The Scottish Government, along with all other UK nations, takes advice from the UK NSC, an independent expert advisory group that informs screening policy across the UK. The Scottish Government will consider this guidance regarding any screening interventions.

We continue to take action to diagnose prostate cancer earlier. A clinical refresh of the Scottish Referral Guidelines for Suspected Cancer was published in August 2025. For this first time this now includes guidelines for key groups who should consider speaking to their GP about PSA testing from age 45. These are:

• Men with a family history of prostate cancer,
• Black men, who are around three times more likely to develop prostate cancer than white men, and may develop it up to five years earlier
• and those with a genetic predisposition, such as BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations.

The guidelines now also explicitly mentions the prostate cancer risk management pathway, noting that GPs should have an informed conversation with anyone regardless of age if the individual is concerned about prostate cancer.

The primary care cancer education platform – Gateway C – supported by NHS Education for Scotland (NES) is providing innovative, and tailored information to support earlier cancer diagnosis efforts and enable effective decision-making. This resource includes specific modules on prostate cancer to support GPs.

Draft rateable values for the 2026 revaluation were published on 30 November 2025 but may be subject to change. The final valuation roll will come into effect on 1 April 2026. The Scottish Government has published a report on changes in rateable values based on draft 2026 values on 13 January and will publish a further report once final valuations are available.

I regularly engage with CMAL to discuss progress on a range of vessel and port projects, and wider governance and management issues. There is also regular engagement with CalMac on operational matters and service updates. The revaluation of non-domestic rates has not been discussed as part of these engagements to date.

The overbridge at Gourlay Street in Cowlairs was removed by Network Rail, as part of the Edinburgh Glasgow Improvement Programme, as it did not have sufficient clearance for the installation of Overhead Line Electrical Equipment.

Network Rail sought the necessary consents to permit its removal. An alternative crossing point is available at Keppochhill Road overbridge, which crosses the railway approximately 100m south of the former Gourlay Street overbridge.

Transport Scotland has no plans to instruct a footbridge at Gourlay Street.

The following table lists planning applications called in by the Scottish Ministers and appeals recalled by them that are yet to be determined. It also includes the dates on which the applications were first notified to the Scottish Ministers prior to being called in, or the date the appeal was recalled. Decisions on these cases will be issued by the Scottish Ministers in due course.

The following table lists 8 planning applications called in by Scottish Ministers and referred to the Directorate for Planning and Environmental Appeal (DPEA) for determination which were subject to hearing session/s being held and received over the last 5 years.

The Scottish Government has no role in respect of country parks. Local authorities set up and manage most country parks using their powers under Section 48 of the Countryside (Scotland) Act 1967, though the National Trust for Scotland manages Brodick and Culzean. These parks are non-statutory designations that enable local authorities to establish areas for public access and enjoyment of the countryside, and as such, some private landowners also use the country park name. Local authorities can make by-laws to regulate inappropriate behaviour within these parks.

Given the situation in Gaza, the First Minister announced on 3 September 2025 a pause on new awards of public money to defence companies whose products or services are provided to countries where there is plausible evidence of genocide being committed by that country. A Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment is underway and will be published before the end of the Parliamentary session.

Information on whether a suspected perpetrator involved in a domestic abuse incident in 2023-24 had been involved in a previous incident of domestic abuse is available in Table 10 of the Domestic abuse in Scotland 2023-24 publication.

Due to the set-up of the administrative system used by Police Scotland to record these cases, it is only known whether the suspected perpetrator was involved in a previous incident. If they were, it is not known whether they were the victim or suspected perpetrator for those earlier incidents.

Going forward, following the roll-out of a new crime recording system (UNIFI) across all divisions of Police Scotland, it may be possible to identify if offenders of domestic abuse aggravated crimes have committed earlier domestic abuse aggravated crimes (for 2024-25 onwards). Scottish Government statisticians will work with Police Scotland analysts to explore this further and will provide users with an update in the next Domestic Abuse bulletin. It should be noted this would only be possible for domestic abuse aggravated crimes, not all domestic abuse incidents.

The Scottish Government recognises the importance of modal shift to help achieve transport emission reduction targets and to assist companies to move goods by rail or water instead of by road. We have shown leadership in setting out positive policies that work for the rail freight industry through our rail freight strategy, our regulatory growth targets for rail freight and our mode shift grants.

Since 1997, mode shifts grants have funded over 50 projects with a total spend of over £74 million which has resulted in the removal of over 50 million lorry miles from the road.