Chamber and committees

The cost of waking watch measures implemented in buildings affected by unsafe cladding are as follows:

1.The total cost to date has been circa £6.5m.

2.The total budgeted costs for the 2026-27 Financial year are £1.2m.

3.The average monthly cost is £166,948.

(Period covered in relation to total cost (1) and average cost (3) is from March 2023 to July 2026. Budgeted costs for 2026-27 (2) could be subject to change as part of the annual budget process).

Scottish Government has directly met all of these costs.

The Scottish Government has been consistently clear we expect colleges to embed Fair Work principles, which includes ensuring there are effective mechanisms for staff and students to raise concerns, and for these to be considered and acted upon, without fear of detriment. Responsibility for putting appropriate arrangements in place rests with individual colleges.

The Scottish Funding Council (SFC), through its ongoing engagement and assurance role, seeks to ensure that colleges are operating in line with these expectations, including fostering a culture of openness, respect and meaningful partnership working.

The Scottish Government published the annual Recorded Crime in Scotland, 2025-26 statistical bulletin on 23 June 2026. The publication provides information on crimes and offences recorded by the police across Scotland, including breakdowns by crime type and local authority area. Supporting tables published alongside the bulletin include local authority-level data for a range of crime categories, including vandalism.

While data on crimes of vandalism recorded by the police is available at local authority level, the published statistics do not include information on the ages of suspected perpetrators. Although age breakdowns are available for some crime types through other statistical publications, equivalent data is not published for vandalism. Consequently, it is not possible to identify from these statistics the number of vandalism incidents involving individuals under the age of 18.

The statistics show that vandalism has fallen substantially over the longer term. More generally, recorded crimes of damage and reckless behaviour—of which vandalism accounts for the majority—are now at their lowest level since 1976.

The member may wish to contact Police Scotland, who may be able to provide further information. They can be contacted at: [email protected].Postal requests should be addressed to: FOI - Information Management, Police Scotland, Clyde Gateway, 2 French Street, Glasgow, G40 4EH.

I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-01058 on 13 July 2026. 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.

I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-01050 on 13 July 2026. 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.

I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-01058 on 13 July 2026. 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 are grateful for the work of all six Advisory Groups in developing their recommendations. These recommendations were made for Scottish Ministers to consider. It is for Scottish Ministers to decide whether and to what extend any of the recommendations become government policy.

Waiting to access gynaecology related treatment can cause women anxiety and delays are unacceptable. Last year we allocated £13 million of additional funding to health boards to target long waits for gynaecology. We are beginning to see the impact of that investment, with waits going down and we are determined to build on that momentum, ensuring women receive the treatment they need as soon as possible. Phase Two of the Women’s Health Plan was published in January 2026 which includes specific actions and steps to help reduce waiting times.

Public Health Scotland (PHS) publishes statistics on stages of treatment waiting times for gynaecology by board and length of wait. The most recent report can be found here:

Stage of treatment waiting times – new outpatients, inpatients and day cases 30 June 2026 - Stage of treatment waiting times - Publications - Public Health Scotland

Public Health Scotland does not hold the required information relating to waiting times for endometriosis- and adenomyosis-related care.

Responsibility for health and safety arrangements rests with individual colleges, which are required to meet their legal obligations and maintain safe environments for staff and learners.

Whilst health and safety regulation and enforcement is a matter for the Health and Safety Executive, the Scottish Government expects colleges to have robust policies and procedures in place.

The Scottish Funding Council (SFC) seeks assurance on this through its ongoing engagement and monitoring of the sector.

The Scottish Government expects colleges to comply with all relevant health and safety legislation and to follow relevant guidance issued by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), including in relation to the management of risks from welding fumes and other hazardous substances. Responsibility for setting and enforcing health and safety standards rests with the HSE, while implementation remains a matter for individual institutions.

Individual colleges in Scotland are responsible for their own operational decisions, such as ensuring systems are in place to assess and manage health and safety risks, and working with the relevant bodies to ensure they meet their legal responsibilities. The Scottish Government understands that City of Glasgow College has accepted the Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) findings in full and are implementing all corrective actions identified, which has resulted in the HSE’s intervention being closed.

As part of its ongoing monitoring and assurance processes, the Scottish Funding Council will continue to monitor the college’s progress to ensure improvements are followed through and that staff concerns are addressed.