Chamber and committees

This question relates to operational matters that are the responsibility of the Scottish Court and Tribunals Service (SCTS) corporate body. The question has been passed to the Chief Executive of the SCTS who will reply in writing within 20 days.

The Scottish Government recognises the important contribution that the skilled workforce at Torness has made and continues to make. The Scottish Government has not made a separate assessment of the figure cited.

Security of electricity supply is reserved to the UK Government and is managed on a Great Britain-wide basis by the National Energy System Operator.

SFRS carried out an extensive public consultation including 40 public events (in-person meetings, drop-in sessions and online meetings) and a public survey. The SFRS Board took decisions based on both the consultation responses, which had been independently analysed, along with the evidence on the need for change.

The Scottish Government and key partners are currently reviewing the Wildfire Strategic Action Plan to ensure it continues to reflect the increasing wildfire risk, and to identify if further measures are required.

The review is being undertaken alongside continued delivery of the existing action plan and a number of priority areas, including aerial firefighting support, public awareness and prevention communications activity, wildfire danger assessments, and strengthened multi-agency communication and operational arrangements have been identified for increased focus.

It is expected that progress will be delivered on a number of the priority areas ahead of the 2027 wildfire season, with further updates to be provided as the review progresses.

We are aware that Scotland has a large number of pre-1919 built houses in rural and island communities compared to urban areas. These properties are typically detached and are 32% to 38% larger by floor area than urban dwellings of the same age. These buildings can be more complex to decarbonise and insulate than modern buildings due to increased risk of mould or dampness if the “breathable” nature of the building is compromised.

The cost-of-living crisis means that many families are struggling to put food on the table, and we are taking action to help households with those pressures. That is why we are consulting on a proposal which seeks to make essential food items more affordable for households struggling to pay for their weekly shop, particularly those on lower incomes. Through our consultation and ongoing engagement with stakeholders, we are carefully considering the full range of perspectives and evidence to help inform policy development. This engagement will help ensure that any future scheme is proportionate, deliverable and aligned with the policy's objectives.

The Scottish Government is committed to improving life expectancy and tackling health inequalities across the whole population.

The latest published National Records of Scotland data on life expectancy at birth in Scotland (by council area) for the 5 year period covering 2020-2024, shows that life expectancy at birth for males was 77.9 years in City of Edinburgh, 78.7 in East Lothian and 77.6 in Midlothian, compared to 76.7 in Scotland as a whole.

Last year, the Scottish Government and COSLA published the Population Health Framework, which sets out a cross-government, cross-sector approach to improving

life expectancy while reducing the gap in life expectancy between the 20% most deprived areas and the national average, by 2035. The Framework sets out the actions the Scottish Government and its partners are taking forward within the first two years by: supporting healthy environments; good early years and education; good work and income; and equitable health and care.

In addition, Scottish Government’s Programme for Government places a strong emphasis on the need to shift towards prevention and early intervention. This includes action to address alcohol and drug-related harm and to encourage healthier lifestyles among men, helping to reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, lung cancer and poor mental wellbeing.

Embedding prevention across public services is fundamental to improving population health outcomes for individuals and securing the long-term sustainability of Scotland’s health and care system.

The veteran community has been central to the development of the Veterans Mental Health and Wellbeing Pathway, with representation on the Pathway Advisory Group, and its associated sub-groups. This Advisory Group oversaw the development of the Veterans Mental Health and Wellbeing Framework, and included representation from the veteran community, the third sector, and statutory services which support veterans and their families. The Framework, published in March 2026, sets the strategic direction to ensure that veterans have equitable access to mental health services. The voices and experiences of the veteran community have informed the work from the outset.

We continue to work closely with veterans, as well as the wider service delivery landscape, ahead of the phased launch of the national Pathway from October 2026. This will to ensure that future mental health and wellbeing services for veterans remain informed by lived experience and are responsive to their needs.

The Veterans Mental Health and Wellbeing Framework was published in March 2026 and sets out the vision, values, and principles of high quality veterans’ mental health support. A procurement exercise to establish a service provider for the Veterans Mental Health and Wellbeing Pathway has now concluded. The new service provider will be announced imminently and the Pathway is expected to start to become operational on a phased basis from October 2026.

To support delivery of the Pathway, a full governance structure is being established to provide appropriate oversight, coordination and stakeholder engagement across national and local partners during the implementation phase. These arrangements will help ensure that any impacts arising from planned NHS reform are identified and managed appropriately, enabling progress towards delivery of the Pathway's key aims and outcomes.

A guiding principle is that the new national Pathway should continually evolve, supported by regular evaluation and feedback from key stakeholders.

The Fair Work Oversight Group last met on 8 January 2026.

At that meeting, members reflected on progress made through the Fair Work Action Plan towards the Scottish Government vision for Scotland to be a leading Fair Work nation and discussed the future of Fair Work policy in Scotland.

The final Fair Work Action Plan Report was published on 7 October 2026.