and committees

Decisions on the location of such developments are currently taken through Scotland’s plan-led planning system. This includes the National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4), which sets out national planning policies and priorities, alongside local development plans prepared by planning authorities. Together, these ensure that proposals are assessed in a consistent manner. Ministers are considering whether additional strategic coordination is required to support future investment, manage cumulative impacts on infrastructure, resources and communities. In a response to Martyn Day MSP on Thursday 25 June, I advised that the Scottish Government is urgently considering whether more formal guidance is required to help local planning authorities. In a response to Gillian MacKay MSP on Thursday 25 June, the First Minister set out that he is giving active consideration to whether the Scottish Government should provide planning guidance to balance the rapid expansion of hyperscale data centres with national energy and climate goals, which are vital to our future prosperity.

There were 38 inpatient or day case admissions during April 2026 that were completed in 12 weeks or less for NHS Tayside under the specialty of gynaecology, which equates to 50.7% admitted within the TTG. This compares to 55.1% of all gynaecology inpatient and day case waits completed in 12 weeks or less across NHS Scotland.

There were 37 inpatient or day case admissions during April 2026 that were completed over 12 weeks for NHS Tayside under the specialty of gynaecology, which equates to 49.3% of admissions exceeding the TTG. This compares to 44.9% of all gynaecology inpatient and day case waits completed in excess of 12 weeks across NHS Scotland.

The following table outlines how many homes have been built as part of successful applications for the Vacant and Derelict Land Investment Programme (VDLIP) since the fund’s introduction in 2021-22.

The 1,348 to 11 refers to over 52 week waits for gynaecology in NHS Tayside from July 2025 to April 2026. This is from the most recent stats published on 26th May 2026 Stage of treatment waiting times – new outpatients, inpatients and day cases 26 May 2026 - Stage of treatment waiting times - Publications - Public Health Scotland

The question of compliance of planning legislation with Article 6 of the ECHR was considered by the House of Lords in the case of Alconbury v Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions. In the Court’s 2001 decision it was found that the nature of the decision making process and the right to challenge decisions in the courts was sufficient to provide an Article 6 compliant procedure.

Local authorities have a statutory duty to ensure that funded ELC is available to the children residing within their own area and are also responsible for meeting the statutory guidance requirements in relation to cross-boundary placements.

This guidance is clear that, wherever possible, education authorities should make arrangements that ensure families accessing cross-boundary placements are treated on the same basis as families accessing provision locally. While local authorities do not have a statutory duty to provide funded ELC to children who reside outside their area, they have the power to do so under section 23 of the Education (Scotland) Act (1980).

To ensure families’ choice of provider is not limited by local authority boundaries, the Scottish Government encourages local authorities to work with neighbouring areas through Funding Follows the Child guidance, developed jointly by the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) and the Scottish Government.

Local authorities hold the statutory duty to ensure that funded ELC is available to the children residing within their own area, and are also responsible for meeting statutory guidance requirements in relation to cross-boundary placements.

The Scottish Government does not collect national data on which local authorities fund and invoice each other for cross-boundary funded early learning and childcare placements. Information on individual local authority cross-boundary policies may be available through local authority websites, or via local authority Early Years teams.

To ensure families’ choice of provider is not limited by local authority boundaries, the Scottish Government encourages local authorities to work with neighbouring areas through Funding Follows the Child guidance, developed jointly by the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) and the Scottish Government.

National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) designates “Green Data Centres” as National Development. Policy 24 of NPF4 supports Digital Infrastructure, encouraging, promoting and facilitating the roll out of digital infrastructure across Scotland to unlock the potential of all our places and the economy. The Scottish Government is a co-commissioner of the Strategic Spatial Energy Plan which will model likely energy demand up to 2050 and the generation approaches required to support that demand. In a response to Martyn Day MSP on Thursday 25 June, I advised that the Scottish Government is urgently considering whether more formal guidance is required to help local planning authorities. In a response to Gillian MacKay MSP on Thursday 25 June, the First Minister set out that he is giving active consideration to whether the Scottish Government should provide planning guidance to balance the rapid expansion of hyperscale data centres with national energy and climate goals, which are vital to our future prosperity.

We are actively considering the feasibility of a national data collection including considering the most meaningful and reliable metrics. Accurately capturing this information consistently at a national level presents complex technical and operational challenges impacted both by definitional variation as well as variation across systems in terms of physical layout, operational practice and existing recording mechanisms.

We are aware from engagement with stakeholders that the prevalence of patients receiving care in non-standard areas is too high. This is clearly not acceptable which is why our key priority remains addressing the underlying causes of high acute hospital occupancy which results in bed blocking and can lead to the provision of care in non-standard areas. We are focusing on improving patient flow so people are admitted, treated, and discharged safely and on time. As part of our first 100 days commitments, we will deliver a plan on Improving Flow in Hospitals which will set out improvement in end-to-end patient flow, ensuring people receive the right care, in the right place, at the right time.