Chamber and committees

All aspects of the incident at Union Corner in Glasgow are being thoroughly investigated via a multi-agency investigation; this is currently underway and will establish the full circumstances when it is safe to do so. If there are lessons to be learnt from this fire, all levels of government will need to do so and, if it leads to the need for further regulation or policy guidance to ensure the safety of people and buildings, the Scottish Government is very open to that. However, it is important that the investigation is allowed to conclude so that the facts can be fully established, rather than speculated upon.

Planning applications are considered on a case-by-case basis, including an assessment of potential impacts.

The Scottish Government response to the independent Expert Group’s Roadmap, published in November 2025, sets out the associated actions we are already taking to transform the lives of people across Scotland.

However, the UK Government retains powers over a number of key policy levers, including the minimum wage, living hours and Universal Credit, needed to fully address the Group’s recommendations .

We are making progress towards the ambitions we share with the Expert Group by investing in policies which tackle poverty and address the cost of living, providing the strongest package of financial support for families anywhere in the UK.

NHS Highland remains committed to implementing the agreed hybrid vaccination model, with GP practices leading childhood vaccination delivery and the Board’s immunisation team supporting harder to reach families. This approach reflects the flexibility needed to ensure safe, local access to services.

This is not about shifting vaccination wholly to GPs, but adopting a model tailored to Highland’s specific challenges. I reassure Mr Ewing that I continue to encourage constructive collaboration to achieve the best outcomes for children and families.

Police Scotland is a key partner on Scotland’s Serious Organised Crime Taskforce, which I chair. At our meeting in February, Police Scotland updated members on a range of SOC-related issues including illegal drugs. In 2025 Police Scotland seized almost 80 million pounds worth of drugs including multiple high-value cannabis cultivations.

The largest cultivation found in Scotland to date was in Kirkcaldy in June, when plants with an estimated value of 12 million pounds were seized.

The childhood assistance section of the Social Security (Amendment) (Scotland) Act 2025 provides powers to legislate for Scottish Child Payment as a standalone benefit. Any future developments would need to take into account finance availability, cost effectiveness and delivery and legal implications.

Data on collisions which cause injury and take place on the road network, including adjacent pavements and cycle lanes, is collected by Police Scotland as part of the Great Britain-wide dataset known as STATS19.

The following table provides the recorded number of casualties injured in collisions involving e-scooters over the last three years for which we have finalised data.

Number of casualties in e-scooter collisions, by severity:

Planning applications are considered on a case-by-case basis. Applications for planning permission for a new retail premises would be determined by the relevant planning authority in accordance with the development plan unless there are material planning considerations which, in the authority’s opinion justify a departure from that plan. It would be for the relevant planning authority to consider whether, and if so how, proximity to existing infrastructure is relevant to a decision on the application. Changing the type of goods sold within an existing shop does not generally require planning permission.

Similarly, applications for a building warrant require case by case consideration by a local authority verifier. Where a building warrant is required for a change of use the applicant and verifier should consider the extent to which the building standards apply, including those to address the spread of fire within and to neighbouring buildings.

The Scottish Government is currently undertaking public consultation through a Call for Evidence in relation to fire safety standards. This consultation is seeking industry views on new and emerging fire safety issues and a review of current guidance, and will close on 10 April.

Scottish building regulations - fire safety review and compliance: call for evidence - gov.scot

Responsibility for delivering 1140 hours of funded ELC sits with local authorities, who have a statutory duty to consult with families in their area about how they should make ELC available.

Current arrangements for when children become eligible for funded early learning and childcare (ELC) are set out under the Provision of Early Learning and Childcare (Specified Children) (Scotland) Order 2014. Three-year-olds are eligible to start funded ELC from the relevant start date, which is usually the term after their 3rd birthday, and does not vary in relation to the number of siblings.

Local authorities have powers to provide funded ELC from an earlier date, if they choose to do so.

At a national level, the Scottish Government funds earlier access to ELC for eligible two-year-olds – those we believe will benefit the most – based on a range of research which shows that while attending high quality ELC improves outcomes for all children, children facing the most disadvantage, benefit the most.

The aim of the 1140 policy is to support affordability and improve outcomes for all eligible children and their families, with 1140 hours per year offered to all 3- and 4-year-olds and eligible 2-year-olds and we have invested around £1 billion every year since 2021 to support that.

Families who are not yet eligible for funded early learning and childcare (ELC) can access financial support with childcare costs through either Universal Credit or Tax-Free Childcare. Tax-Free Childcare support is per child, and the upper limit on Universal Credit support with childcare costs is also set higher for families with more than one child. The Scottish Child Payment and Best Start Grant are also both paid on a per-child rather than per-family basis.

All local authorities have the discretion to make funded ELC available to address specific needs, and parents are encouraged to engage with their local authority to ensure that their needs are known and understood.

As clearly set out in the Lord Advocate’s letter to the Presiding Officer of 24 February 2026, the Lord Advocate was advised on two occasions that it was appropriate to provide limited factual information to the government in relation to the case against Peter Murrell. First, on his appearance in court on March 2025 and then again on the service of the indictment in January 2026.

On each occasion, given the extremely high level of publicity which the investigation had attracted, it was appropriate to provide the government with appropriate and limited confirmation of decisions taken by the independent prosecutor and the nature of the charges. This also served to protect proceedings where there is a strong likelihood that ministers will be asked about prosecution decisions. Each minute also provided reassurance that the Law Officers had no operational involvement in prosecutorial decision making in this case.