Chamber and committees

MyCare.scot was rolled out nationally across Scotland from April 2026 and will continue to develop incrementally through the Scottish Government’s Digital Front Door (DFD) programme. Future functionality will depend on wider national digital programmes, including the Digital Prescribing and Dispensing Pathways (DPDP) Programme and GP IT reprovisioning.

We have committed to implement a national ban on smart phones in learning environments and will begin a consultation to inform this legislation in the first 100 days of this government. The consultation will gather views on the potential scope of the restrictions and will help ensure a range of views from children, young people, parents and carers, and school staff are able to shape the new law.

Our current guidance, published in 2024, is clear that headteachers and education authorities can any take steps they see fit to respond to the disruption caused by mobile phones, including up to full restrictions across the school estate and the school day. We are working with education authorities to update the current guidance to encourage schools to bring in restrictions from the start of August, in advance of the change in law. This guidance will be published this summer, in preparation for the new school year.

I confirmed during my Parliamentary statement that, in line with the government’s public health approach to online harms, my preference is for a full campus ban but that I will consider the consultation responses on this matter.

The Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB) keeps arrangements relating to parliamentary passes, access permissions and personnel security requirements under regular review. A specific review of security passes, vetting requirements and access permissions is currently underway to ensure that arrangements are proportionate and appropriate to the threat and risk faced by the Parliament and reflect national security advice provided by security partners. The review will also take account of the recommendations of the Inclusive Parliament Review and the SPCB’s commitment to fostering a safe, inclusive and respectful working environment through its zero-tolerance approach to all forms of unacceptable behaviour. The outcome of that review will inform any future changes to pass eligibility, access permissions and personnel security requirements.

There are no plans at present to extend pass eligibility to additional family members of Members, as there is no security rationale to do so. Existing arrangements recognise the special status of spouses or partners only in limited circumstances, including accompanying Members to official events and functions. The SPCB also keeps under review the arrangements for Members’ staff. Following approval by the previous SPCB of a revised Personnel Security Policy, Members’ local office staff were brought within the scope of the Parliament’s personnel security framework. Accordingly, any staff working for a Member, whether in a paid or voluntary capacity, must be security cleared before they can become passholders or be given access to parliamentary assets.

The SPCB’s approach is based on the principle that access to the parliamentary estate should be granted only where there is a clear business need to enter the building. Parliamentary passes are therefore issued to individuals whose role or function requires regular access to the estate. The minimum baseline for most parliamentary passholders is currently Counter Terrorist Check (CTC) security clearance. This reflects UK Government personnel security guidance that CTC clearance is appropriate for individuals whose role involves proximity to public figures who may be at particular risk from terrorist attack, access to information or material which may be of value to terrorists, or unescorted access to locations assessed to be at particular risk from terrorist attack. Members of the Scottish Parliament are public figures and, as elected representatives, may be subject to threats and risks which require appropriate protective security measures. The requirement for a clear business need, together with proportionate personnel security measures, helps protect Members, their staff, parliamentary information and the wider parliamentary community. It also supports the Parliament’s ability to maintain appropriate controls over access to the estate and helps safeguard against improper influence, lobbying activity or other misuse of parliamentary assets.

I refer the Member to the answers to the Parliamentary Questions S7W-00859 and S7W-00860 on 16 June 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 S7W-00640 on 8 June 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 S7W-00151 on 1 June 2026. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found athttps://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.

I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-00845 on 16 June 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 S7W-00843 on 16 June 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 S7W-00845 on 16 June 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 S7W-00712 on 16 June 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