Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government does not centrally hold validated waiting times for weight management services. Health Boards provide the Scottish Government with a data return that reflects a snap shot of the previous year of activity such as the status of different pathways Boards deliver. These include Tier 2 and 3 Weight management, Gestational diabetes and Diabetes Type 2 remission and prevention.

The NRAC formula is an objective measure of the need for health care services in Scotland, providing a target share for Territorial Boards.

The Scottish Government continues to ensure that all Boards remain within 0.6% of NRAC parity. Since 2012-13, over £4 billion of additional funding has been committed to those NHS Boards below their NRAC parity levels, including additional funding for NHS Grampian.

Between 2014-15 and 2026-27, NHS Grampian received £87.2 million in parity funding, including £11.4 million in 2026-27 from a total national allocation of £32.8 million, maintaining the Board within the agreed 0.6% tolerance of its NRAC target allocation.

The NRAC formula is an objective measure of the need for health care services in Scotland, providing a target share for Territorial Boards. The formula is refreshed by Public Health Scotland on an annual basis to ensure it reflects the most up-to-date data available.

The Scottish Government has committed to review the NRAC formula through the Technical Advisory Group for Resource Allocation (TAGRA). The review is ongoing and is being considered alongside the Programme for Government commitment to simplify NHS Board structures, which may affect its scope and timing.

The Scottish Government continues to ensure that all Boards remain within 0.6% of NRAC parity. Since 2012-13, over £4 billion of additional funding has been committed to those NHS Boards below their NRAC parity levels, including additional funding for NHS Grampian.

The Scottish Government has not undertaken any assessment into the potential usage of floating or submerged inshore data centres. We are however aware that in 2018 Microsoft’s Project Natick deployed the Northern Isles data centre at the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) in Orkney, where it was tested and monitored for performance and reliability over a two year period.

The Scottish Government is not currently aware of any further propositions, but is always interested in exploring innovative practices in this industry that respect the offshore environment. Should any marine data centre proposition come forward, these would be considered on a case by case basis. As with all marine developments, rights to use the seabed may be required from Crown Estate Scotland and a marine licence from Scottish Minister.

Our existing introgression monitoring undertaken between 2018 and 2023 was consistent with the recommendation as set out in the recently published paper “that future studies place equal weight on the development of genetic methods and obtaining representative and interpretable samples of wild fish populations, making use of the latest approaches for survey design on river networks”. The Scottish Government will consider the wider findings of this research as it relates to any future monitoring programmes.

Scottish Government have been informed by Veterinary Medicines Directorate that a special imports certificate is in place to allow stocks of BTV3 vaccine into the UK from the EU and this has allowed several million doses to be imported by the end of August 2026.

Scottish Government will continue to work closely with the other UK nations and with vaccine manufacturers to ensure vaccine supplies meet the increasing demand. Scottish Government encourage farmers and vets to start considering vaccination for next season to ensure that practices are ordering sufficient amounts of the vaccine.

The vaccine supply is demand based and as a result there is a delay in the supply being received when there is a large increase in demand, as has been seen in the previous few weeks.

Vaccination remains our best long-term defence, and keepers are being strongly encouraged to discuss this option with their vets and place vaccine orders now to ensure access to supplies.

The Scottish Government’s strategic approach to prostitution is a collective approach, rooted in working with stakeholders across the wider public and third sector, to challenge and deter men’s demand for prostitution and support those with experience of it. We know that we alone cannot prevent and tackle abuse; it takes a sustained effort across partnerships.

As part of that strategic approach we have regular discussions with Police Scotland about how best to disrupt demand, and support women with experience of selling/exchanging sex, who we recognise as victims of exploitation.

Anyone engaged in selling or exchanging sexual services should be able to access support and mainstream services without fear of stigma, judgement and discrimination.

Later this year we will launch a rights guide for women involving in the online sex industry, which we have funded the Mhor Collective to develop, as leading experts in the impact of digital space on people’s human rights.

Social Security Scotland has established processes for notifying the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) when an award of Pension Age Disability Payment or Carer Support Payment may affect entitlement a client’s entitlement to reserved benefits, including Pension Credit.

Information is shared with DWP through agreed data-sharing arrangements and is subject to validation and quality assurance checks before transfer. Social Security Scotland also undertakes routine monitoring of data sharing activity and works with DWP to investigate and resolve any discrepancies or issues identified.

These arrangements are designed to support the timely and accurate exchange of information between the two organisations and help ensure clients receive the correct benefit entitlement.

Our Detect Cancer Earlier (DCE) Programme takes a whole-systems approach to early detection and encompasses primary care, diagnostics, public education, data, innovation and screening.

Detect Cancer Earlier’s Be The Early Bird campaign launched in March 2023 aiming to reduce fear of cancer and empower those with possible symptoms to act early.

Our Get Checked Early website includes an interactive symptom checker including for genealogical symptoms.

In parallel to campaign activity, a DCE roadshow visits communities across Scotland to reinforce key messages – this has resulted in over 28,000 engagements with the target audience to date.

This has been supported by partnership activities throughout January and February 2026, targeting customers and staff at Iceland and Home Bargains. Partnership content with the Open Goal podcast was also streamed to extend the reach of DCE messaging.

Decisions regarding recruitment and workforce planning to meet population needs are the responsibility of individual NHS Boards.

Scottish Government officials have regular engagement with NHS Boards, including NHS Fife, regarding the development of specialist support services for people with long COVID, ME/CFS and related conditions through the recurring £4.5 million annual funding provided for these services. These discussions have focused on service development, workforce capacity and delivery arrangements rather than decisions relating to specific posts or vacancies.

The recurring funding provides Boards with flexibility to recruit staff and develop sustainable models of care that reflect local circumstances and workforce availability.

We remain committed to improving care and support for people living with ME/CFS across Scotland through the ongoing development of specialist services and collaborative approaches where appropriate.