Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government recognise the crucial role councils and their employees play in communities across Scotland. That’s why the Scottish Government has made available over £14 billion to local authorities this year, a real terms increase of 4.3 per cent, with a record £15 billion for 2025-26 set out in the Scottish Budget, a further real terms increase of 4.7 per cent.

In the context of that record settlement, the Scottish Government are committed to working in partnership with local government to ensure that children across Scotland continue to receive the high-quality education services that they deserve but it is the responsibility of individual local authorities to manage their own budgets and to allocate the total financial resources available to them, including on non-teaching staff, on the basis of local needs and priorities.

Consideration of potential purchase of Ardrossan Harbour involves confidential commercial discussions between Peel Ports Group and CMAL. We are not able to share detail on potential costs at this point. An indicative allowance has been made within the wider Vessels and Piers line in table 8.06 of the Scottish Government Budget to support this should an agreement be reached. As indicated, any consideration on purchase is subject to a fair settlement being negotiated and due diligence undertaken.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly being used in a wide number of policy areas and for a diverse range of purposes. It is generally regarded as a tool which all staff will be using to a greater or lesser extent, so although we do not have many staff regarded as AI leads, we do have many staff who will be making use of it and benefiting from its impacts.

Recently published FOI release (Scottish Government staffing and salary statistics: FOI release - gov.scot) shares that in 2024 we had 6 data scientists, and a wide range of functions involved in the preparation of data, design of digital services, and support functions which could be related to the use or deployment of AI.

More specifically we have an AI Policy team in the digital directorate whose primary function is to support the introduction and development of AI across the public sector, ensuring all staff have the knowledge and skill to make use of AI most productively.

The Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2), published in 2022, was supported by a transport appraisal which included a concept network for Clyde Metro. Given STPR2 was a strategic assessment, the assessment of Clyde Metro, and all other options, was at a relatively high level, with a possible light rail connection between the city centre and East Kilbride, as shown in the recommendation appraisal summary table.

This option is separate from the existing heavy rail connection to East Kilbride and therefore no assessment was made of rail double tracking under the transport appraisal.

The ongoing stage of the development process for Clyde Metro, known as the Case for Investment, is being led by Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT), supported by Glasgow City Council, with Transport Scotland providing a project assurance role. This key stage, which will inform decisions around network selection, phasing and implementation is well underway and is currently anticipated to be complete by mid-2027.

Further details on the Case for Investment stage of Clyde Metro can be obtained by contacting SPT directly at [email protected].

The Scottish Government is currently progressing the East Kilbride Enhancement Project. This will deliver electrification of the route, a relocated station at Hairmyres, a new accessible station at East Kilbride, accessibility works at other stations and a 1.4km extension of the existing Hairmyres double track section to enhance operational resilience and service flexibility. This project represents a further commitment from this Government in contributing to our wider net zero objectives and will enable the introduction of electric services on the route from December 2025.

Emergency early release regulations have been utilised twice within the last five years (May 2020 & June/July 2024). On both occasions, the conditions of release were as they would have been at the individuals original scheduled liberation date, with no additional conditions or sentences applied.

Those released were approaching the end of their short-term prison sentences, and such individuals are not routinely subject to additional monitoring or community service requirements following their release. Therefore, those released via emergency early release were not subject to such conditions.

Individuals whose sentence would require post-release supervision or monitoring requirements were automatically excluded from both emergency early release processes.

The requirement for an individual to complete any kind of community sentence is a matter for the independent courts to decide at the point of sentencing, after consideration of the full facts and circumstances of the case.

The information requested is not held centrally; this is a matter for individual non-departmental public bodies. You can find links to each body’s website at National public bodies: directory - gov.scot where there will be further information.

The Respiratory Care Action Plan contains broad commitments from a wide range of areas including increasing uptake of vaccines, ensuring people live in warm homes and improvement of air quality. We have made progress across a number of areas under these commitments, such as the Four Nations approach to tobacco.

Along with obesity, smoking represents a chief threat to Scotland's public health and we remain committed to a tobacco-free Scotland by 2034 and welcome the re-introduction of the UK-wide Tobacco and Vapes Bill to UK Parliament, which will help us to achieve our ambitious target.

The Bill will gradually increase the age of sale for tobacco products and provide powers to legislate on vape flavours, displays, packaging, as well introduce an advertising ban for vapes and nicotine products.

The information requested is not held centrally.

Funded places at colleges is based on the number of credits allocated to each college, with a credit equating to 40 hours of learning. SFC publish funding allocations annually in the College Final Funding Allocations release. Information for 2024-25 is available on the SFC website: https://www.sfc.ac.uk/publications/college-final-funding-allocations-2024-25/.

The Scottish Funding Council (SFC) collect and publish student data, through their annual College Statistics publication: https://www.sfc.ac.uk/publications/college-statistics-2023-24/

Previous funding allocation publications can be found on the SFC website:

Main Website - https://www.sfc.ac.uk/publications/

Archived Website (for publications pre-2019) - https://www.sfc.ac.uk/about-us/sfc-archive/

Further details can be requested from the SFC.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-34909 on 4 March 2025. We recognise the importance of having access to meaningful data in relation to respiratory services, in 2023 we provided Public Health Scotland with £60,000 to undertake a scoping exercise with a view to developing a respiratory audit programme. Now that the budget for 2025-26 has been passed by Parliament, we aim to progress this in the current financial year.

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

Improving access to Mental Health services is a priority for Scottish Government and whilst we recognise the ongoing pressures facing the NHS, we remain committed to supporting all Boards to achieve the standard that 90% of patents start treatment within 18 weeks of referral in CAMHS and PT.

As was announced last week we have seen transformational improvements in CAMHS waiting lists over the last year and this has continued during the latest quarter. For the first time ever, national performance against the 18-week CAMHS standard has been met, with 90.6% of children and young people starting treatment within 18 weeks of referral in the last quarter and 1 in 2 children referred to CAMHS start treatment within 4 weeks compared to 12 weeks pre-pandemic (quarter ending March 2019).

Latest publication of data (4 March 2025) shows Psychological Therapies (PT) services are responding well to demand, with one in two people referred starting treatment within three weeks of referral.

More detailed information, including breakdowns at NHS Board level, can be found on the Public Health Scotland website where the latest publication on both PT and CAMHS waiting time is available for quarter ending December 2024 published on 4 March 2025. Publications - Public Health Scotland