Chamber and committees

NHS boards exercise responsibilities in relation to planning, commissioning and delivering healthcare services, and take overall responsibility for the health and wellbeing of the populations they serve. NHS boards are discrete legal entities and legally accountable and responsible for how they carry out their functions, services, duties and responsibilities.

Since the launch of the RMT People’s CalMac Campaign in 2022 we have been engaging with Trade unions on their aspiration for a CHFS3 of Direct Award to CalMac Ferries. The Scottish Government agrees that a Direct Award is the best and most appropriate way forward. The detailed Contract specification will be published on the Transport Scotland website and reflects the very nature of the contract which is to enable continuous improvements and adjustment in the changed focus of public service delivery, rather than simply meeting contractual requirements, and we would expect ongoing trades unions engagement on this. Trades unions have been active in the formal consultation and in the Roundtable hosted by me as the Cabinet Secretary for that purpose and I have regular meetings with Ferry Trades unions. We will continue to engage productively with Trade unions throughout the term of the new contract to support the hard-working staff providing these services across the CHFS network.

An extensive programme of work has been undertaken across the Scottish public sector estate to identify the presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) and to ensure buildings are safe for all building users.

Management of the Police Scotland estate, including assessments of the condition of its buildings, is an operational matter for the Chief Constable, under the oversight of the Scottish police Authority.

The Scottish Government supports the work undertaken by Police Scotland to address the issue of RAAC which has been identified in four locations across the Police Scotland estate, and their commitment to providing a safe environment for officers, staff and the public. Police Scotland has provided assurance that there is no risk to officers, staff, or visitors to those affected buildings.

We are investing a record £1.64 billion in policing in 2025-26. This includes £70 million of capital funding for investment in police assets, including the police estate.

The provision and procurement of police uniform and equipment for officers is a matter for Police Scotland and the Chief Constable. I am clear that police officers and staff should be provided with the correct tools for the job.

Our record £1.64 billion investment in policing is helping equip officers with modern tools like body worn video, ensuring they have the right resources to keep communities safe.

Through delivery of the Out of hospital cardiac arrest: strategy 2021 to 2026 - gov.scot we are working with our Save a Life for Scotland partners to improve access to defibrillators by ensuring that they are publicly accessible, registered and to take a data driven approach to their placement.

The Scottish Government provided the Resuscitation Research Group funding to support the development of PADmap - Increasing cardiac arrest survival through optimal defibrillator placement. This is a free to use, data-driven service to help defibrillator guardians make informed decisions about where to place their devices in order to have the most impact.

There were no Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) issued under the Marine Scotland Act 2010 in the past five years. FPNs were issued under Nature Conservation Orders which are enabled by the 2010 Act.

The number of FPNs issued under Nature Conservation Orders were 2019 X3, 2020 X1, 2021 X1, 2022 X0, 2023 X1, 2024 X0. All vessels were UK vessels because the Marine Scotland Act and associated orders apply to Territorial and Inshore waters where generally only UK vessels are permitted to fish.

Scotland’s hills are inherently dangerous with treacherous with changeable conditions, and too many lives are lost unnecessarily each year.

Mountaineering Scotland and Scottish Mountain Rescue’s #ThinkWINTER campaign provides useful information, updates, and tips, shared across social media platforms and websites, as well as a series of winter skills talks.

The Scottish Government are committed to supporting safety in the mountains and are currently working with sportscotland, the Mountain Safety Group and partners, to provide safe opportunities to enjoy the outdoors and reap the physical and mental health benefits of being active in nature.

The Scottish Government funds active travel infrastructure through delivery partners such as Local Authorities, Regional Transport Partnerships and National Park Authorities. As such, Equality Impact Assessments (EQIAs) related to specific design elements, such as bus stop bypasses are typically carried out by these delivery partners as part of their statutory duties during project development and delivery.

While the Scottish Government does not directly conduct EQIAs for infrastructure designs related to delivery partners, we require delivery partners to ensure that all funded projects comply with relevant statutory procedures, including consideration of impact on disabled users.

This approach is consistent with the outcomes of the second National Transport Strategy, which seeks to deliver a fairer transport system that meets the needs of everyone, and with the recommendations of the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2), which emphasise the importance of inclusive and accessible active travel networks.

The Scottish Government believes that it is crucially important that young people have access to accurate education on British and Scottish history, including on the British Empire and the UK's involvement in slavery. Scotland’s history curriculum, including the senior phase courses “The Trade in Enslaved African People 1770–1807” and “Migration and Empire 1830–1939”, present a range of opportunities for young people to learn about these significant histories.

The Breaking the Mould anti-racism curriculum principles include a principle on 'understanding and enquiring into Scotland’s role in historical world events, including trans-Atlantic enslavement and colonial histories, and their continuing impact today'. There are a range of further national actions underway including the following:

• The Scottish Government has supported academic-led programmes with the universities of Edinburgh, Glasgow and Stirling for teachers on Teaching Slavery in Scotland and on the Impact of Scots Settlers in Migration and Empire, with resources developed published on the Scottish Association of Teachers of History website.
• Education Scotland has published teaching resources on the Transatlantic Slave Trade supported by the University of Glasgow, and a publication on Sugar Histories aimed at Primary 7 learners in transition to S1 in both expressive arts and social studies.
• The Scottish Government is currently working in partnership with the SQA and Education Scotland to consider appropriate updates to the history qualifications to embed an anti-racist and decolonised approach. The Curriculum Improvement Cycle will consider further relevant updates to the social studies curriculum.
• Museums Galleries Scotland is working with museums who are decolonising their collections and learning resources to reflect the recommendations of the Empire, Slavery and Scotland’s Museums report. National Museums Scotland has developed a specific resource associated with the National 5 qualification on the Trade in Enslaved African People.

The current guidance for Scotland in ‘Cycling by Design’ emphasises the importance of physically separated cycling infrastructure, to avoid or minimise interaction with live motor traffic and with pedestrians at bus stops. Transport Scotland, commissioned independent research in 2021, which was jointly funded by Department for Transport, to investigate issues of inclusion where bus stop bypasses have been introduced. Forthcoming updated guidance following this published research and ongoing engagement on accessibility, including with disabled people, will emphasise this message and further highlight that it can be beneficial to provide cycle routes and bus routes on separate corridors, to reduce interactions.