NatureScot provides comprehensive standing advice on badgers in relation to development and planning, which is directly relevant to the responsibilities of local authorities. This guidance is publicly available at: https://www.nature.scot/doc/standing-advice-planning-consultations-badgers. It brings together a range of referenced sources and includes links to more detailed best-practice material, such as collaborative work undertaken around 20 years ago between Scottish Natural Heritage, the Highland Council, and several local developers in the Inverness area. Although produced some time ago, the information and core principles, particularly the importance of a holistic approach to balancing development and badger conservation, remain highly relevant today.

While there is no statutory requirement for developers to protect wider badger habitat, the law does provide strict protection for badgers and their setts. NatureScot’s advice therefore emphasises that planning authorities should also consider associated feeding areas and foraging grounds when assessing proposals. Incorporating these key habitats into development plans helps to avoid situations where legally protected setts become isolated and disconnected from essential food resources. Although such outcomes may technically comply with the law, they are ecologically undesirable, and the guidance encourages local authorities to work proactively to prevent them.

The Scottish Ministerial Code outlines the general principle that Ministers should take particular care to avoid conflicts of interest when dealing with planning matters, including the granting of energy consents.

Mechanisms are available to preserve the integrity of decisions from challenge on grounds of prejudice, whereby the Planning Minister or any other Minister involved in the decision-making process can debar themselves from any involvement in the case.

Internal protocols for members of the Energy Consents Unit now reflect the transfer of responsibility to the Minister for Public Finance for Electricity Act 1989 consent decisions.

The Scottish Government published Standards for Young People Accessing Treatment or Support for Drugs or Alcohol on 15 December 2025.

These Standards clearly set out:

• What young people aged 25 and under should expect when seeking help for their own alcohol or drug use
• Recommendations for delivery: action by local commissioners and local services to support the Standards

Alcohol and Drugs Partnerships (ADPs) were consulted in the development of the Standards and the Standards were endorsed by COSLA.

We are now developing a plan to implement these Standards and will work with our local partners, including ADPs on delivery of the Standards.

The Scottish Government does not routinely collect data on which NHS Boards accept child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) self-referrals from those with eating disorders.

The Scottish Government’s National Specification for the Care and Treatment of Eating Disorders in Scotland sets out the expectation that pathways and processes are developed with people with living/ lived experience, ensuring accessible and responsive care, including self-referral options. Specialist eating disorder services should be supported to accept self-referrals.

Through the Eating Disorders National Network, we continue to work with Boards to understand how best to support them in this area, and plan to host webinars on self-referral pathways.

The 2026-27 budget has not yet been passed by Parliament and is at draft stage. The level 4 breakdown provided in the budget tables is the lowest breakdown currently available as spending plans are still being developed by policy leads.

However, on a provisional basis, the budget is expected to deliver a number of small value budgets such as Learning Disabilities - The same as you?, Adult Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse, Sensory Impairment and the Health Directorate's contribution to the British Sign Language Bill. The budget also now includes staff costs previously included within other Care Support and Rights budgets.

It also includes additional funding for digital telecare pilot as part of commitment to remove non-residential charges .

The Scottish Government does not collect data on the implementation of the PEACE pathway.

We are aware that several NHS Boards are implementing the pathway across both CAMHS and adult services, and that others are interested in progressing this work.

To support Boards wanting to implement the PEACE pathway, the Eating Disorders National Network previously organised a webinar, where over 100 attendees heard from experts, and one of the Boards currently implementing the pathway locally.

The Scottish Government’s grant funding to Beat provides places for Continuing Professional Development (CPD) training for those in Scotland, and a recent webinar on eating disorders and autism included content on the PEACE pathway.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-43010 on 27 January 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.

We have received a request for Scottish Government funding to support Winchburgh Railway Station. As the business case for that project is currently being evaluated, no decisions have been taken at this stage on the nature or source of any funding contribution.

This is a matter for co-promoters of Winchburgh railway station: West Lothian Council and Winchburgh Developments Ltd.