Chamber and committees

The Social Housing Net Zero Heat Fund has supported over 13,000 social homes since its launch, investing approximately £70 million in energy efficiency and clean heat projects.

Our consultation last year on a new Social Housing Net Zero Standard (SHNZS) asked for views on proposals to require social landlords to improve fabric efficiency and install clean heating where it is technically feasible and cost-effective to do so.

The Scottish Government has regular discussions with the UK Government about heat decarbonisation. For example, we continue to press the UK Government to align delivery of the Energy Company Obligation and Great British Insulation Schemes with Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategies.

Through our work on NHS renewal we are continuing to collect views through a series of engagements with a wide range of stakeholders. This builds on the feedback and understanding gained through the Health and Care Experience Survey and other channels. We are translating this into action and transformation through our ongoing work with NHS Boards, supporting staff to help deliver against the recently published Operational Improvement Plan, and building through the forthcoming population health framework and health and social care renewal framework

The report on women and girls’ safety on public transport recommends measures to enhance security and comfort. These include better lighting, surveillance, greater staff presence, clear reporting, use of technology, public awareness campaigns and stricter enforcement of safety policies. These recommendations align to work underway by the transport industry and Transport Scotland. Therefore not all have specific commencement dates, but build on already established activities.

To share good practice and improve awareness, in May 2024 Transport Scotland published research around the use of personal safety apps in public spaces. In November 2024, Transport Scotland launched a dedicated webpage which provides links to the Transport Scotland’s research and engagement, as well as how violence against women and girls is being tackled by the Scottish Government.

Transport Scotland continues to work with the Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) to support sharing of best practice amongst bus operators including on data, education and driver training, and last met in January 2025. In addition, Transport Scotland are developing actions to tackle antisocial behaviour on the bus network, which includes the development of a behaviour code for those using the National Concessionary Travel Schemes and a process for temporary suspension or withdrawal of concessionary travel entitlement.

On the rail network, ScotRail, Network Rail and British Transport Police are working together with stakeholders to deliver a activities to reduce anti-social behaviours. British Transport Police’s (BTP) “Text 61016” service allows all passengers to discreetly report any incidents they witness on trains or at stations directly to BTP. ScotRail are reviewing their existing processes for responding to customer reports of anti-social and unacceptable behaviour, and in February 2025 further expanded their “Travel Safe Team”. To further improve joint working and reporting, BTP have established a Strategic Safer Transport Group which ensures partnership working between organisations to create a safer transport network across Scotland.

Regarding staff presence, ScotRail must have a member of staff other than drivers on all train services and they are reviewing changes to ticket office opening hours to allow more staff to be present at train stations. ScotRail have piloted conflict management training for front-line staff with a view to rolling this out further. Transport Scotland’s SQUIRe team inspect trains and all stations in Scotland in a four week period, ensuring that aspects such as CCTV, station help points and lighting are all working appropriately.

There is no plan at present to produce a grasslands action plan however there are a number of actions within The Scottish Biodiversity Strategy’s Delivery Plan applicable to grasslands.

These actions include, but are not limited to, publishing a Plant Biodiversity Strategy and revision of the Scottish Biodiversity List which currently includes species-rich grasslands as a habitat and specific grassland specialist species among those habitats and species of principal importance. In addition, NatureScot is also mapping the extent of the species-rich grassland resource across Scotland.

Scottish Government commissioned the Fracture Liaison Service (FLS) audit in July 2024 following a scoping exercise and business case by Public Health Scotland (PHS). PHS are responsible for the delivery and implementation of the FLS audit, which includes setting delivery and evaluation milestones.

I refer the member to the answers to questions S6W-35534 and S6W-35567 on 21 March 2025, S6W-36002 on 1 April 2025 and S6W-36035 on 17 April 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

Regarding (a), quasi-judicial panels:

• There are a wide variety of organisations that could be considered quasi-judicial bodies with their own constitutions, legislative underpinnings and governance arrangements. The position in respect of political balance would need to be checked with each organisation.
• Regarding regulated Ministerial Appointments to public body boards that could be considered a quasi-judicial body, all applications are considered individually on their merits. The Ethical Standards Commissioner regulates this area and their Code of Practice for Public Appointments (the ‘Code’) and associated Code Guidance (both 2022) set out the position relating to political activity. In summary, candidates are required to provide information relating to their political activity. It is not necessarily a bar to appointment but the appointing panel will take the information into account as part of the Fit and Proper Person test when assessing ability to perform in role. When an individual is appointed, any political activity is declared in the news release announcing the appointment.

Regarding (b), local authority decision-making bodies:

• Councils (and potentially also their decision-making bodies) are independent bodies with their own powers, responsibilities, governing constitutions, legislative underpinnings and governance arrangements. The position in respect of political balance would need to be checked with each organisation.
• Scottish Ministers have committed to respecting local government’s democratic mandate as part of the Verity House Agreement. The view of the Scottish Government is that locally elected representatives are best placed to prioritise the needs of the local community.

As set out in my answer to S6W-35250 on 5 March 2025, the Scottish Government does not intend to provide feral goats with protected status. Feral goats are a non-native species and it is an offence to release any non-native species without a licence from NatureScot.

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

The Minister for Victims and Community Safety regularly meets with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) Chief Officer and Board Chair where a wide range of issues are discussed, including the capital budget allocation and the SFRS estate. The Scottish Government is aware of the condition of fire stations and has increased the capital funding for SFRS from £32.5m in 2023-24 to £43m in 2024-25 and to £47m in 2025-26. The allocation of resources is a matter for the SFRS Board.