Chamber and committees

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-30385 on 25 October 2024. 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 most recent, May 2026 timetable has also seen the four trains per hour frequency being adjusted to operate later in the day on Saturdays; now operating between 10:30 and 18:00, to better reflect passenger demand.

In the calendar year to December 2025 the core Scottish Government made a reduction of 2.5% in its total workforce, including both directly employed FTE and contingent worker headcount, as a result of tighter recruitment controls being implemented and taking effect.

The increases in the overall number has occurred in specific public bodies outside of core Scottish Government. As tighter recruitment controls are rolled out across Public Bodies we will see headcount reductions there too to meet our targets going forward.

Whilst we cannot comment on a live procurement, CMAL have previously stated the questions in the SPDS (Single Procurement Document Scotland) for the vessel replacement have been designed to ensure the best outcome for island communities.

The Scottish Government values the contribution of the NHS Scotland workforce and is committed to supporting those who choose to pursue a career in healthcare. Scottish Ministers have overseen 14 consecutive years of growth in the NHS Scotland workforce, invested in the terms and conditions of staff and continue to deliver activity flowing from both the Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce and the Future Medical Workforce Project to support these professions. The Scottish Government is committed to building on this progress and will set out further detail on the proposed job guarantee in due course.

There is no further update at this time and this remains a complex matter, as previously indicated in the answer to S6W-27329 on 17 May 2024. Any introduction of RET on Gourock to Dunoon routes would require careful consideration of a number of issues, including Subsidy Control requirements.

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 has not had any direct engagement with Aeralis Ltd, or its representatives, following the company entering administration.

Scotland has a significant defence manufacturing base. Delays to the UK Defence Investment Plan continue to contribute to ongoing uncertainty for Scottish industry, where clarity and certainty are critical to investment and planning decisions.

The Scottish Government continues to engage with partners, including Scottish Enterprise, to monitor developments and assess any implications for investment and employment, including at Glasgow Prestwick Airport.

There is currently no fully established national clinical pathway for Ehlers–Danlos syndromes (EDS) or hypermobility spectrum disorders (HSD) specifically commissioned by NHS Scotland.

Clinical pathways, including any dedicated pathways for EDS or HSD, can be developed by individual NHS boards under established clinical governance arrangements, informed by clinical evidence, service needs and local population need.

Where proposals are put forward for pathway development, these are considered through established, clinically led processes by NHS and relevant national delivery partners.

The Scottish Government remains committed to the Aberdeen to Central Belt Enhancement project.

The timescales for the Aberdeen to Central Belt Service Improvement project remain under review and will be subject to investment decisions based on a Final Business Case. In terms of affordability, it has been determined that the project, and associated benefits, can be delivered in a phased manner with the first of those phases being the section from Dundee to Arbroath. This has been communicated to stakeholders including Nestrans and Aberdeen City Council via its City Region Deal Joint Committee.

Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) established a short-life working group in March 2026 to collaborate with all NHS Boards and key partners in developing robust, consistent guidance for the implementation of Martha’s Rule. The group is co-designing an implementation plan, with rollout across all Scottish NHS Boards, where work not already underway, planned throughout 2026–2027.

Initially, the work is focusing on roll out in acute paediatric and adult hospital settings, however, HIS will also support Boards to consider how they can then implement Martha’s Rule more widely in line with their local context and needs of their population.

The Scottish Government does not hold this information. Golden Hello payments are issued to eligible GPs by NHS Territorial Health Boards.

NHS Boards are not required to inform the Scottish Government of the number of Golden Hello payments that are made to eligible GPs. NHS Boards are responsible for all contractual arrangements with their GP practices. As a result, the Scottish Government does not routinely monitor these arrangements.

The Golden Hello initiative does not currently apply to dentists or consultants.