Chamber and committees

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-41542 on 11 November 2025.

Status of major projects at outline business case stage or later – including NTC Forth Valley – is published on a 6-monthly basis in the Scottish Government’s major capital projects progress update. This is published on the Scottish Government’s website: Infrastructure Investment Plan: progress reports - gov.scot

As set out in the latest update (August 2025), the new ward continues to be delayed and an opening date is not yet confirmed for that ward. Work to agree a route to completion is ongoing. However, existing theatres (previously unused) have already been commissioned and in a phased opening, the National Treatment Centre began treating patients in October 2024.

There is an ongoing dispute with the contractor over final works required to bring the facility into appropriate condition for operational service. The final costs remain a point of negotiation and have not been finalised.

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 Scottish Government is aware of the decision by Maiden Life, to withdraw the Family Protection Plan, which is a commercial matter for the insurer and its broker, CMutual. We have engaged with the Financial Conduct Authority and the Association of British Credit Unions Limited (ABCUL) to understand the implications of the withdrawal and the support being provided to current policyholders. We will continue to work with stakeholders to ensure that those affected receive clear information about their options.

Execution of warrants is a matter for Police Scotland, who remain focused on the investigation of crime and keeping our communities safe. The service has been clear that they prioritise all arrest warrants according to threat, risk and harm, deploying national specialist resources and intelligence techniques to locate and apprehend those who pose the greatest risk to communities.

The Scottish Government is investing a record £1.64 billion for policing this year, and our continued investment enabled Police Scotland to take on more recruits in the last financial year than at any time since 2013, including an intake this month. Scotland continues to have more police officers per capita than England and Wales and recorded crime has fallen by more than half since 1991.

The figures recently reported in the media stem from a Freedom of Information request made to Police Scotland and relate to a single day snapshot of the situation as of 3 September 2025.

The Scottish Government does not collect information on the immigration status of those applying to local authorities in Scotland for homelessness support.

The eligibility status for main applicants is collected, although this is not the same as immigration status.

The following table shows how many people associated with homelessness applications in Glasgow were in a temporary accommodation placement at any point between January and March 2025, broken down by eligibility status of main applicant.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-41532 on 11 November 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.

SEPA, as Scotland’s independent environmental regulator, has set out its enforcement approach via a Regulatory Position Statement published on 29 October 2025. It is for SEPA to determine and apply regulatory decisions within its statutory remit, and it would not be appropriate for the Scottish Government to comment on those operational matters.

Due to the nature of flooding, for which the scale of impacts can vary significantly, the number of flooding incidents are not systematically recorded. The responsibility for development, delivery, operation and maintenance of flood protection schemes rests with individual local authorities, who are best placed to respond to local resilience needs. Scottish Government does not hold the information requested.

The Scottish Public Pensions Agency may incur costs for rectifying errors through interest payable on delayed pensions or lump sums, or through the payment of compensation for upheld complaints or appeals.

The following table records the information held for the full financial years from 2020-21 to 2024-25 and is a total costs for the four public service pension schemes administered by the Agency.

The Scottish Government does not collect cost information in relation to Glasgow City Council use of hotel accommodation in line with their housing duties.

Supply teachers play an important role in ensuring continuity and quality in education by guaranteeing that any teacher's absence from the classroom can be covered, while also providing flexibility for teachers who choose to work part-time.

Like all teachers in Scotland, supply teachers are required to be registered with the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) and are therefore required to undertake professional learning and development in order to maintain their registration and uphold the high professional standards expected within the teaching profession.

Local Authorities carry the statutory responsibility for the delivery of Education in Scotland. It is therefore their responsibility to ensure they have planned for the adequate number of staff required during the academic year. To support them in this endeavour, the Scottish Government has provided them with £186.5m during this financial year to increase teacher numbers back to 2023 levels.