Chamber and committees

Prison officers play a vital role in our justice system, helping to ensure our prisons are safe, secure and stable environments for all that live and work there. Unlike other uniformed groups, prison officers do not have a dedicated pension scheme as they are members of the Civil Service pension scheme which is a reserved matter for the UK Government.

The Scottish Government has strongly supported the position of the Prison Officers Association that the retirement age of prison officers be brought into line with armed forces, police, and firefighters who retire at 60. This reflects the operational environment and physical demands associated with the role which can be particularly challenging.

SPS provide support to staff to remain at work and in meaningful employment when they cannot undertake their full contractual role, including workplace adjustments and redeployment to alternative roles across the organisation. Every effort will be made to accommodate requests for a change or adjustment where the request is evidence based.

Over the past year there has been a focus on medication assisted treatment (MAT) in prison settings and Public Health Scotland(PHS)have had extensive engagement with NHS healthcare staff and the Scottish Prison Service.

The Scottish Government wants everyone to receive the best possible care and treatment from our health and care services and expects NHS Boards, including NHS Grampian and NHS Tayside to provide safe, effective and person-centred care for people with PoTS. To support this, the interim signposting document produced by Healthcare Improvement Scotland to guide clinicians to current evidence-based resources for the management of PoTS in adults with Long Covid and post-viral syndromes is available on the NHS Scotland Long Covid Network website at: https://www.nn.nhs.scot/longcovid/for-professionals/.

The development and implementation of clinical pathways is led by NHS under established clinical governance arrangements and informed by clinical evidence and service needs.

Where proposals are put forward for pathway development, these are considered through established, clinically led processes by NHS and relevant national delivery partners.

Officials are aware that NHS Wales and Ehlers-Danlos Support UK have been working to develop a national pathway for hypermobility in Wales. Once published, the pathway may provide useful evidence and learning that could help inform future approaches in Scotland.

Owners of tenement properties have a shared responsibility to maintain the tenement. However, we know that tenement properties with multiple owners often struggle to organise and finance shared repairs, maintenance and enhancement works.

The Scottish Government welcomes the report by Under One Roof and The MCS Foundation. We know there are challenges involved in setting up such a scheme, a range of additional measures would be required to encourage coordinating and paying for repairs.

Policy officials are currently undertaking scoping work, which includes looking at this issue, giving sufficient time to explore many other issues, engage with key stakeholders and develop proposals.

The Scottish Government understands how important it is to embed collaboration is to the delivery of our shared priorities. In the Programme for Government, we announced the development of a Scottish Prevention Investment Framework, which aims to provide a consistent approach to identifying, assessing and prioritising investment in prevention and early intervention, helping direct resources towards actions that improve outcomes for people and reduce future demand on public services. Collaboration with external parties, including with philanthropists and the third sector, will be part of the development of this Framework.

I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-02313 on 24 August 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 that proposed fisheries management measures for inshore Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and Priority Marine Features (PMFs) may have impacts on some fishers, businesses and coastal communities. As a result, the Marine Directorate is undertaking a mitigation programme to identify and consider appropriate support for those significantly affected.

No final decisions have yet been taken on the scope, funding or delivery of any mitigation package. However, the interim findings that the Scottish Government is exploring are a range of measures intended to support long-term adaptation, resilience and community sustainability, rather than relying primarily on short-term compensation payments.

In relation to:

(a) adaptation, the mitigation programme is considering targeted business resilience and advisory support, skills development, workforce initiatives, support for new entrants, diversification and innovation opportunities where appropriate, enhanced stakeholder engagement, and place-based support for communities experiencing the greatest impacts. The programme is also considering community-led initiatives and wider support to help fishers and communities adapt to changing circumstances.

(b) gear conversion and diversification, the Scottish Government is continuing to engage with industry representatives, fishers and coastal communities to understand what support may be most effective. Stakeholders have highlighted that diversification opportunities can be limited and location-specific, and the mitigation programme is seeking to identify barriers that may have reduced the effectiveness or uptake of previous diversification initiatives and explore how these might be addressed.

(c) exit from the fishing industry, stakeholders indicated a preference for measures that maintain viable fishing opportunities, strengthen business resilience and support long-term adaptation rather than compensation or measures focused on industry exit. The Scottish Government will continue discussions with affected stakeholders to understand whether there is support for measures such as vessel decommissioning or exit schemes, alongside wider measures focused on maintaining viable fisheries, supporting business resilience and helping communities adapt to change.

The Scottish Government will continue to engage with stakeholders, assess evidence and consider consultation responses before making decisions on any future mitigation measures.

An analysis report of the Consultation on Support for Part-Time Study and Disabled Students was published online on 12 March 2026 - https://www.gov.scot/publications/analysis-consultation-support-part-time-study-disabled-students/

The consultation provided valuable insights and identified clear areas where support is working well and is helping learners to study towards their goals. However it also highlighted that challenges and barriers remain for many learners in accessing the support they need.

The Scottish Government is considering the findings in more detail to understand the complexities of issues facing students and the sector. This includes the challenges felt by some Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) practitioners who wish to access the PTFG to study.

A progress update will issue in the Autumn.

The commercial decision announced in July of a sale of BPs North Sea assets has caused great uncertainty for their workforce and the wider energy workforce in Scotland.

The Scottish Government closely monitors and considers a range of evidence in relation to the energy transition. The First Minister and I met with energy leaders in the North East in the days after this announcement, and I continue to engage with BP and other relevant partners including the trade unions to understand the potential impacts of the sale.

Our immediate concern is for workers directly affected and the thousands more across the supply chain, and the UK Government – which has responsibility for these matters - needs to take urgent action to protect jobs and investment in our energy sector.

Scotland’s energy security and economic future depend on a fair transition, where North Sea oil and gas production is managed alongside increasing use of renewables. That future is built on the world-class workers of the North East, and their skills and expertise.