Chamber and committees

The National Specification is intended to be published by the end of 2025,

The Scottish Government has safeguarding guidance on child protection and working with vulnerable adults, etc. Public bodies are expected to ensure any partner organisation aligns with this framework, particularly when working with vulnerable groups.

Public bodies are therefore expected to carry out due diligence, include safeguarding compliance, in funding and partnership agreements and ensure regulatory oversight, risk management and safeguarding policies are in place. This will support public bodies to assess any safeguarding concerns and enable appropriate action to be taken.

The Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator may, where necessary, inform relevant public authorities where there are concerns about a charity.

As Scotland’s independent environmental regulator, any decisions on publishing data is for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA).

SEPA intends to make annual data on spills from wastewater treatment works operated by Private Finance Investment companies proactively available and aims to publish the data on its website in Autumn 2025.

The Scottish Government does not hold this information centrally. However, we have been able to access the data held by National Records of Scotland (NRS) for the years 2010 and 2015. (Please see table attached). As at
31 March 2025, there are 2,938 GDS dentists, up c.5% over the last year and there are 3,249 primary care dentists, an increase of 4.2% over the last year.

The development of a national pilot to provide free bus travel for people seeking asylum, and who are currently not eligible for existing National Concessionary Travel Schemes, is progressing with the Working Group. This group, which includes third-party representatives, reconvened on 7th May, with the most recent meeting taking place on 11 June.

The Scottish Government does not hold this information.

Public Health Scotland (PHS) uses the national waiting times data mart to collect electronic patient records covering the waits that patients experience waiting for treatment as an inpatient or day case under the Treatment Time Guarantee. This data source can be used routinely to identify the specialty of treatment. However, although the records are designed to collect coded information on the procedure that is planned for the patient, this information is often either incomplete, lacking in essential detail and/or its accuracy cannot be assured. In addition, for patients who have completed their wait the procedures that was planned may not always reflect the procedure actually performed after they were admitted for treatment. The latter is not captured through the national data mart. Consequently, PHS is not currently able to report accurately on waiting times to this level of detail.

More detailed information on the procedures that is planned or undertaken for a patient will be held locally by NHS boards.

The Scottish Government is unequivocal in its support for Scotland’s red meat supply chain given its vital role in underpinning our rural communities and making possible our world-class produce.

We are committed to transforming Scottish agriculture, and we will continue to champion our positive vision for Scottish food production. Central to this vision is our commitment to support livestock production right here in Scotland.

We will continue to provide Scotland’s farmers and crofters with direct support including through the Scottish Suckler Beef Support Scheme and Scottish Upland Sheep Support Scheme. These are key components of the Scottish Government investment in agriculture which is over £660 million per year.

The Scottish Government recognises that while Scotland is ranked among the top OECD countries and top performing UK regions in Higher Education Research and Development (HERD) spend as a percentage of GDP, Scotland’s Business Enterprise Research and Development (BERD) spend as a share of GDP is below the OECD average. While Scotland outperforms the EU27 average, the Scottish Government published its National Innovation Strategy in 2023 to increase innovation levels across Scotland, including business R&D spending.

The ten year strategy sets out actions to make Scotland one of the most innovative small nations in the world and will use innovation as a productivity driver to grow the economy and create jobs in areas of strength such as: energy transition; health and life sciences; advanced manufacturing; and the application of data and digital technologies. Specifically, the strategy’s commercialisation programme will support our world-class universities to consistently and effectively convert cutting edge research and technologies into scaling companies.

The decision to offer home dialysis to patients is primarily a matter for NHS Boards. As set out in my answer to S6W-38515 on 17 June 2025, NHS Boards are required to develop plans to address racialised healthcare inequalities.

Last year, we agreed a national policy to reimburse patients for the additional electricity costs of home dialysis so that patients are not exposed to the impact of high energy prices. It also removes the financial disincentive to making a choice for home dialysis over in-centre treatments, allowing personal choice in where and how to receive treatment.

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

We know many people are still waiting too long and this is not good enough. We are determined do more and our Budget will provide a record £21.7 billion for health and social care. More than £106 million additional funding has been allocated to Health Boards to help tackle the longest waits for procedures and operations, including more than £5 million targeted funding for General Surgery (the speciality that covers hernia operations).