Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government’s Chief Scientific Adviser for Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture (CSA ENRA) has not provided any specific advice on the use of LiDAR technology to assess wildfire risk. CSA ENRA led the development and implementation of the Scottish national land LiDAR programme and extensively engages with ministers on the development and use of LiDAR technology in Scotland more broadly.

In addition, science advisers working on behalf of CSA ENRA have engaged extensively with partners on the science of wildfire risk, including the early development work that has been done on LiDAR and Wildfire.

Statistics on justice journey times are published in the Journey Times in the Scottish Criminal Justice System bulletin and accompanying dashboard:

Criminal justice: journey time statistics.

The publication includes information on the time taken for accused individuals to progress through different stages of the criminal justice system, including cases involving rape and attempted rape.

However, we do not hold data on whether an accused person was on bail or remanded in custody, nor do we hold the information required to identify which cases proceeded to an evidence-led trial. Consequently, we are unable to provide times to trial for accused individuals by bail status or assess whether waiting times differ between those on bail and those remanded in custody.

The Scottish Government is aware of concerns raised by some stakeholders regarding unintended consequences of the proposed price cap on essential food items.

That is why we are engaging constructively with all relevant stakeholders to support considered and informed discussion on this. We are consulting on draft proposals before any decisions are taken. The consultation seeks views and evidence from consumers, retailers, producers and other stakeholders on the potential benefits, risks and issues of any food price cap scheme.

I am pleased to report that as of September 2026, Public Service Delivery Scotland and Local Government Digital Office have accepted a formal commissioned to develop a programme around the Digital Health and Care Record. £3.6m will be invested this year to begin the necessary initial technology testing and business case work needed to set out the path to delivery and estimated delivery cost.

The Scottish Government recognises and greatly values the commitment of on-call firefighters and the flexibility of their primary employers in allowing them time off to provide the essential fire and rescue cover across Scotland.

On-call firefighters have contracts of employment with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) and receive an annual retainer fee together with additional payments for incident attendance, training and other approved activities. These payments are made directly to the firefighter rather than to their primary employer.

The Scottish Government is providing Highland Council with £3m to provide support to business affected by the fire and this funding will support their immediate recovery while also contributing to the longer-term economic recovery and resilience of the area.

Where proposed development, whether pumped storage hydro or otherwise, is likely to affect a protected area, NatureScot will be a statutory consultee within the approvals process. When considering its response to such consultations, NatureScot will consider both direct and indirect impacts on the protected area of the development in itself and any potential cumulative effects. Amongst a range of considerations, NatureScot will evaluate the extent to which the proposed development could negatively affect the effective management for biodiversity on the site and therefore the ability of the protected area to contribute to achieving the 30 by 30 commitment.

The resilience of the Polaris All-Terrain Vehicles as well as the resilience of all vehicles within its fleet is a matter for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service(SFRS).

The establishment of Integrated Navigation Centres and Co-ordination Hubs forms part of our wider programme of reform, as set out in our Health and Care Improving Flow Plan 2026-2031, to improve patient flow and access to care across the health and social care system.

Detailed planning is underway with system partners. Decisions on the number of centres and hubs, workforce requirements and associated costs will be considered within that planning. As this work progresses, we will continue to assess local and national needs to ensure these arrangements deliver the greatest benefit for patients and services.

The training of firefighters, including controlled burn training, is an operational matter for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS).

The SFRS has informed Scottish Government that ten fire stations are currently participating in tactical backburn training and these are listed by local authority area as follows:

• Ballater (Aberdeenshire)
• Dumbarton (West Dunbartonshire)
• Dunblane (Stirling)
• Elgin (Moray)
• Invergordon (Highland)
• Kilwinning (North Ayrshire)
• Musselburgh (East Lothian)
• Pitlochry (Perth and Kinross)
• Stornoway (Western Isles)Ullapool (Highland)

Tactical backburn training is an essential part of the SFRS wildfire training programme and this supports closer collaboration with land managers and partner agencies, helping to strengthen a coordinated response to wildfires across Scotland.

The Scottish Government recognises the risks associated with litter picking on high-speed roads and the need for robust safety measures. Responsibility for litter collection on Scotland’s trunk roads is shared between Transport Scotland and local authorities. Transport Scotland’s Operating Companies manage litter picking on motorways and special roads, while councils are responsible for other trunk roads, including the A9. Both must carry out risk assessments and implement safe working practices, including traffic management where required. To further reduce risks, Operating Companies coordinate maintenance activities with local authorities, enabling litter-picking to be undertaken when traffic management is already in place.