Since March 2021 and each financial year thereafter, the following number of people aged 16-years and over resident in Scotland have registered an opt out decision on the NHS Organ Donor Register:

2021-22 17,539

2022-23 12,264

2023-24 4,558

2024-25* 3,514

*1 April - 29 December 2024

As at 29 December 2024, the total number of people resident in Scotland, aged 16-years and over, who have registered an opt in decision on the NHS Organ Donor Register since its inception is 2,738,077.

To support ongoing public and stakeholder engagement SEPA has published consultations relating to the Environmental Authorisations (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2025, and linked to the Scottish Government consultation. SEPA will use its webpages and social media to ensure authorisation holders and applicants understand how any changes impact them and any action they need to take.

The Scottish Government has no powers over the smart-meter network or the Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS). Telecommunications is also a reserved issue and radio network upgrades are a commercial matter for mobile network operators and wireless infrastructure providers.

However, through the Scottish Government’s £28.75 million Scottish 4G Infill Programme, we have delivered 55 mobile masts in rural and island areas, all of which are available on an open access basis and could potentially be used to site smart meter radio infrastructure. It is therefore imperative that the UK Government and Ofgem update the regulations to allow the Data Communications Company (DCC) to use mobile technology to provide a signal to homes in Scotland and ensure that all meters can be appropriately upgraded.

Ofgem and Energy UK are leading a cross-industry response to the RTS switch-off, which includes a public awareness campaign. However, with under six months till the switch-off on 30 June 2025, and no clear Plan B, the UK Government must use its powers to direct urgent and proportionate action.

I have written to the UK Minister for Energy Consumers to request that Ofgem include RTS related obligations in licence conditions for both suppliers and the DCC. This change would compel both to use every tool available to ensure that households and businesses in Scotland and across Britain are not left behind. For suppliers, this must translate in practice to ramping up the number of meters upgraded, including targeting several homes or businesses en masse.

Where access to a fully functional smart-meter is not possible, suppliers should offer a non-connected smart meter with pre-programmed switching times – thus providing a temporary solution in the short term. However, it is critical that consumers are not penalised for upgrading their meter and that suppliers are obliged to ensure that consumers are transferred to a like-for-like or improved tariff as part of their meter upgrade.

The Scottish Government will continue to engage with the UK Government on a frequent and sustained basis to ensure that Scottish communities are not caused any detriment as a result of poor smart-meter accessibility and the RTS switch-off. This includes offering to convene a jointly-chaired roundtable on energy consumer issues and participation in the Ofgem-led RTS communications working group, which brings together consumer organisations, government and industry.

It is clear that considerably more needs to be done to raise awareness and oblige suppliers to offer suitable metering solutions, whether smart or pre-programmed, which do not negatively impact the consumer.

Trains that currently serve Intercity routes are going to be replaced as the Scottish Government has instructed ScotRail to commence the procurement process, which will secure a replacement for these trains. 

Until then, the Scottish Government has funded ScotRail to recruit additional train maintenance staff as part of its programme to improve the availability of existing refurbished Inter7City rolling stock. 

NPF4 places climate and nature at the centre of our planning system and makes clear our support for all forms of renewable, low-carbon and zero emission technologies. Potential impacts on communities and nature, including cumulative impacts, are important considerations in the decision-making process and all applications are subject to site-specific assessments.

While Scottish Ministers can decide to amend the NPF or review it in full at any time, having an established and consistent policy framework enables confidence in the planning system and so we expect to exercise this power sparingly. We have no current plans to amend NPF4.

Our Women’s Health Plan 2021 – 2024 identified the need to shift the perception of heart disease in women. We delivered a successful awareness campaign throughout February 2023. In 2024, we worked closely with the ALLIANCE Scotland to improve awareness and engagement with women’s heart health through online webinars and resources.

More information can be found in the Women's health plan 2021 to 2024: final report - gov.scot.

The Patient Rights (Scotland) Act 2011 and supporting legislation, provides a specific right for people to make complaints, raise concerns, make comments and give feedback. The Act also places a duty on NHS Boards to thoroughly investigate and respond to any concerns raised, to take improvement actions where appropriate and to share learning from the views they receive. When a person has concerns about their treatment or care, this should be addressed at a local level through the NHS complaints procedure. When resolution is not possible the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO) is the second and final stage in the complaints process.

The SPSO is independent from the provider of healthcare and Ministers, and looks into complaints about most organisations providing public services in Scotland.

We are committed to openness and transparency in an NHS that welcomes all forms of feedback and uses it to inform continuous improvement.

More broadly, the Women’s Health Plan set out actions which aim to address women’s health inequalities by raising awareness around women’s health, improving access to health care for women throughout their lives, and reducing inequalities in health outcomes for women and girls.

Our Women’s Health Plan 2021 - 2024 Final Report on progress provides further details of our work to date.

Transport Scotland has received considerable feedback and input through the Community Needs Assessment report, user survey, and community engagement events. This information has now been reviewed and a decision on the future service design for the Gourock-Dunoon passenger ferry service will be made shortly.

Preferred vessel options for the Gourock to Dunoon ferry service are being considered as part of the outline business case and this work is ongoing. Any investment in new vessels and infrastructure must offer value for money and be affordable.

The Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrest Strategy 2021 – 2026 contains a commitment to addressing key inequalities in out of hospital cardiac arrest outcomes and references inequality in the provision of CPR in women.

Through the delivery of this strategy, Save a Life for Scotland partners have been working to address misconceptions about CPR and embed the knowledge that it is a gender neutral, life-saving technique.