Chamber and committees

Public sector organisations are expected to provide food that reflects the Eatwell Guide and complies with applicable nutrition standards and regulations. This may include plant-based or other dietary options, as long as nutritional standards are maintained. Although the Scottish Government does not set specific expectations on promoting plant-based foods, it recognises the significant contribution that healthy food makes to wellbeing. Responsibility for procurement and supply chain choices rests with individual organisations. Through local Good Food Nation Plans, Local Authorities and Health Boards can set out clear, locally relevant approaches to promoting a Good Food Nation, including through their food provision, in ways that best meet the needs of their communities.

As noted in the Summary OBC, publishing any indicative credit spread prior to an inaugural issuance risks compromising the final pricing that could be achieved. For these reasons, the Scottish Government will not publicly comment on the potential spread of the first bond issuance.

Part (a): In February 2024, the Scottish Government launched a 'Call for Proposals' process (see website page https://www.gov.scot/publications/call-proposals-inclusive-education-programme/), which invited qualified organisations to submit proposals for the competitive award of grants supporting the design, implementation and management of the Scottish Government’s International Development Inclusive Education Programme in Malawi, Rwanda and Zambia.

An internal Scottish Government panel, together with input from Zambia's Ministry of Education on behalf of all three partner countries, scored the applications. The highest-scoring proposals led to a grant award to Link Education International (for Strand 1, which became the RISE project), and OXFAM GB (for Strand 2, which become the GIRLS project).

Part (b)

RISE Project: The lead implementing organisation is Link Education International, who implement the project through three local organisations: Link Community Development Malawi, Chance for Childhood in Rwanda, and School to School Zambia.

GIRLS Project: The lead implementing organisation is Oxfam GB, who implement the project through three local organisations: Concerned Youth Organisation in Malawi, Young Women’s Christian Association in Rwanda and Young Women’s Christian Association in Zambia.

Part c). As set out in the answer to S7W-01962 on 20 August 2026, to date Oxfam GB has been paid £2,052,862, and Link Education International has been paid £3,086,573. The partner organisations working with each project are listed below, with estimate amounts paid to each for the purposes of implementing the contract, to date since commencement of the projects

1. RISE project

Link Education International (grant-holder): £211,885

Link Community Development Malawi: £937,901

Chance for Childhood Rwanda: £949,875

School to School Zambia: £986,912

2. GIRLS project

Oxfam £922,871

Concerned Youth Organisation Malawi: £285,000

Young Women’s Christian Association in Rwanda: £600,957

Young Women’s Christian Association in Zambia: £244,034

Part d). The following outputs and outcomes were set for delivery partners at the commencement of the programme, as set out in the logical framework documents maintained by each project, with targets set for each project.

1. RISE project outcomes

1.Access, enrolment and attendance: Children with disabilities attend school regularly

2.Retention: Children with disabilities, particularly girls, are retained throughout the course of the programme

3.Perception: There is a positive change in the perception of children with disabilities, particularly girls, and their families

4.Wellbeing: Children with disabilities, particularly girls, have more confidence

2. RISE outputs

1.Children with disabilities' access to screening, assessment, referrals and assistive devices is available and improved

2.Inclusive education is included in the day to day operations of schools

3.Community and school staff are orientated to CWD safety and wellbeing needs

3. GIRLS project outcomes

1.Increased provision of scholarships and other supportive interventions to remove barriers for young women to access and complete secondary education and transition from secondary to tertiary education and TVET.

2.Increased girls and women’s enrolment, retention, participation and performance in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects.

4. GIRLS project outputs

1.Increased bursaries to girls and young women at secondary education, tertiary and TVET institutions, within the impact areas.

2.Improved access to schools by girls and other vulnerable children, within the project localities.

3.Improved access to safe learning environments at secondary, TVET, and tertiary schools and safe working environment for targeted female learners

4.Increased knowledge of STEM and TVET opportunities for targeted girls and young women localities.

5.Improved provision and access to counselling, career guidance, mentorship and role models for program participants

6.Improved capacity of teachers in pedagogy, STEM and TVET, within the project impact schools

Part e)

The outputs and outcomes are expected to be achieved by the end of the programme, and will be assessed through project monitoring and evaluation activities.

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.

Part a) From the announced £12.5m, approximately £5.1m has been paid to date across the financial years of 2024-25, 2025-26 and in the first quarter of 2026-27.

Table 1 below breaks down the payments made to date, broken down by i) financial year ii) per project iii) per partner country. Note that the partner country allocations may not sum to total of grant in that year due to routine over- or underspend in the previous year.

TABLE 1

Part (a) In relation to expenditure on programme delivery, administration, monitoring and evaluation and other overhead costs, the following proportions and values apply concerning the project to date. These are estimates relating to approximately £3m of spend for Link Education International (RISE project) and approximately £2m of expenditure for OXFAM GB (GIRLS project) incurred to date.

A. Programme Delivery

1.RISE project: 69%of budget spent on programme outputs and delivery: £1,888,000 to date

2.GIRLS project: 68% of budget spent on programme outputs and delivery: £1,234,712

B. Administration

1.RISE project: 14% of budget spent on management, technical leadership and reporting: £741,000 to date

2.GIRLS project: 29% of budget spent on administrative costs: £528,418 to date.

C. Monitoring and Evaluation

1.RISE project: Approximately 12% of budget spent on Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning: £324,000 to date

2.GIRLS project: Approximately 1.6% of budget spent on Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning: £29,973 to date

D. Other overhead costs

1.RISE project: Approximately 5% of budget spent on equipment, safeguarding and other overhead costs: £139,000

2.GIRLS project: Approximately 0.75%% of budget spent on other overhead costs, including equipment: £13,572

Part (b)
The number of children and young people which have been directly supported since the programme's commencement:

A. Enrolment

1.RISE project: Link Education International, with its partners in Malawi, Rwanda and Zambia, have screened around 360,000 children with disabilities or additional needs prior to enrolment in school. The project has also provided around 1,000 assistive devices to children with disabilities, and has supported communities, teachers and parents to engage and support those children.

2.GIRLS project: Oxfam, with its partners in Malawi, Rwanda and Zambia, have supported 3,523 scholarships for girls from marginalised backgrounds to enrol in secondary school and TVET courses.

B, C, D.

Concerning attendance, retention and educational attainment: For both the RISE and GIRLS projects, midline assessments are planned for 2027 to assess the effect of both projects in improving attendance and retention, and for GIRLS only, the effect of the project on improving performance.

The Scottish Government recognises the benefits that fixed links can bring to island and rural communities. As set out in the second Strategic Transport Projects Review Recommendation 41, the next stage is to undertake further business case development to assess the viability of potential fixed links across the Sounds of Harris and Barra, and between Mull and the Scottish mainland. This work will include the assessment of the potential costs, benefits, funding options and impacts on existing ferry services.

This work is vital to ensure that the proposed projects remain value for money as set out in the Scottish Public Finance Manual and before it moves to the more detailed, design development stage of any one of these three proposed fixed links.

Scoping for this business case work is expected to commence in 2026, and the work would be progressed in close collaboration with local authorities, stakeholders and local communities.

Future announcements on the progress of this work will made at appropriate points in the business case development.

The Scottish Government is also aware that Shetland Island Council is developing its Inter-Island Transport Connectivity Strategy, which includes fixed links (tunnels) as a potential alternative to the current local ferry services.

Food Standards Scotland plays an important role in supporting healthier diets across Scotland through the provision of scientific evidence, dietary surveillance and expert advice. This evidence informs Scottish Government policies aimed at improving dietary health and creating food environments that make healthier options easier.

Food Standards Scotland are a non-ministerial agency and are directly accountable to the Scottish Parliament. Their Board provides independent strategic direction and governance to the agency.

The Food Standards Scotland framework document sets out the objectives in relation to improving diet and nutrition in Scotland. This is achieved in collaboration with the Scottish Government.

The Scottish Government will continue to work closely with Food Standards Scotland to ensure that action to improve dietary health is informed by robust evidence and expert advice.

The Scottish Government has worked closely with Motability to understand how its changes might affect customers in Scotland under the Accessible Vehicles and Equipment (AVE) Scheme.

As a result of our engagement Motability has committed to providing additional mileage, on top of its reduced standard allowance, to customers living in very rural and island communities in recognition of their having to drive further to access key services.

Also, customers in any area who for essential purposes need to drive more than 3,000 miles each year above the 10,000 standard annual inclusive mileage will be able to apply for support with the increased excess mileage charge.

The Scottish Government remains committed to the AVE Scheme and to ensuring that all eligible clients can access the right support through it to meet their mobility needs.

In 2025-26 the Crofting Agricultural Grant Scheme (CAGS) received 1,063 applications, of which 777 were approved and 154 were rejected. The remaining 132 applications have a variety of statuses including still to be assessed, withdrawn, or offer letters have been issued but have yet to be returned by the applicant.

Since April 2026, 156 applications have been approved and offered contracts, with 61 of those already accepted. A further 50 applications have either been withdrawn or rejected.

The Scottish Government has supported and used modelling to inform planning across the wider Trauma and Orthopaedic specialty.

This includes modelling undertaken through the Performance Management and Assessment Tool (PMAT), which considers demand and capacity across the full Trauma & Orthopaedic waiting list to support delivery planning and Scottish Government targets. However, this modelling is not undertaken specifically for hip and knee replacement services.

In addition, work has been undertaken with the University of Strathclyde through the Centre for Sustainable Delivery to model aspects of orthopaedic demand and capacity. This work was conducted at whole-specialty level rather than at the level of individual sub-specialties such as hip and knee replacement surgery.

Separately, the Golden Jubilee National Hospital, which is the largest hip and knee replacement centre in the UK, employs a Clinical Fellow who undertakes modelling relating to arthroplasty demand through the Scottish Arthroplasty Project.