Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government recognises that the availability and quality of business premises is a key enabler of economic growth across the South of Scotland.

Our National Planning Framework states that Local Development Plans should include a suitable range of business sites that meet current market demand, location, size and quality, and that planning authorities should support the delivery and reuse of business premises in line with need.

We have committed £15 million through the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal to deliver modern, fit for purpose business units at the Borders Innovation Park in Tweedbank, and a further £8 million through the Borderlands Growth Deal to deliver new industrial and business premises at five sites across the south.

Our dedicated enterprise agency for the region, South of Scotland Enterprise (SOSE), works with partners to improve the supply, suitability, and sustainability of business space as part of its wider support for place-based economic development.

SOSE commissioned a comprehensive survey of employment and business properties across the South of Scotland in 2020, covering property size, condition, location and local market dynamics. This analysis was refreshed in 2022 to reflect post-COVID impacts.

The survey findings - alongside current market intelligence and engagement with businesses and partners - have informed work to develop and enhance business premises where there is clear evidence of need and economic impact.

SOSE has, for example, worked with partners to support regeneration activity in the Midsteeple Quarter in Dumfries, where vacant town centre buildings are being brought back into productive use, including for commercial and business purposes.

The Scottish Government is delivering the strongest package of winter support in the UK.

Winter Heating Payment replaced the UK Government's Cold Weather Payment in February 2023. The payment is made automatically and provides stable and reliable support to help low-income households with winter heating costs, regardless of the temperature.

Official statistics published on 19 May 2026 shows that as of 31 March 2026, over 472,000 Winter Heating Payments were made to eligible clients, with the vast majority paid automatically in December 2025. The information requested for April 2026 is not yet published.

Further details are available on Social Security Scotland’s website at: Winter Heating Benefit Statistics.

I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-00480 on 3 June 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.

I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-00472 on 8 June 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.

Since the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) opened in 2015, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has faced challenges linked to the original build quality.

The Board has a range of ongoing legal proceedings against the main contractor as a result of these significant failures, which include defects with ensuite facilities.

Where issues are identified, these are managed on a case-by-case basis. This can include precautionary closure of individual rooms or areas while investigations and remedial works are carried out. This is a dynamic position reflecting ongoing inspection, maintenance and repair activity.

Patient safety is at the heart of the Board’s work, and their Estates and contractor teams continue to repair defects on an ongoing basis as required.

The Board is working with designers and specialist contractors to develop a long-term refit design option for all ensuite rooms in due course. There is currently no confirmed timetable for completion of this programme.

As legal proceedings are ongoing, it would not be appropriate to comment on potential recovery of costs from contractors or insurers.

We are committed to strengthening the Adults with Incapacity system in Scotland, including Powers of Attorney, with a specific focus on enhancing the rights and protections of people affected by incapacity law.

We are working with an Expert Working Group to develop proposals for reform, with an Adults with Incapacity Amendment Bill expected to be introduced during the current parliamentary session.

Social Security Scotland regularly publishes statistics relating to its staffing, although it does not routinely publish a breakdown of its staff by corporate function.

The most recent workforce statistics, published on 19 March 2026, show overall staffing levels of 4,140 full-time equivalent staff in December 2025 but do not include a breakdown by corporate function.

Staff work flexibly across all benefits and are deployed to meet demand.

I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-00360 on 8 June 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.

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.