Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government has information on the proportion of 16-24 year olds who are economically inactive due to being long-term sick or disabled from the National Records of Scotland Census 2022 results and the Office for National Statistics (ONS) Annual Population Survey (APS).

The National Records of Scotland Census results show there were around 11,700 people aged 16-24 who were economically inactive due to being long-term sick or disabled in 2022, 5.6% of all economically inactive 16 to 24 year olds.

The latest data from the ONS Annual Population Survey, which continues to be subject to increased volatility due to lower survey response rates in recent years, reports that an estimated 12.7% of economically inactive 16 to 24 year olds in Scotland gave their reason for being inactive as long-term sick or disabled for the period January to December 2024.

Applications for fishing gear, which is the subject of assistance through the Marine Fund Scotland, are considered against the aims of the Fisheries Management Strategy with further input where required from Marine Directorate fishing technology and science leads. Projects are also subject to Post Project Monitoring, where applicants are asked to confirm whether the gear has achieved the intended outcomes such as greater selectivity & sustainability.

Lasting Powers of Attorney is an English term which refers to two separate legal documents – one for property and financial affairs, and one for health and welfare. In Scotland, the equivalent arrangement is called a Power of Attorney (PoA), which can combine continuing (financial) and welfare powers into a single document.

Last year the Scottish Government published a consultation seeking views on proposed changes to the Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000. The consultation opened on 25 July 2024 and closed on 17 October 2024. Part 2 of the consultation related to changes to continuing and welfare powers of attorney. The Scottish Government published analysis of consultation responses on 25 January 2025.

In recent years the Scottish Government has invested significantly in manufacturing support infrastructure. The National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS) represents a £75 million investment by the Scottish Government and its agencies and has a mission to make Scotland a global leader in advanced, sustainable manufacturing. The Advancing Manufacturing Challenge Fund also led to the establishment of a range of facilities across Scotland with either a regional or sectoral focus. These include the Medical Device Manufacturing Centre based at Heriot Watt University, Smart Hub Lanarkshire based at New Lanarkshire College and the Advancing Manufacturing Centre at West Highland College

Meanwhile, we continue to work with the UK Government and local partners on the delivery of tailored regional projects in support of the manufacturing economy. These include the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District Scotland and Investment Zone projects within the Glasgow City Region and The Manufacturing Innovation Centre for Moray within the Moray Growth Deal. We also anticipate that our Green Freeports package will have a catalytic effect on advanced manufacturing in the two regions affected.

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

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.

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.

NHS Boards have duties under the Carers Act to involve unpaid carers in decision making and planning the return from hospital of the person they care for (or will care for). More specifically, the Core Mental Health Quality Standards state that a person’s support network should be involved in their care if they wish. Progress on implementing the standards is measured by Healthcare Improvement Scotland.

To support Boards in discharging these duties we have funded NHS Education for Scotland (NES) to develop three training modules for the health and social care workforce to help them identify, include and support unpaid carers including young carers. In 2025 and 2026 NES will promote and support the use of these training resources across the health and social care workforce. We are also funding NES to develop carer awareness training for staff in mental health services.

The Public Health Scotland evaluation of MUP found some evidence of cross-border purchasing, but its extent was observed to be minimal. The evaluation also found online sales to be relatively minor at a population level.

Public Health Scotland holds alcohol retail sales data for both the on-trade and off-trade, which includes all electronic point of sale data for the main supermarkets and a representative sample of smaller retailers and independent stores. Detailed information on cross-border online alcohol sales is not available and such information is likely to be commercially confidential and would require businesses to supply this on a voluntary basis.

The Scottish Government has no current plans to make any changes to the collection of online alcohol sales data.

The Scottish Government is committed to implementing further regulation of independent healthcare, through a phased approach to ensure that Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) has the capacity and appropriate staff in place to regulate the independent sector effectively.

The Scottish Government plans to engage with HIS and other relevant stakeholders during 2025-26 to ensure the proportionate scope of regulation of the private ambulance and the first aid sector. We anticipate completing the engagement with stakeholders prior to the Scottish parliamentary elections in 2026.

Once scoping is complete, a public consultation will be brought forward detailing proposals for regulation of the sector.