Chamber and committees

Transport Scotland provides reimbursement to bus operators in Scotland for providing free bus travel to those eligible through the National Concessionary Travel Schemes (NCTS). Reimbursement is paid to operators at a level which aims to ensure they are left financially no better and no worse off as a result of their participation in the schemes, and is therefore not considered as a subsidy payment.

Details of total operator revenue over the past 10 years, including passenger revenue and concessionary travel reimbursement can be found in Scottish Transport Statistics tables 2.8 and 2.9, available at: Chapter 2 - Bus and Coach travel | Transport Scotland

Supporting Fair Work is one of Creative Scotland's current strategic priorities.

The Review of Creative Scotland - which was announced in the Programme for Government last September as part of wider work into how the culture sector is supported - will consider Creative Scotland’s purpose and functions; structure and performance; governance and leadership, finances and distribution of funds; and collaboration, relationships and partnerships

The Review is independent of the Scottish Government and will deliver its recommendations in November 2025.

The Scottish Government values the teaching profession and the important work that teachers do.

We are clear that reducing teachers’ class contact time by 90 minutes per week will help address critical concerns around teacher workload, thereby creating the space to drive improvement and reform in our schools and improve outcomes for pupils.

Reduction of teachers class contact time is ultimately a matter which will require agreement from the whole Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers, and we will continue to work with COSLA and the teaching unions to make meaningful progress on this important commitment.

Scottish Government officials have commissioned an Economic Impact Assessment of the value delivered by our investment in Glasgow Prestwick Airport. As previously set out to Parliament, a market testing exercise evaluating the potential for returning the airport to private ownership is ongoing and I will update Parliament when a significant development has been made.

We will publish key findings from the Economic Impact Assessment when the market testing exercise has been concluded.

The Scottish Government is continuing to invest in RNID Near You, which provides an aftercare service delivering hearing aid support, access to information and advice and early detection and prevention through hearing checks, in partnership with the NHS in Shetland, Glasgow, Lothian, Fife and Borders. The scheme aims to reduce pressure on the NHS. Boards report savings in staff time and patient travel and monitoring is through regular meetings and reviewing outcomes against targets. The Scottish Government is not responsible for outcomes of third sector relationships procured in other health board areas in the delivery of NHS audiology services.

I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

I refer the member to the answer to the question S6W-38480 on 23 June 2025. 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 answers to question S6W-38063 answered on 12 June, and question S6W-38064 answered on 10 June 2024. 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

The Scottish Government is represented on the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) and receives updates regarding significant developments in the Committee’s work. It is expected that the UK NSC will be issuing an official update later this month on the potential for self-sampling to be introduced to the cervical screening programme. The update will be published on their website.

In the event of a positive recommendation, the organisations that oversee screening will move at pace to begin realising the potential benefits of self-sampling.

The Scottish Government’s Fair Work First Guidance already explains the Scottish Government approach, provides good practice examples to guide employers’ approaches and, importantly, explains the benefits of fair work for workers and organisations.

This guidance has been developed through engagement with key stakeholders, including trade unions and the STUC, the Fair Work Convention, Flexibility Works, CIPD Scotland, and business, public and third sector partners.

In addition organisations applying for funding from Creative Scotland are already referred to a range of existing best practice as part of Creative Scotland application guidance and are expected to demonstrate how they will meet fair pay requirements.

The current evaluation of Fair Work First by the Scottish Government is providing an opportunity to look closely at how effectively Fair Work First is delivering our policy intent, and to consider what more we can do to shape the future direction of the policy and strengthen our approach.

This includes an examination of appropriate resources and guidance to deliver the intended outcomes together with how Fair Work First conditions could be extended to other forms of support, and to different types of workers, ensuring all have the opportunity to participate in fair and respectful work environments.

Consumer Scotland, as the statutory independent consumer body in Scotland, has responsibility for overseeing scams prevention and awareness work. In addition, the Scottish Government funds a post in Trading Standards Scotland to help minimise the scale and impact of energy efficiency related scams before they cause any consumer detriment.

The Scottish Government funds the Home Energy Scotland (HES) advice service, which provides free, impartial and bespoke advice and support for energy efficiency, clean heating and fuel poverty for all households in Scotland. HES is also the route for access to various Scottish Government grants and loans. No Scottish Government funding schemes participate in cold calling. We recommend that households call HES if they are unsure if a Scottish energy efficiency scheme is genuine.

Consumers can also contact the Scottish Government-funded consumer helpline, Advice Direct Scotland, to report any suspicious schemes and seek guidance on action.