Chamber and committees

The Lead Clinician for NHS Scotland’s Strategic Network for Long Covid has been working collaboratively with the British Society of Cardiovascular Medicine, PoTS UK and other stakeholders to support the development of UK consensus guidelines for PoTS, which are expected to be published in December 2026.

Once published, the Scottish Government will consider their relevance for NHS Scotland, including how they may support clinicians and services in providing consistent, evidence-informed care for people with PoTS.

Decisions on the scheduling of individual criminal cases are a matter for the independent Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service. It is important that delays in the criminal justice system are minimised insofar as possible and statutory time limits exist to prevent unnecessary delays in criminal cases coming to trial and help the judiciary to effectively manage the progress of cases. This is particularly important in trials for offences of rape, serious sexual assault and domestic abuse where delays can impact on complainers.

Different time limits apply depending on whether an accused is in custody or in the community and prioritise cases where an accused person has been remanded in custody prior to trial, recognising the particularly importance of minimising the length of time which an accused person who has not been convicted of a criminal offence spends in custody prior to their trial.

Section 65(1) of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995 (the 1995 Act) provides that in any case where an indictment has been served on a person, the trial must commence within 12 months. A stricter time limit applies where the accused has been remanded in custody prior to trial. Section 65(4) of the 1995 Act provides that where an accused has been remanded in custody prior to trial, the trial must commence within 140 days failing which the accused shall be released on bail. These time limits can all be extended by the court on a case-by-case basis. These time-limits apply to all cases and are not specific to rape or sexual offence cases.

The Scottish Government continues to support reforms across our justice services – responding to society’s changing needs, removing duplication and ensuring there are modern user-centred digital services which deliver best value for money and fully support all users of the justice system, including expanding digital evidence sharing capability and enabling police and expert witnesses to give their evidence remotely.

The Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS) is an independent, judicially led, public body, chaired by the Lord President. The scheduling and delivery of programmes, including database integration, are operational matters for the SCTS Board and the Scottish Prison Service.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring everyone has access to a safe, secure and affordable home. We are supporting this through investment in affordable housing, action to improve the quality and energy efficiency of homes, measures to prevent and alleviate homelessness, and strengthened rights and protections for tenants.

The Scottish Government, through the Affordable Housing Supply Programme has allocated £123.283 to Glasgow City Council and £32.384 million to South Lanarkshire Council. This supports the delivery of affordable homes and helps meet local housing needs.

The Scottish Government supports the application of the 3Rs principles through ongoing engagement with stakeholders, including researchers, academic institutions and organisations working to advance alternatives to animal use.

Through this engagement, we encourage the development and uptake of scientifically valid approaches that replace, reduce and refine the use of animals in research and testing.

Scottish Government welcomes the UK Government’s commitment to the impact economy. The PfG published earlier this month announced the development of a new Social Economy Strategy, enabling the future development of social enterprises and other forms of socially oriented business models. This work will be led by the Scottish Government's Economy Directorate, demonstrating Scottish Governments commitment to the social economy being at the heart of our wider economic growth. In developing the new social economy strategy Scottish Government will ensure that their is alignment with the Third Sector Partnership Agreement that is being progressed within SG communities.

Recipients of public funding associated with delivery of the Life Sciences Strategy for Scotland 2035 Vision are not required to demonstrate consideration of the 3Rs principles solely as a condition of that funding. The Strategy is intended to support growth, innovation and competitiveness across the life sciences sector. Any requirements relating to animal use in scientific procedures are governed separately under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.

The Scottish Government recognises the importance of ensuring that tenement buildings are properly maintained. The five-yearly building inspections survey was one of the recommendations of the Scottish Parliament’s Working Group on tenement maintenance.

The Scottish Government has committed to reform the Tenement (Scotland) Act 2004 to better meet the needs of relevant owners and tenants to enable repairs, maintenance and enhancement of such properties.

My officials are currently undertaking further scoping work. I will be happy to update on progress once this work has concluded.

I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-02812 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.

Information on the number of people using Self-Directed Support (SDS) budgets for sport or physical activity is not collected or held centrally by the Scottish Government. Responsibility for the planning and delivery of integrated adult health and social care services rests locally with Integration Joint Boards and their partner authorities, which hold information relating to individual support arrangements. Accordingly, the Scottish Government is unable to provide a breakdown by local authority.