Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government’s Chief Scientist Office (CSO) funded with other health research organisations the James Lind Alliance Priority Setting Partnership that has published priorities for myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) research. In addition, CSO with other research funders have developed a toolkit for researchers to guide them on funding streams that provide opportunities for ME/CFS research. These streams include CSO’s open competitive grant and fellowship schemes that fund applied health research across a wide remit, inclusive of ME/CFS research as well as National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) programmes that can also fund ME/CFS research in Scotland with CSO’s financial contribution to NIHR opening these programmes to applications from researchers in Scotland. Applications submitted to these schemes are assessed through independent expert peer-review with funding recommendations made by independent expert committees.

There are no devolved elements of the UK Government’s delivery plan on ME/CFS. It covers the population of England only.

We are unable to formally endorse the Plan due to differing healthcare systems and statutory structures.

However, the UK Government shared anonymised responses to its public consultation on the draft Plan from stakeholders living in Scotland with the Scottish Government. We are taking these views into account as we progress our ongoing work on ME/CFS.

The 2025-26 Scottish Budget includes an additional £4.5 million to deliver new specialist support across the country for long COVID, ME/CFS and other similar conditions. We want this money to have maximum impact and we are working closely and carefully with health boards across Scotland to allocate it as quickly and effectively as possible.

Data on the latest number of individuals currently undertaking modern apprenticeships in the digital, engineering, and manufacturing subject areas was published by Skills Development Scotland (SDS) on 5 August 2025.

Data on the number of modern apprentices in training by occupational grouping is available in table 3.3 of the 'Modern Apprenticeships in Quarter 1 Supplementary Tables' accessible via the SDS website modern-apprenticeship-supplementary-tables-quarter-1-2025-26.xlsx

It is important to note that newly qualified apprentices do not enter the workforce upon completion of their apprenticeship, as they are already in the workplace and employed throughout the duration of their training. Holding a job is a prerequisite for undertaking an apprenticeship.

SDS holds operational responsibility for all matters relating to apprenticeships. As such, it is responsible for this data and can provide further breakdowns if required.

The last review of integration arrangements, under the Public Bodies (Joint Working) (Scotland) Act 2014, took place as part of the Independent Review of Adult Social Care, with a final report published in February 2021.

We work closely with the Society of Chief Officers of Trading Standards in Scotland (SCOTSS) to support enforcement of existing legislation, including checks on sales of tobacco and vapes to under 18s, and advice to business.

In 2025-26 this includes providing funding of £46k to support a National Coordinator post and specific enforcement projects that vary year on year. SCOTSS manages the Enhanced Tobacco Sales Enforcement Programme (ETSEP) in Scotland, which is a key component in the Scottish Government’s Tobacco and Vaping Framework, and helps ensure that young people’s access to harmful age-restricted products is minimised.

In addition in 2025-26, the Scottish Government has made £300k available for transitional costs associated with the ban on SUVs, and to support recycling and responsible disposal of SUV’s seized by local authorities.

The 2025-26 budget delivered record funding of over £15.1 billion for Local Government, a real terms increase of 5.5 per cent. Local Government have responsibility for working to ensure local budget decisions deliver local and national priorities, including those on the enforcement of existing legislation, including on underage sales and illicit tobacco and vapes and the single use vape ban.

An assessment to license, or develop upon the UK Government’s planning data platform has not been undertaken to date.

The digital development consents programme being taken forward by the Scottish Government will deliver a replacement for the current eDevelopment.scot service, beginning with planning and building standards applications. A first version is expected to be available in 2026 with subsequent versions in 2027 and 2028. As part of the later phases of delivery, the new service is expected to improve both the quality and availability of planning and building standards data. This will allow greater insights into proposed, approved and ongoing developments and related trends across Scotland.

The Scottish Government recognises the benefits of international higher education for students, staff and researchers. Our International Education Strategy, published in 2024, sets out the approach that we are taking to attract international students and increase opportunities for student mobility including through the Scottish Education Exchange Programme.

Scholarships provide financial support to help students undertake education at undergraduate and postgraduate level, making education more accessible. International students, that is foreign nationals who temporarily travel to Scotland for education, may apply for scholarships via Scottish universities and colleges.

As scholarships in Scotland are primarily funded and managed by institutions themselves, the Scottish Government does not hold all the information that has been requested.

Since 2016, the Scottish Government has provided funding towards a number of International Development scholarship programmes. Additionally, between 2009 and 2023, the Scottish Government supported the Scottish Saltire Scholarship programme aimed at raising the profile of Scotland as a place to live, work and study for international students.

According to the most recently available data provided to Fife Council by Shell, the total tonnes of natural gas liquids processed at the plant were: FY 2021-22: 2 million, FY 2022-23: 1.9 million and FY 2023-2024 1.9 million. The total number of shipments of propane were 19 in 2021-22, 16 in 2022-23 and 17 in 2023-24; for butane the figures were 15 for 2021-22, 23 for 2022-23 and 20 for 2023-24; for mixed propane butane – 22 for 2021-22, 3 for 2022-23 and 5 for 2023-24 and for gasoline the number of vessels was 27 for 2021-22, 36 for 2022-23 and 36 for 2023-24.

The latest evidence of the economic contribution from the Mossmorran NGL plant, provided by Shell to Fife Council, shows that the plant employed an average 196 people in 2022, 213 in 2023, and 229 people during 2024.

The Scottish Government does not collect or hold this data centrally.

We expect children and young people who need inpatient mental health care to be looked after in age-appropriate specialist facilities. However, there may be occasions when it isn’t possible for a young person to be admitted to a specialist child and adolescent bed – for example, a crisis admission out of hours where there are concerns for the young person’s safety, or where a specialist facility might be a considerable distance from family support which may aid recovery.

When young people need to be admitted to a non-specialist ward, clinicians will work with the young person and their family to make the most appropriate decision regarding the treatment and support that a young person requires.

On occasions where young people are placed within an adult ward this will be monitored and reviewed regularly to ensure that the young person is receiving the most appropriate treatment and care.