Chamber and committees

Tackling health inequalities is a key part of the preventative care role for school nurses, general practice nurses and health visitors and is aligned to public health priorities to improve health and wellbeing outcomes, particularly for women and children. District nurses have a role in disease management in populations affected by health inequalities, delivered in community settings, and support people to stay healthy at home.

The cost of the Scottish Governments Directly employed workforce rose from £239M in 2015-16 to £623M in 2023-24 - An increase of 161%.

The Scottish government publish official workforce statistics on a quarterly basis.

The latest available data, which is for December 2024 and includes a times series back to March 2012 is available here Scottish Government workforce information - gov.scot.

The following tables provide a breakdown of FTE staff by directorate for December 2024 and March 2016.

The ongoing review of water, wastewater and drainage policy and consideration of legislation is important to equip our water industry with the tools to adapt to the accelerating impacts of climate change. This Government is pressing ahead with the policy development to ensure that proposals can be brought forward at the earliest opportunity, subject to the outcome of the 2026 elections.

(a) The following 14 contracts were awarded to ‘The Lines Between’ by the Scottish Government in Fiscal Year 2024-25:

• Research on Fishers Behaviour towards Compliance & Enforcement.
• Adult Disability Payment Review.
• Options Study for Developing a Mental Health Patient Experience Survey for Scotland.
• Consultation Analysis: UEFA Euro 2028 – Commercial Rights Protection.
• Analysis of Responses to Crofting Consultation 2024.
• Analysis for Annual Procurement Reports.
• Analysis of responses to a consultation on proposed changes to energy and environmental standards of the Scottish Building Regulations.
• 'Moving On' Consultation Analysis Evaluation.
• Single-use cups charge consultation analysis.
• Review of Charity Regulation – Consultation Analysis.
• Universal Definition of 'Care Experience' Consultation Evaluation Analysis.
• Analysis of Consultation Responses to the Scottish Government Equality and Human Rights Mainstreaming Strategy.
• Future of Foster Care Consultation Analysis.
• Carer Benefits Evaluation: Case Transfer and Carer Support Payment.

Further information on the contracts can be found on Public Contracts Scotland https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/

(b) 'The Lines Between' have not yet received any funded commissions for FY 2025-26. However, they were successful in bidding for the Social Research and Analysis Framework contract and were added on 1 May 2025.

The Scottish Government recognises the investment and funding challenges associated with the transition to a net zero and climate adapted economy. Meeting the costs will require close working between the public and private sectors domestically, as well as with our trading partners. Delivering our climate and economic growth ambitions will provide opportunities that support jobs, trade, investment, and growth.

The Carbonomics report notes that promoting local manufacturing (deglobalisation and protectionism) can increase costs for certain clean technologies, thus slowing the overall rate of global decarbonisation. There is therefore a trade-off between fostering domestic industries and ensuring affordable clean energy solutions from abroad.

Global challenges require global solutions; it is through cooperation, not isolation, that the world will tackle the climate crisis. Scotland is committed to a rules-based trade agenda and supports open, fair, and transparent trade. Trade should also be a lever to increase progress towards a green economy, including through increasing trade in environmental goods and services.

The Constitutional Futures Division (CFD) was established to take forward the government’s commitment to providing the people of Scotland with information about independence through the development of the Building a New Scotland (BANS) series of papers. Within the Scottish Government a division is part of a directorate, and CFD was part of the Constitution Directorate. Following the successful delivery of a suite of papers in the BANS series, and with the series due to conclude with the publication of a final overview paper, CFD ceased to be a standalone division in January 2025 and its ongoing work was merged into that of the wider Constitution Directorate.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that all people living in Scotland with long term conditions including Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) are able to access the best possible care and support, and benefit from healthcare services that are safe, effective and put people at the centre of their care.

The Cabinet Secretary set out in the NHS Scotland operational improvement plan published on 31 March of this year that we will work to ensure people receive the right care in the right place. There are many benefits that home dialysis can offer to both NHS Boards and patients as to whether home dialysis is appropriate for the patient. However it is a matter for NHS Boards to determine the situations when home dialysis is the best option.

The Scottish government publish official workforce statistics on a quarterly basis. The latest available data, is for December 2024 Scottish Government workforce information - gov.scot.

The following table provides details of the working location of directly employed Scottish Government staff, split by Local authority, Full time/Part time working pattern and Permanent/Temporary status.

Whilst this information is publicly available, I can advise that 25 High Speed Trains are currently in operation on Scotland’s railway.