Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government engages regularly with the UK Government and the National Energy System Operator on development of the Strategic Spatial Energy Plan (SSEP) through formal governance groups and bilateral meetings. Through that engagement the Scottish Government is seeking to ensure that Scotland’s onshore wind potential is appropriately reflected in the future SSEP.

All Health Boards were asked to submit proposals in response to the initial Call for Proposals and were asked to ensure proposals did not adversely impact existing service provision. I am however aware of staffing challenges faced by some sites and my officials remain in regular contact with affected sites to work together to find solutions.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that all children and young people can access extracurricular activities, regardless of family income, and we recognise that cost remains a significant barrier for some families.

We are taking forward a range of measures to reduce these barriers.

We continue to support the Active Schools programme, which provides free opportunities for children and young people to participate in sport and physical activity before, during and after the school day across all local authority areas, ensuring access irrespective of socio-economic background.

Our Summer of Sport investment is also providing opportunities for children and young people to take part in free and low-cost sporting activities this year. The aim is to create opportunities for children and young people, particularly those facing disadvantage, to get active, stay active, and enjoy the benefits of physical activity. We want children and young people to benefit from an inclusive system which leads to longer-term participation.

We recognise the importance of children and young people having the opportunity to take part in a wide range of hobbies, such as sport, music and the arts. We are engaging with key stakeholders to consider the overall landscape of provision across Scotland in order to better understand the barriers families face and identify further action to ensure all children can access the hobbies they enjoy.

These actions are part of our broader efforts, including through the Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan, to reduce costs for families and ensure that all children have the opportunity to benefit from activities that support their wellbeing, confidence and development.

The £36.9 million Alcohol and Drugs Fund is not additional to the funding announced in the Scottish Budget 2026-27. When the Alcohol and Drugs Strategic Plan 2026-35 was published in March 2026, it was confirmed that delivery would be supported by funding of more than £160 million in 2026-27, including the launch of a new fund for frontline services and organisations working with people affected by alcohol and drugs.

The Fund will provide £36.9 million over the next three years, supporting prevention, harm reduction, treatment and recovery for people affected by alcohol and drugs.

I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-01252 on 23 June 2026. 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, together with the UK Government and Welsh Government, has commissioned the National Energy System Operator (NESO) to produce a Strategic Spatial Energy Plan (SSEP). The SSEP is a whole system spatial plan for Great Britain’s future energy infrastructure and is due to be published for consultation next year.

The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Police Scotland has a range of statutory powers to search vehicles where these are provided for in legislation, including where an officer has reasonable grounds to suspect that a vehicle contains controlled drugs, offensive weapons, knives, firearms, stolen property or other items specified in legislation. Relevant powers are contained in a range of enactments, including the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, the Criminal Law (Consolidation) (Scotland) Act 1995, the Firearms Act 1968 and the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982.

In certain limited circumstances, legislation also provides powers to search vehicles without individual reasonable suspicion, for example where a senior officer has authorised searches in a specific locality to help prevent serious violence.

Police Scotland is operationally independent, and decisions regarding the use of vehicle search powers in individual cases are a matter for the Chief Constable.

The Scottish Government does not hold data relating to vehicle searches conducted by Police Scotland, this is held by Police Scotland.

The Scottish Government’s Criminal Proceedings in Scotland database does not hold information on the specific type of watercraft involved in charges prosecuted under Loch Lomond Byelaws.

The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service were able to manually search relevant case records and confirmed that as of 8 July 2026 the previous position (as outlined in the answer to S6W-15977 on 28 March 2023) remains. Specifically, a total of three people have been prosecuted for offences involving a jet ski under Loch Lomond Byelaws 2013 B3.5(1)&3.17 - Knowingly/recklessly/negligently navigate and behaviour of vessel (where vessel involved is a jet ski). Of these, one was convicted. 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.