Chamber and committees

As a priority, the Scottish Government is working with Health Boards and other key stakeholders to ensure that all patients can access abortion services up to the legal gestational limit within Scotland. A new Task and Finish Group is now being set up by the NHS Scotland Planning and Delivery Board to agree the best way to implement a service(s) for patients seeking an abortion between 20-24 weeks.

The Task and Finish Group will recommend to the Planning and Delivery Board the best option(s) for that service. As part of this work, they will consider whether any service(s) provided should offer surgical or medical abortions.

The Scottish Government is also taking forward work to improve surgical abortion provision across Scotland and remains committed to providing funding to support staff training to allow Health Boards to provide later stage abortions.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-33295 on 28 January 2025. 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.

HESA published 2023-24 student data in March 2025 with the data available from the same link referenced in the answer for S6W-33295:

https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/students/table-59

The NHS in Scotland holds data on the prescribing of diethylstilbestrol (otherwise known as DES or stilbestrol) in both primary care and secondary care.

Data on primary care usage of medicines is published and available on the Public Health Scotland website Show all releases - Publications - Public Health Scotland. Data on secondary usage is not routinely published.

Action 1:1 of our Health Visiting Action Plan 2025-2035, the establishment of an online health visiting site, is scheduled for completion by the end of 2025.

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

The Scottish Government, through the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005, provides the overarching legal framework within which alcohol can be sold and supplied in Scotland. The 2005 Act makes provision for the licensing of premises in Scotland where alcohol is sold online and despatched from Scottish premises. Minimum unit pricing does not apply to alcohol sales which are despatched from outside Scotland directly to a buyer within Scotland.

The Scottish Government is aware of concerns raised about cross-border online alcohol sales in Scotland.

Officials have engaged with industry and business stakeholders, including the Scottish Grocers Federation and alcohol licensing stakeholders, on these matters to better understand these concerns. Additionally, through Scottish Enterprise, my officials have sought direct engagement with online retailers.

We will continue to engage with all relevant stakeholders to keep the potential impact of this developing market under review and to better understand the interaction between devolved and reserved matters in this area.

The Scottish Government is not aware of any actions to investigate the reported number of people exposed to diethystilbesterol (also known as DES or stilbesterol).

The regulation for the licensing, safety and efficacy of medicines is reserved to the UK Government and is the responsibility of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

GPs are responsible for providing patients with appropriate care whether they have been treated on the NHS or privately. This may include medication, depending on an individual patient’s need. GPs are not obliged to follow the recommendations of a private provider, but should always provide care based on their own judgement if patients are in need.

The Scottish Government funds the National Autism Implementation Team (NAIT), which published guidance on Prescribing ADHD medication to adults following private sector diagnosis in Scotland in April 2022. The guidance was drafted in consultation with practising Psychiatrists, the Royal Colleges of Psychiatry and General Practice and individuals with ADHD.

The guidance highlights that shared care arrangements may be put in place between private and NHS providers. For such arrangements to work properly, everyone involved must communicate effectively. Recommendations from specialists for ongoing prescribing on the NHS need to be made at an NHS consultation with an NHS specialist.

Some NHS Boards may have shared care policies, but it remains at the clinical discretion of each individual GP to decide the best course of action for their patients.

Scottish Ministers have not made representation to the UK Government on this issue as the regulation for the licensing, safety and efficacy of medicines is reserved to the UK Government and is the responsibility of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

Significant planning work has been undertaken for the Marine Fund Scotland (MFS) for 2025-26 and we hope to be able to confirm arrangements shortly. Potential applicants should provide their details to [email protected] if they wish to be added to the mailing list.