Chamber and committees

The Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce have met three times this year and each of the minutes have been published on gov.scot which details the work discussed. This can be found here Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce - gov.scot.

On June 11 2026 the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Care announced the Independent Review of Maternity Services in Scotland. Professor Christine McCourt, Chair of the Independent Review will begin her work in September.

The high-level principles of the Independent Review were published on 11 June and are available to read here: https://www.gov.scot/publications/maternity-services-independent-review-principles/

We are currently considering the remit of the Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce and how it may lead on current improvement work, including the HIS Inspection findings whilst the independent review of maternity services takes place.

The Scottish Government does not hold this operational information. The member may wish to contact the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service directly, as the Service is responsible for the deployment and operation of its vehicles.

The decision on whether care payments should be backdated due to processing backlogs rests with the relevant local authority. Where an assessment has been completed and a decision has been made on a person's eligibility and support needs, local authorities should consider the circumstances of any delay in implementing support. This includes considering whether support was provided within a reasonable period following the assessment and, where appropriate, whether backdating of payments is justified.

The Scottish Government recognises that alcohol-specific deaths and drug related deaths can share a range of underlying social, behavioural and health-related risk factors. Understanding these interconnected factors is important to informing effective prevention, treatment and support services.

We continue to support and commission research and analysis on the causes and drivers of alcohol and drug-related harms through a range of programmes and partnerships with academic institutions, Public Health Scotland, Scottish Alcohol Research Network, Drug Research Network Scotland and other public sector organisations. This includes research examining severe and multiple disadvantages and the links between substance use, mental health, deprivation, trauma, social isolation, and patterns of help-seeking behaviour among different population groups, including men.

There are currently no specific plans for a standalone research programme focused exclusively on the interlinked sociobehavioural factors associated with male alcohol and drug deaths. We will, however, continue to support and encourage research that improves understanding of the complex and overlapping factors contributing to substance-related deaths and informs actions to reduce harm and save lives.

The Scottish Government recognises the importance of understanding the factors that can affect men's health and wellbeing, including depression, separation from family and substance use. These issues can be complex and interconnected, and we continue to support research and evidence-gathering activity through collaboration with Public Health Scotland, academic institutions and other partners to improve understanding of their causes and impacts.

The Scottish Government invests in a range of services that support mental health, recovery from substance use, and people experiencing adverse life circumstances and trauma. This includes working with partners across the public and third sectors to improve outcomes for men.

Through the Delivering Equally Safe Fund, we are supporting the Men’s Advice Line, which provides practical advice and emotional support to men experiencing domestic abuse. More broadly, community-based organisations across Scotland provide targeted mental health and wellbeing support for men, including peer-support and suicide-prevention services. This includes funding the Changing Room: Extra Time programme, which uses football as a hook to help men learn about and understand their mental health and wellbeing together with their peers.

The Scottish Government recognises the importance of supporting children and families where a parent is recovering from substance use and where reunification is in the best interests of the child. Support is available through a range of national and local services, including alcohol and drug treatment and recovery services, family support organisations, and children and family social work services. These services can help parents sustain recovery, strengthen family relationships and address any practical or emotional challenges that may arise during the reunification process.

Through the Children, Young People and Families Early Intervention Fund and Adult Learning and Empowering Communities Fund the Scottish Government is supporting organisations such as Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol and Drugs, Relationships Scotland and The Spark. These organisations deliver services such as family mediation, relationship counselling, and family support, which can help families strengthen relationships and navigate challenges that may arise during recovery and reunification. We also provide funding to Shared Parenting Scotland, who provide advice, assistance and other support to separated parents experiencing difficulties in having contact with their children.

In Partnership with NHS Scotland, the Scottish Government produce regularly reviewed condition focused Quality Prescribing Guides to support prescribers in their decision making.

We have recently published our updated Polypharmacy Guidance: appropriate prescribing, making medicines safe, effective and sustainable 2026 - 2029, which contains a series of recommendations for medication review for people receiving care at home and in care homes.

In addition to the recommendations, the guidance includes practical advice and options for tailoring care for specific conditions which may affect people in care homes. This includes hot topics on Parkinson’s disease and on managing dementia and cognitive enhancers, as well as case studies produced in collaboration with care home providers on addressing the use of psychoactive medication for people living with dementia through non-pharmacological techniques.

New tailored indicators for care homes have been developed within the updated suite of National Therapeutic Indicators (NTIs) accompanying this guidance. These open access NTIs support boards and practices with identifying appropriate areas to target for patient review and benchmarking at local and national level.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has responsibility for the quality, safety, and efficacy of medicines through its licensing and pharmacovigilance functions, which are reserved matters.

The MHRA continues to closely monitor the safety of Depo-Provera®, as it does with all licensed medicines, and is examining recent data and seeking advice from experts on the need for any further action. Given this ongoing work, I have no plans to commission a separate evidence review.

I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-01691 on 10 August 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

This matter is under active consideration by the Scottish Government, and Parliament will be kept informed of the outcomes of those considerations – including the potential for planning guidance – in due course.