Chamber and committees

The Scottish Youth Parliament (SYP) helps to facilitate young people’s engagement in policy-making and, as such, SYP engages in activity with policy teams throughout the Scottish Government (including mental health, education reform, and children’s rights).

We do not hold information on the number of staff across all of the policy areas who are currently engaged in activity with SYP. However, there are 3 members of staff within the Children’s Rights Unit who spend at least some of their time liaising with SYP about the core finding that SYP receive from The Children, Young People and Families Early Intervention and Adult Learning and Empowering Communities Fund.

Statistics on uptake of free school meals is published on the Scottish Government website at https://www.gov.scot/collections/school-education-statistics/#schoolmealuptakestatistics.

For 2007-2022, refer to tables 11 and 17 of the School Healthy Living Survey supplementary statistics 2022 for the primary and secondary breakdown respectively. For 2023-24, refer to school meal uptake supplementary statistics 2023-24, tables 3 and 5 for the equivalent breakdowns.

Statistics for 2024-25 will be published on 22 September 2026.

Deployment of specific firefighting assets, including aerial support, is an operational matter for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS).

There is currently a Public Sector Framework contract in place for the provision of helicopter services, including for the use of firefighting.

Although arrangements for the next wildfire season are currently under review, new improved standby arrangements will maximise the availability of aerial support, including wherever possible, the locality of that support.

The Health and Care Improving Flow Plan 2026-2031 sets out the urgent action that is required to prepare for the period of surge that is expected in our hospitals over the winter.

The plan recognizes corridor care is unacceptable, and is best tackled through reducing overcrowding in hospitals. Reducing delayed discharge is one of the most effective actions available to increase capacity, reduce overcrowding, improve patient experience and prepare services for winter demand. That’s why the plan asks all Health Boards to make improving discharge and reducing delays in acute hospitals an immediate priority. By winter 2026-27, every Board is expected to have implemented the core principles of the Discharge Without Delay approach and established improvement trajectories for discharge performance and average length of stay.

Vaccination also remains a key part of our approach to winter preparedness. We are working with Health Boards and partners to strengthen this year's winter vaccination programme and maximise uptake among eligible groups. A national public information campaign will support this effort, encouraging people to come forward for vaccination when invited, helping to reduce serious illness.

The published Implementation Plan for the Vulnerable Witnesses (Criminal Evidence) (Scotland) Act 2019, which has been agreed in discussion with justice partners, sets out our current plans to extend the presumption in favour of pre-recorded evidence to child witnesses aged 16 and 17 in the most serious sheriff and jury cases and all deemed vulnerable adult witnesses in the most serious cases in the High Court. In addition, through the provisions within the Victims, Witnesses and Justice Reform (Scotland) Act 2025, we will extend the presumption in favour of pre-recorded evidence to all vulnerable complainers and child witnesses in the Sexual Offences Court when that is operational.

We all recognise that the expansion of taking evidence by commissioner is a significant reform for the justice system and will bring with it several practical and operational challenges. That is why it needs to be introduced in a controlled and achievable way, targeting first the youngest witnesses in the most serious cases. It is also important that any extension of the presumption is appropriately evaluated so that vital lessons can be learned before progressing further. It is essential that in all respects that we do what we can to ensure that any new intervention does not inadvertently overwhelm the system to the detriment of victims and witnesses.

While we do not currently have any plans to expand eligibility for a presumption in favour of pre-recorded evidence beyond what I have outlined, the court can approve applications for the use of pre-recorded evidence as a special measure in their individual cases. A deemed vulnerable adult witness is a victim of a serious intimate or sexual offence, such as sexual offences, human trafficking, domestic abuse or stalking; a vulnerable witness is someone who may, for example, suffer from fear or distress in giving their evidence, or who may have more difficulty in giving their evidence due to a learning disability. Vulnerable adult witnesses are also able to access pre-recorded evidence as a special measure upon application.

Guidance on the assistance available to victims and witnesses to help give evidence is available om the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service website - Vulnerable victims and witnesses (special measures) | COPFS.

In the circumstance where a terminally ill victim is deemed to be a vulnerable witness, then they would be entitled to give their evidence by special measures. The special measures that can be authorised could include the taking evidence by a commissioner; the use of a live television link; the use of a screen; the use of a supporter, the giving evidence in chief in the form of a prior statement and excluding the public during the taking of evidence, or a combination of these measures. Where a victim is unable to come to court to give evidence in any competent manner because they are unfit or unable to do so because of a mental or physical condition their statement may be admitted in evidence.

Thrombectomy services are delivered on a regional basis through three hub centres serving the North, East and West of Scotland.

Transport Scotland officials and CalMac as part of the Clyde and Hebrides Grant Agreement hold weekly meetings to discuss operations across the network. The decision on the deployment of vessels rightly sits with the operator as they have the knowledge and expertise to ensure that essential lifeline services to our island communities are maintained.

The contingency methods put in place by the operator include MV Glen Sannox operating an interisland service between Tarbert and Lochmaddy up to 27 September. A charter vessel (MV Pabbay Lass) operating between Berneray – Leverburgh until 27 September and MVLoch Bhrusda will cover the route from 28 September.

Business owners and tenants who consider their property’s rateable value to be inaccurate should have access to timely recourse, and a two-stage appeals system was introduced in 2023 to incentivise early information-sharing and quicker resolution between parties.

The Scottish Government has no plans to reintroduce previous local connection rules for homeless households.

Social landlords are responsible for the allocation of their housing, and each landlord’s approach is set out within their published Allocations Policy. Allocations policies give priority to homeless people and those threatened with homelessness who have unmet housing needs; people living in unsatisfactory housing conditions with unmet housing needs; and tenants occupying homes that are under-occupied. A decision to allocate housing is based on a fair, transparent and objective assessment of an applicant’s housing need.