Chamber and committees

The NRAC formula is an objective measure of the need for health care services in Scotland, providing a target share for Territorial Boards.

The Scottish Government continues to ensure that all Boards remain within 0.6% of NRAC parity. Since 2012-13, over £4 billion of additional funding has been committed to those NHS Boards below their NRAC parity levels, including additional funding for NHS Grampian.

Between 2014-15 and 2026-27, NHS Grampian received £87.2 million in parity funding, including £11.4 million in 2026-27 from a total national allocation of £32.8 million, maintaining the Board within the agreed 0.6% tolerance of its NRAC target allocation.

I wrote to the convener of the Rural Affairs Committee on 4 September setting out the Government's position on historic rights to ferry. The letter can be read at the following link: https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/committees/current-and-previous-committees/session-7/rural-affairs-committee/correspondence/2026/glenelg-and-kylerhea-ferry-service

The potential impacts of pumped-storage hydro developments on wild Atlantic salmon populations are assessed and considered as part of the statutory consenting and environmental assessment processes for individual proposals, including section 36 (Electricity Act 1989) consenting for projects over 50 mega-watts, Environmental Impact Assessment, Habitats Regulations Appraisal where required, and SEPA’s environmental authorisation process.

In determining section 36 applications, Scottish Ministers must, so far as possible, avoid causing injury to fisheries or fish stocks and obtain SEPA’s advice where regulated water activities are involved. Where an appropriate assessment is required under regulation 48 of the Conservation (Natural Habitats, &c.) Regulations 1994, the Scottish Ministers must consult NatureScot and have regard to its representations.

Where relevant, decision-makers will also have regard to National Planning Framework 4 policies on biodiversity, natural places and renewable energy development alongside the statutory consenting and environmental assessment processes.

Separately, pumped-storage hydro schemes require environmental authorisation from SEPA for activities affecting the water environment. SEPA assesses impacts, including those on wild fish stocks, hydrology and morphology, and may impose conditions requiring mitigation and monitoring. These processes support delivery of the Wild Salmon Strategy by helping to avoid or reduce additional pressures on freshwater habitats, migration routes and wild smolt production, including cumulative effects. SEPA is also consulting on draft guidance setting out the environmental information, assessment and mitigation expected for storage and pumped-storage hydropower schemes.

While escaped farmed fish do not always result in impacts on wild populations, the Scottish Government recognises that fish farm escapes have the potential to adversely affect wild salmon through interbreeding (genetic introgression) and competition. As with any development activity, some impacts can be expected, which is why Scotland’s regulatory framework is designed to minimise the risk of escapes and mitigate potential effects. This includes assessment by local authorities through the fish farm consenting process and ongoing regulatory oversight, including monitoring and inspection of containment measures by the Scottish Government Fish Health Inspectorate.

Importantly, this analysis quantified the magnitude of introgression effects at national and regional scales, but not the impacts of introgression on wild salmon populations.

I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-02523 on 15 September 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 recognises the importance of high-quality data in supporting transparency, service improvement and equitable access to care.

We do not currently routinely collect or publish national data on the number of people waiting to access hybrid closed-loop (HCL) systems or the number of new-start patients by NHS Board. As HCL systems become embedded within routine diabetes care, responsibility for service delivery rests with NHS Boards, which are expected to provide access in line with relevant NICE and SIGN guidance, based on clinical need and individual patient circumstances.

The Scottish Government will continue to work with NHS Boards and national partners to consider how data on diabetes technologies can best be collected and reported, including whether additional information could support greater transparency, service planning and the identification of unwarranted variation in access across Scotland.

The Thistle Safer Drug Consumption Facility operates from 9:00am to 9:00pm and plays an important role in supporting people to access a range of health, treatment and support services, including referral pathways to Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT).

The impact of the service will be considered through an independent evaluation led by the University of Glasgow and Glasgow Caledonian University, funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The evaluation will assess the facility's impact on health and social outcomes, including the use of drug treatment services.

There are currently no plans to extend the facility's operating hours or introduce a 24-hour model. Any future changes would need to be informed by evidence and considered alongside workforce, operational and resource implications.

The legal responsibility lies with parents to ensure their children receive a sufficient education. The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that all children and young people, including those from Gypsy, Traveller and Roma communities, have access to the support they need to achieve their full potential.

Local authorities have primary responsibility for ensuring that Gypsy/Traveller children can access education and remain engaged in learning. The Scottish Government supports this work through funding the Centre for Education for Traditionally Nomadic Communities (STEP). STEP works with local authorities to promote flexible and culturally responsive approaches to attendance and engagement, including Gypsy, Traveller and Roma children and young families maintain links with their school and continue their education while travelling.

The Scottish Government does not routinely collect information on the number of planned new-start patients commencing hybrid closed-loop (HCL) systems in each NHS territorial board and therefore does not hold this data.

Responsibility for the funding and delivery of HCL systems rests with NHS Territorial Boards, and projected uptake is not collected centrally. Consequently, the Scottish Government is unable to provide the figures requested for 2026 or compare them with 2024 and 2025.

I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-02548 on 15 September 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/questions-and-answers

Our Detect Cancer Earlier (DCE) Programme takes a whole-systems approach to early detection and encompasses primary care, diagnostics, public education, data, innovation and screening.

Detect Cancer Earlier’s Be The Early Bird campaign launched in March 2023 aiming to reduce fear of cancer and empower those with possible symptoms to act early.

Our Get Checked Early website includes an interactive symptom checker including for genealogical symptoms.

In parallel to campaign activity, a DCE roadshow visits communities across Scotland to reinforce key messages – this has resulted in over 28,000 engagements with the target audience to date.

This has been supported by partnership activities throughout January and February 2026, targeting customers and staff at Iceland and Home Bargains. Partnership content with the Open Goal podcast was also streamed to extend the reach of DCE messaging.