Chamber and committees

Work continues towards the implementation of the first phase of a national targeted lung screening programme. It is anticipated that the initial roll out will focus first on inviting eligible individuals in areas experiencing the highest levels of socio-economic deprivation, as evidence shows that they are at higher risk of lung cancer, and have poorer outcomes.

Screening Oversight and Assurance Scotland (SOAS) has established a multi-disciplinary Programme Board to provide subject matter expertise to the planning process. Formal workstreams have been established to consider delivery models for each element of the programme including call-recall, risk assessment, smoking cessation, CT scanning, image reporting and downstream assessment and treatment services. The Reference Group will meet again this month (June 2026) to review the work that has been undertaken so far.

It is expected that implementation of a national screening programme will take a minimum of 7-10 years, in line with the establishment and roll-out of similar programmes by NHS England and Public Health Wales. A screening programme of this size and scale must be implemented in a way which allows careful management of the impact on wider NHS services.

Scotland is rolling out MyCare.scot, part of the wider Digital Front Door Programme, which provides a unified, person-centred entry point to both health and social care, rather than focusing solely on NHS services– so this is not an ‘NHS app’. It was made available nationally in April 2026. Functionality will be introduced incrementally through to 2030 and beyond. MyCare.scot is accessed via a web browser; a downloadable app for it will be made available from early summer.

The Scottish Government’s Client Guide to Construction Projects provides guidance to the public sector on the conduct of construction projects. This includes guidance on how to ensure value for money through the planning, design, procurement and management of projects. It covers a range of topics including governance, risk management, change control, business case development and delivery of quality during project initiation and construction.

The Scottish Government has also rigorous processes to assure that all projects are technically feasible and commercially viable. These are mandated for all projects which fall within the scope of the Scottish Public Finance Manual (SPFM) and are conducted routinely at various set stages of projects. The Scottish Government also leads best practice guidance and capability for inviting, awarding and managing construction contracts, including dealing with external pricing and logistical shocks which could materially affect project delivery.

School counselling services are available to all pupils aged 10 and over, including primary and special school pupils, funded by our investment of £16 million per annum to local authorities.

The Scottish Government engaged with professional counselling bodies prior to establishing counselling services who advised that therapeutic counselling is not appropriate for younger pupils.

School counselling is just one part of a wider package of mental health and wellbeing support available to school-aged children and young people. We provide local authorities with baselined funding of £15 million per annum to deliver community-based mental health and wellbeing supports for children and young people aged 5 to 24 (or up to age 26 for care-experienced young people), including age-appropriate interventions for younger children such as play-based therapies and family support.

The Scottish Government does not hold information relating to the costs of works to upgrade the Port of Rosyth to deliver a ferry service from Scotland to Europe.

The Scottish Government and its agencies continue to support the wider development of our ports and the potential for new direct freight and passenger ferry services linking Scotland to Europe.

We established a Green Freeport at Forth Ports, which includes Rosyth. This involves both seed capital funding, along with businesses locating within the tax site being able to access a package of devolved and reserved tax incentives.

The initial cost model to establish a full lung screening programme prepared by the Scottish Expert Advisory Group (SEAG) estimated £36.7 million in implementation costs, followed by recurring costs of between £28.6 million and £39.7 million per annum (dependent upon uptake levels).

It is essential to note that full roll-out of lung screening will take between 7-10 years; this mirrors the experiences and plans of the other UK nations, and reflects the inherent challenges of establishing a programme of this size and complexity. Based on the cost model, the first phase will require at least £3.5 million, although this will be refined as planning progresses.

The Scottish Government does not hold the information you have requested.

The Highland Council has confirmed that the new Nairn Academy campus will open to pupils following the October holidays in 2026. This decision was taken following a short delay to the completion of construction works and to allow sufficient time to for the Council to ensure the building is appropriately handed over, supporting a smooth transition for pupils and staff, and minimising disruption during term time.

The Scottish Government and Scottish Futures Trust continue to engage with the Council, which has confirmed that no further delay to the school’s opening is anticipated.

Children have their own distinct healthcare needs and paediatric services require their own approach. Our Programme for Government for 2026-27 will be put to the Parliament in due course.

We also recognise the need to ensure that transitions from paediatric services to adult care are made as effective and safe as possible. That is why transitions from paediatric to adult services are already within the scope of our work on long term conditions for adults, as these transitions are the responsibility of adult services.

I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-00438 on 8 June 2025. 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.