Chamber and committees

Our most recent Detect Cancer Earlier campaign – Be The Early Bird – first launched on March 2023, aiming to reduce fear of cancer and empower those with possible symptoms to act early. Following successful independent evaluation, the campaign re-ran in September 2023 and August 2024 to prompt health-seeking behaviour.

In parallel, a Detect Cancer Earlier roadshow visited communities across Scotland in March and September 2024 to reinforce key messages, with further activity planned for March 2025.

We continue to work with NHS Scotland to ensure that the NHS Inform website provides cancer information that best meets patient needs, including symptoms and treatments.

Work is ongoing with third sector organisations to support them in any awareness raising efforts within schools, including the provision of Be The Early Bird resources that may be helpful.

As SEPA are directly responsible for its day-to-day operations, I have asked Nicole Paterson, Chief Executive of SEPA to respond. Her response is as follows:

During normal working hours the customer hub will handle any queries it receives in relation to SEPA’s role and operation which will be directed as appropriate. This includes any queries received in relation to activities controlled through the Environmental Authorisations (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2025. During out of hours periods, the customer hub service continues to provide an immediate response to emergency calls. Any non-urgent calls not requiring escalation, e.g. not related to an urgent environmental event, are triaged and responded to during standard working hours.

Scotland’s first Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Services (RCDSs) – established within existing NHS infrastructure – are operational in NHS Ayrshire and Arran, NHS Dumfries and Galloway NHS Fife, NHS Lanarkshire and NHS Borders.

Our Programme for Government has committed to establishing a further Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Service in NHS Forth Valley, bringing our national total to six. It is expected the RCDS in NHS Forth Valley will start accepting referrals by Spring 2025.

The made Orders for the A96 Dualling Inverness to Nairn (including Nairn Bypass) scheme were published on 12 March 2024. As no legal challenge was received during the 6 weeks following publication of the made Orders, this completes the statutory process for the scheme and clears the way for Ministers to take title to the land (i.e. complete the acquisition process) included in the made Compulsory Purchase Order which is required to construct the scheme. Transport Scotland is pressing ahead with the procedural steps to make this happen as soon as possible. It is currently expected that the process to take title to the land (via a General Vesting Declaration procedure) will be completed in the coming months.

Work is also underway to determine the most suitable procurement option for delivering the A96 Dualling Inverness to Nairn (including Nairn bypass) and thereafter a timetable for progress can be set in line with available budgets. The Government’s preference would be to deliver the scheme using capital funding, but because of erosion to our capital budget, we need to look at all possible ways of delivering the road improvement.

This is a complex exercise which looks at a number of factors including how the project can be delivered most efficiently by industry whilst minimising disruption to road users.

It is fundamental that contracting authorities allow sufficient time to properly consider the range of procurement routes available for any given project. This is important to ensure that the chosen procurement option generates sufficient competition to maximise value for money, delivers against the objectives of the intervention and complies with all statutory and regulatory requirements.

As part of this work, consideration will be given to the feasibility and attractiveness of combining with adjacent schemes to form larger contracts or splitting the scheme and delivering through smaller contracts, for example the Nairn Bypass.

It is expected that the work to determine the most suitable procurement option and develop the business case will take a further 12 months and this assessment work would closely align with the Mutual Investment Model (MIM) assessment work being undertaken on the A9 Dualling. The decision on the use of MIM for the A96 Inverness to Nairn (including Nairn Bypass) would need to follow after, or be considered alongside, the A9 decision which is currently expected at the end of 2025. We will also include consideration of delivery options for the adjacent A9/A96 Inshes to Smithton scheme (part of the Inverness and Highland City Region Deal) as part of this work.

The task forces referred to in the National Transport Strategy’s Fourth Delivery Plan are the Shetland and Orkney Ferry Replacement Task Forces. Further information is available on the Transport Scotland website: Ferry Services Managed by Transport Scotland.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that effective support is in place for all children and families experiencing problems with drugs and alcohol. Our framework to improve holistic whole family support sets out principles of how we will improve support for families affected by drugs and alcohol by taking a whole family approach and using family inclusive practice. The framework is supported by investment totalling £6.5 million per year over the life of the Parliament.

We are investing nearly £4 million to expand the successful Grow your Own Routes model for young people aged 12-26. This model supports young people with substance use in their families, by helping them meet their own goals and break inter-generational cycles of addiction.

To further ensure children and young people are protected from the harms associated with drug and alcohol use, in 2024-2025 the Scottish Government provided £475,000 of funding to the Corra Foundation to deliver the Way Forward for Families Partnership Fund (WFFPF). WFFPF is match funded by the Corra Foundation and delivers funding directly to Third Sector organisations to support families affected by drug and alcohol use. These organisations deliver vital work across Scotland, ensuring the right support is available.

The National Child Protection Guidance details the responsibilities and expectations for all involved in protecting children and young people. The guidance supports the care and protection of children by including detailed information on how concerns are identified and should be responded to. Children and families affected by drug and alcohol use is listed as a specific support need and concern in the guidance and there is information for practitioners on how to support families.

The Scottish Government will continue to work with partners to ensure that robust child protection measures are in place across Scotland, and continue to be followed at all times.

The Scottish Government does not hold data on children from Scotland’s local authorities placed in secure accommodation outwith Scotland.

The responsibility for the placement and management of Scottish children in secure accommodation on welfare grounds through the children’s hearings system, or on an emergency basis under the authority of the relevant local chief social work officer, or remanded under section 51 of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995, or sentenced on summary proceedings under section 44 of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995, lies with each relevant local authority in Scotland.

Scottish Ministers are responsible for the management and placement of children sentenced on solemn proceedings under section 205 and 208 of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995. Currently legislation does not allow for the placement of these children elsewhere in the UK. Our records show that no sentenced child from Scotland has been placed in secure accommodation in England and Wales or elsewhere in the UK.

While there may be some exceptional instances where a placement outwith Scotland would be appropriate, this should only be in the best interests of that individual child. Where practicable and appropriate, the view of the Scottish Government is that children should be placed as near to their home as possible.

It is Scottish Government’s policy to allow local authorities the financial freedom to operate independently. The vast majority of funding is provided by means of a block grant. It is then the responsibility of individual local authorities to manage their own budgets on the basis of local needs and priorities, having first fulfilled their statutory obligations and the jointly agreed set of national and local priorities.

As part of the monitoring for the third Scottish national Adaptation Plan (SNAP3), the number of published Coastal Change Adaptation Plans will be monitored. The outputs of the Coastal Change Adaption Fund case studies are shared on the Dynamic Coast website and webinars on coastal change are held so the knowledge is shared across key stakeholders.

The transitional arrangements in the Environmental Authorisations (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2025 mean the fit and proper person test under the draft Regulations will automatically apply to all relevant activities without SEPA needing to take any action.

SEPA will include fit and proper person checks of existing authorisation holders as part of its targeted monitoring and inspection programme and where relevant in investigating environmental events and complaints. Where authorisations are varied SEPA must be satisfied that the person is a fit and proper person taking account of the changes being proposed to the authorisation.

This is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise. I have asked their Chief Executive, Adrian Gillespie, to contact you directly with a response.