Chamber and committees

The extension of the £2 bus fare cap pilot to the west of Scotland will help address cost of living pressures for people in that region. Once introduced, it is our priority to then take forward legislation in this parliament to put in place a £2 bus fare cap across Scotland.

The costs for implementing new policies will be detailed during the standard budget setting process.

Section 23 of the Children (Scotland) Act 2020 (the 2020 Act) requires Scottish Ministers to make funding available, through legal aid or otherwise, to help individuals cover the costs of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) in family law cases under section 11 of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 or where such cases are likely to arise. This includes disputes about child contact and residence following parental separation and aims to help people resolve issues out of court, where possible.

In line with section 24 of the 2020 Act, our intention is to first set up a pilot of ADR meetings, which will inform the future details of such a funding scheme.

This pilot will not apply to proceedings in which there is a proven or alleged history of abuse, and it will not compel parties to attend an ADR service (it is a basic principle that it is designed as a voluntary process for those involved).Upon conclusion of the pilot, it is likely to take at least another 12 months to put the agreed funding scheme into place.

We have not been in a position to implement these provisions. However, they will be taken forward through a phased approach, alongside other 2020 Act priorities. For both of these ADR provisions, the Scottish Government provides update reports to Parliament on the progress of this work. The latest report is available here Introduction - Children (Scotland) Act 2020 - section 23(1) and section 24(1): fifth report on the Scottish Ministers' duties - gov.scot. We intend to resume production of these reports in the near future.

As confirmed in the answer to S7W-00736 on 16 June 2026, the Scottish Government has not withdrawn from the Wastewater Analysis for Narcotics Detection (WAND) programme.

Reports from the WAND study have highlighted the difficulties in being able to detect the presence of synthetic opioids in wastewater due to their instability and because testing methods are not as developed as they are for other drugs.

Investments made in surveillance, like Scotland’s RADAR early warning system, are supporting the ability to identify and respond to new and emerging threats such as dangerous synthetic opioids. The RADAR system has played a pivotal role in the public health response to nitazene-linked drug harm clusters by identifying trends and sharing information. Work is also progressing to deliver drug checking services which will also help to provide a fuller surveillance picture and better identification of emerging trends and new drugs.

Scottish Government Ministers and officials engage routinely with counterparts in the UK Government and the other Devolved Administrations in response to the shared threat posed by the increasing prevalence of synthetic substances.

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 monitors productivity trends in Scotland’s construction sector using a range of sources, including data published by the Office for National Statistics and Scottish Government publications.

• Information on output per job is available from the Scottish Annual Business Statistics (SABS), which includes estimates of Gross Value Added (GVA) per head for the construction sector. These provide a proxy for output per job, noting that they are not strictly measures of output per worker.
• The Scottish Government also publishes labour productivity estimates, including GVA per hour worked and GVA per job, at Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) section level, including construction. These statistics are currently designated as official statistics in development, reflecting data quality considerations relating to underlying labour market survey sources, and no construction-specific analysis has been undertaken using these measures.
• Information on the number of construction enterprises is available from the Businesses in Scotland publication. While this shows changes in the number of firms over time, the Scottish Government has not undertaken specific analysis of the relationship between the number of construction businesses and overall sector output, and a consistent measure of output per firm is not held.

The increased prevalence of new synthetic substances is of real concern, not only in Scotland but across the whole of the UK. We are working closely with partners to communicate vital information and advice. We have been able to identify and respond to new and emerging threats such as dangerous synthetic opioids thanks to the investments made in surveillance like our RADAR early warning system.

Ministers routinely meet with a range of stakeholders to discuss the ongoing threat of synthetic substances. Later this month, Public Health Scotland will host a summit with system leaders (including Scottish Ministers, COSLA and representatives from NHS Boards, Alcohol and Drug Partnerships, justice leaders and those with lived and living experience) to address the changing drugs landscape in Scotland and concerning trends in drug related harms.

In addition, a virtual meeting of all UK drugs ministers is scheduled for 24 June 2026. Scottish Ministers have requested that the topic of synthetic opioids be included on the agenda for discussion.

Sectoral Skills Assessments (SSAs), produced by Skills Development Scotland (SDS) in partnership with stakeholders, provide a consistent evidence base to inform strategic skills investment planning and understanding of workforce demand and supply across sectors. The most recent Construction SSA was published in October 2025.

Skills Development Scotland routinely assesses demand for apprenticeships throughout the operational year. Modern Apprenticeship places are allocated in line with employer and training provider demand, balanced against Scottish Government priorities. Construction is a priority sector, and Modern Apprenticeship starts in construction frameworks increased in 2025-26 compared to the previous year.

In addition, the Scottish Government has introduced a new skills planning model, being developed with partners, to ensure the post-school education and skills system is more responsive to Scotland’s strategic skills priorities. Construction has been identified as an early area of focus within this model, reflecting current and emerging skills needs and its alignment with national policy priorities.

As confirmed in the answer to S7W-00736 on 16 June 2026, the Scottish Government has not withdrawn from the Wastewater Analysis for Narcotics Detection (WAND) programme.

The latest WAND programme report published by the Home Office – covering a period when Scottish sites were included – did not provide a national estimate of drug consumption for Scotland. The report is available here - Wastewater analysis - estimating drug consumption.

Public Health Scotland do publish statistics relating to drug prevalence in Scotland, the last publication was in March 2026 - Estimated prevalence of opioid dependence in Scotland.

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 has not withdrawn from the Wastewater Analysis for Narcotics Detection (WAND) programme. This was a fully Home Office-funded programme, to which the Scottish Government has not contributed funding. The Home Office decided in late 2025 to withdraw funding for the Scottish sites due to budget constraints.

The Scottish Government continues to engage with road authorities across Scotland to monitor the impact of 20 mph speed limits, including analysing evidence from areas where these limits have been implemented.

Evidence specific to Scotland indicates that 20 mph limits are contributing to reductions in vehicle speeds, collisions and casualties. Findings from early adopters, including Scottish Borders Council, support these conclusions with a 70% reduction in collisions on 20 mph and 30 mph roads. This is demonstrating improved safety outcomes for all road users, particularly vulnerable road users, where limits have been appropriately introduced and assessed.

The Scottish Government will continue to monitor these impacts as part of broader efforts to deliver Scotland’s Road Safety Framework.

Further information on the impact of 20 mph speed limits can be found at: Scottish Borders Council - 20 mph Peer Review - Scotlands Road Safety Framework