Chamber and committees

The residential rehabilitation bed capacity survey, published in November 2024, received responses from 25 residential rehabilitation facilities with bed capacity currently in operation that met the definition of residential rehabilitation developed by the Residential Rehabilitation Development Working Group. The bed capacity is not broken down into the number of alcohol detoxification or drug rehabilitation beds.

Facilities were asked to report on their maximum number of beds for residential rehabilitation treatment, and it should be noted that this is not the same as the number of beds occupied.

Unfortunately, the Scottish Government do not hold information on how many beds are currently occupied and what the lowest rate was in 2024. We have however responded to calls for more transparency and accountability by commissioning Public Health Scotland to develop a National Core Minimum Dataset which will form the basis for the monitoring of residential rehabilitation.

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 Scottish Government had previously intended to progress legislative consent in the Scottish Parliament for measures to restrict the importation and non-commercial movement of dogs, cats and ferrets into the United Kingdom, before the previous Bill fell due to the dissolution of the UK Parliament.

It is our intention to progress legislative consent in the Scottish Parliament for this Bill, subject to the final provisions of the Bill and agreement of the Scottish Government Cabinet Sub-Committee on Legislation.

By working to address this issue in the Bill, important safeguards for animal welfare can be extended to Scotland to ensure we continue to strive for the best possible welfare outcomes for all animals.

The Scottish Government is funding a Personality Disorder National Improvement Programme which has been developed in partnership with the Royal College of Psychiatrists in Scotland and is being delivered by Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS).

The aim of the Personality Disorder Improvement Programme is to deliver meaningful improvements in services and supports for people impacted by personality disorder. This includes supporting NHS boards to implement practical changes which will improve care pathways for people with a diagnosis of personality disorder.

Phase 1, which concluded in March 2023, involved developing a national needs assessment, the development and delivery of a Personality Disorder Learning System and developing key performance indications for optimising and standardising data collection across Scotland.

Phase 2 is currently underway. HIS is currently working with NHS Dumfries & Galloway and West Lothian HSCP to review pathways, gather lived experience input and feedback, and capture learning around implementation of new pathways. A working group of internal and external stakeholders has also been established to develop a data and measurement plan.

This will form part of the wider mental health reform programme which aims to reform mental health services by enhancing care quality, access, and equity.

We anticipate publishing papers relating to the Teacher Workforce Planning Advisory Group's workforce planning process for 2025-26, in the coming weeks.

No. The Scottish Government is not responsible for monitoring or enforcing compliance with health and safety legislation, which is a reserved matter.

The Nature Investment Partnership continues to engage with a range of investors, land managers and local communities to identify the most suitable approach for each potential investment site. No private finance has yet been directed through the Partnership into on-the-ground projects. More information about the Partnership is available on its webpage: Nature Investment Partnership | NatureScot.

The Scottish Government has no plans to conduct an equality and human rights impact assessment on paediatric long COVID services.

NHS Boards exercise responsibilities in relation to planning, commissioning and delivering healthcare services, and take overall responsibility for the health and wellbeing of the populations they serve. NHS Boards are discrete legal entities and legally accountable and responsible for how they carry out their functions, services, duties and responsibilities.

I met with the former Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health and Prevention on 04 November 2024 to discuss the Tobacco and Vapes Bill where I reaffirmed my support for this historic piece of legislation and highlighted how it could positively impact health inequalities in Scotland.

The Bill’s subsequent re-introduction on 5 November 2024 followed close collaborative work across the four nations over the content of the Bill. Officials across the four nations continue meet regularly to discuss the Bill to ensure coherence and alignment of policies, where this is possible and appropriate.

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. This will create a generational change, meaning that children born after 1 January 2009 will never legally be able to buy tobacco. This landmark legislation will ban vapes and nicotine products from being deliberately promoted and advertised to children to stop the next generation from becoming hooked on nicotine.

On 21 November 2024 a Legislative Consent Memorandum was introduced for consideration by the Scottish Parliament and I provided evidence to the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee on the Memorandum on 17 December 2024. I await the report from the Committee, and will then update Members and Committee on the next steps.

The Scottish Government does not hold this information. The number of nursery service cancellations and registrations is a matter for the Care Inspectorate. The Care Inspectorate publish data on service cancellations and registrations (available here: Statistics and analysis), however the published data does not go back as far as 1999.