Chamber and committees

Local authorities and Registered Social Landlords can already access funding of up to £25 million through the Rural Affordable Homes for Key Workers Fund to acquire or lease properties which can be used to provide homes to meet the needs of key workers. The Fund was launched in April 2023 and will run from 2023-24 to 2027-28. Information to assist local authorities and RSLs in acquiring properties is available on our website.

Local authorities and Registered Social Landlords should work closely with their Scottish Government area teams where they identify suitable projects.

The Scottish Government commissioned the Scottish School of Primary Care to undertake an independent evaluation of the Golden Hello initiative for GPs. The evaluation was published in March 2026: https://www.sspc.ac.uk/media/Media_1254907_smxx.pdf. The independent evaluation highlights that the scheme delivers modest but meaningful recruitment benefits, particularly for early career GPs, and reinforces the importance of positioning incentives within a wider package of support for GPs at the start of their careers.

The Golden Hello initiative does not currently apply to dentists or consultants. Any future expansion and improvement plans for Golden Hellos will be set out in due course.

As announced in Parliament on 03 March 2026, CMAL, as Procuring Authority for the MV Lord of The Isles replacement project, will follow the industry standard two stage competitive procurement. Following the initial SPD stage, qualifying shipyards able to bid for the contract. Scottish Ministers play no part in the procurement process.

Also announced on 03 March was our intention to direct award vessels from the next phase of the Small Vessel Replacement Programme to Ferguson Marine as part of a wider suite of publicly funded vessel projects, subject to the necessary due diligence and processes.

The Scottish Government is in the early stages of work to develop a future childcare expansion. This will draw on learning from the delivery of the expansion to 1140 hours, insights from our work in Early Adopter Communities, and the experience and voices of the childcare sector, parents, carers and children. Any expansion should be firmly focused on the needs of children and families.

In 2025, the Buchan Sustainable Transport Study was commissioned by the Campaign for North East Rail and the Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce, with funding from the Scottish Government’s Just Transition Fund.

Whilst the March 2026 target was not met, sustained progress continues to be made and waiting lists continue to fall in Scotland, with new outpatient waits over a year decreasing for 11 consecutive months and inpatient and daycase waits reducing for 15 months in a row.

We are determined to continue to build on this substantial progress and the focus remains on maintaining this trajectory and building on progress to eliminate the longest waits as quickly as possible to ensure people receive the treatment they need.

The Scottish Government has commissioned the sub national structures to develop a clear and deliverable plan to eradicate all long weeks over 52 weeks as soon as possible, including the prioritisation of those who have been waiting over 78 and 104 weeks.

The Scottish Government supports the Scottish Events Campus (SEC) ambition for growth and recognises its strong track record in hosting conferences, concerts and events. SEC makes a vital contribution not just to Glasgow’s economy, but to Scotland’s economy as a whole. We continue to engage with the SEC and partners to understand proposals for potential expansion, including proposed commercial and investment models that the SEC, Glasgow City Council and existing partners are considering. These proposals are at an early stage and the Scottish Government has not yet received any request for financial support or investment.

Further detail on our plan to expand mobile health services, as set out in the 2026 Manifesto, will be set out in due course. As decisions regarding the planning and delivery of services – including the use of mobile units – rest with individual Health Boards officials continue to meet regularly with NHS Boards across all policy areas to understand local provision and identify necessary actions to address emerging challenges.

Scottish Government recognises the value of ensuring high-quality and sustainable health services in all communities, and remains committed to the actions set out in the National Islands Plan and other strategic documents, such as the Service Renewal Framework, to deliver access to services across Scotland.

Our public consultation on a range of family law matters closed to responses on 21 April this year. These matters included the Scottish Law Commission's Report and draft Bill on the reform of cohabitants' financial rights on separation, cohabitants rights where their partner dies without leaving a will and extending the simplified divorce and dissolution procedures.

The consultation responses will be analysed and used as part of our final decision making process, along with a range of other available information and evidence. We will publish a report of this analysis.

The Scottish Government’s legislative programme will be agreed by Ministers and announced to Parliament in due course in the usual way.

Rail Recharged: Scotland’s Fleet Transition Strategy, published in November 2025, sets out how we will renew ScotRail fleets as they reach the end of their operational life in the coming years.

ScotRail is committed to ensuring its trains remain safe, reliable and fit for purpose. This is delivered through a programme of ongoing maintenance, periodic overhaul and targeted upgrades across its fleet. These activities are designed to sustain performance, extend asset life and enhance the passenger experience.

Improvements, including those made to class 158 trains so far, have involved upgrades to interiors, passenger information systems, and accessibility features, alongside technical modifications to support reliability and operational resilience.

This approach ensures the fleets can meet current service requirements while supporting wider objectives around passenger satisfaction and network performance.