Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government is taking seriously concerns that 16- and 17-year-olds may need more protection. Our consultation on a range of family law matters, including whether we should legislate to raise the minimum age of marriage and civil partnership to 18, is in the latter stages of preparation and will be published this Autumn. The responses to the consultation will, along with other available evidence, help inform our decisions on next steps.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-40219 on 19 September 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.

We can confirm that security passes are not issued on the basis of gender identity. Our pass management system records the details necessary to ensure safe and secure access to the Parliament estate and gender identity is not a factor in the issuing of passes. 

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-40219 on 19 September 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.

Listening to stakeholders is a priority for this government. That is why the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government met with the Scottish Retail Consortium earlier this week on 16 September to discuss the upcoming Budget, amongst other matters. The Scottish Government will be setting out the timetable for the draft budget for 2026-27 in the near future. That budget will set out our policies on taxation, reliefs, and public spending for 2026-27.

The Scottish Government’s Tax Strategy, published alongside the Budget last year, has already set out our intention not to increase the number of bands, or their rates, of Scottish Income Tax for the remainder of this parliament. We will also continue to deliver on our commitment to protect lower income households, ensuring more than half of taxpayers pay less than they would elsewhere in the UK.

The Scottish Government has already set out its plans to manage the projected gap between funding and spending over the next five years in its Medium Term Financial Strategy and Fiscal Sustainability Delivery Plan, with action focused across public spending, tax and economic growth. Under these plans, the Scottish Government will focus efforts on increasing value for public money and improving efficiencies and productivity across the public sector, underpinned by reform. This includes an action to reduce the public sector workforce by an average of 0.5% every year until 2030 while protecting frontline services. The Scottish Government’s Public Service Reform Strategy, published in June 2025, fully supports this setting out the detail on our vision and priorities for reform.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-40219 on 19 September 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.

I am pleased to announce that we have today published a consultation on a comprehensive package of proposals to modernise compulsory purchase in Scotland, to make it simpler, more streamlined and fairer for all parties. The publication of this consultation, which was a Programme for Government commitment, marks an important step towards the wholesale reform that many stakeholders have been calling for.

Compulsory purchase orders are a powerful tool which can help to deliver a wide range of projects, from major infrastructure developments to bringing empty homes and vacant land back into use. However, the legislation is complex and out of date, which can discourage public bodies from using it. The reform programme aims to overhaul the system so that it can fulfil its potential to drive change, as well as being fairer and more transparent for those whose property is affected. Following commitments given to parliament earlier this year, the consultation also includes some questions on compulsory sale orders and compulsory lease orders.

The consultation is available on the Scottish Government website and is open until 19 December.

The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.

Bowls Scotland, the Scottish Governing Body for the sport, is responsible for the development of the sport in Scotland and you may wish to contact them for the requested information.

As the latest Programme for Government makes clear, the commercialisation of Scottish research and intellectual property (IP) is a significant economic opportunity. The Scottish Government and its agencies are working in partnership with universities and investors to unlock this potential through a range of initiatives. Examples include:

• £3 million Proof of Concept Fund – supporting researchers to transform new discoveries into investable commercial propositions.
• Techscaler network – working with universities to equip talented researchers and innovators with the entrepreneurial skills needed to translate ideas into marketable products.
• High Growth Spinout Programme (Scottish Enterprise) – provides tailored support and training for IP-rich spinouts with strong scaling potential.
• Investment collaboration – the Scottish Government and the Scottish National Investment Bank are exploring the creation of a dedicated fund for companies focused on commercialising new IP.
• Direct investment – both Scottish Enterprise and the Bank continue to invest directly in Scotland’s IP-rich companies.
• Infrastructure – the Scottish Government and Scottish Enterprise have invested in several key institutions focussed on the creation and commercialisation of new IP e.g. the Robotarium, the national network of innovation centres and the Dundee Life Sciences Innovation Hub.

I last met with the Interim Chief Executive of NHS Grampian on 7 February 2025 and met with the Chief Officer of Health and Social Care Moray on 8th January 2025.