Chamber and committees

We expect Health Boards to plan for their workforce in conjunction with their responsibilities under the Health and Care (Staffing) (Scotland) Act 2019. The Act places duties on Health Boards to ensure that at all times suitably qualified and competent individuals are working in such numbers as are appropriate for the health, wellbeing and safety of patients, the provision of high-quality care and the wellbeing of staff.

On the 29 October I announced the establishment of the Scottish Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce. The Taskforce will complement the existing audit and inspection system in place in Scotland, and provide support and expertise on implementation of policy, service standards, and improvement activity across NHS Boards. It will be chaired by the Minister for Public Health and Women’s Health.

The Scottish Government is also taking action as part of the Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce (NMT) to drive lasting change to improve retention and attraction into these professions. The NMT recommended actions are designed to have a meaningful and lasting impact on workforce wellbeing. They aim to address key issues such as workload, professional development, and workplace culture to create a more supportive and sustainable environment for Nurses and Midwives to work.

The Inverness Gull Management Plan Pilot is currently being developed by NatureScot in partnership with Highland Council. The first version of the plan is expected to be in place ahead of the 2026 breeding season. It is being designed as an adaptive framework—flexible, evidence-based, and subject to ongoing refinement through regular review.

The Scottish Government was unable to provide a definitive response to question S6W-41921, as the pilot plan will require continuous updates and adjustments. Consequently, it is not possible to confirm a date for when the plan will be fully finalised.

Given the ongoing Harbour Revision Order application process regarding establishing a new harbour authority for Oban Harbour, it would not be appropriate for Ministers or Transport Scotland officials to discuss specific details of the application with interested parties at this time. The Harbour Revision Order application process has included a formal consultation and subsequent Written Representation period, allowing all interested parties to submit their views on the proposal. Those views are currently being considered before a formal decision is made by Ministers.

Officials across a range of business areas contributed to the production of the publication referred to in question S6W-42127 as part of their normal duties supporting the Scottish Government. In line with usual practice, details of individual tasks carried out by civil servants, including the number of hours spent on them, are not routinely recorded as there is no business need to do this.

There is no requirement for proof of age to use the app. There will be the opportunity for citizens to use the app with the digital wallet to prove their age if they wish to.

Impact assessments for the digital public services app are currently in progress.

Following its introduction, use of the app by citizens will be optional.

Further functionality will be determined by user need coming from both the citizens and the services that use it.

The Scottish Government does not hold the information you have requested. A&E activity data is collected and published by Public Health Scotland. These statistics show the number of people attending A&E services, how long they are waiting and performance against the 4-hour access standard. The published data does not differentiate patients who were treated on trolleys.

As this is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise, I have asked its Chief Executive, Adrian Gillespie to respond to you directly.