Chamber and committees

Our next formal update will be as part of a parliamentary debate currently planned for early June, subject to ministerial and parliamentary timetables. It is planned that this debate will focus on AI and its current and future impact in the Health sector.

However the Scottish AI Alliance provide monthly updates on the meeting of the Scottish AI Taskforce. This group of public servants meet to discuss and share AI challenges and opportunities, with the intention of avoiding duplication and ensuring shared best practice. These meetings offer a good overview of the public sector approach to AI, and you can find minutes and details from these meeting on the Alliance website. Public Sector AI - Taskforce — Scottish AI Alliance

We are also currently working on our response to the recent publication of the UK Government AI Action Plan, and that response will include a public sector component.

The AI Register remains the intended source of publicly available information on AI in use across the Scottish public sector. Work is on-going to encourage use across Scotland and to build completion of the register into our procurement and development processes.

Implementation and evaluation of the Collaborative and Compassionate Cancer Care The Cancer Strategy for Children and Young People in Scotland 2021–2026 is managed by the Managed Service Network for Children and Young People with Cancer (MSN CYPC).

Consideration will be given to an evaluation of the delivery of this strategy as it continues into 2026. Recommendations and actions are continually reviewed by MSN CYPC and the 2023-24 MSN CYPC Annual Report has been published on the MSN CYPC website – www.msncypc.Inhs.scot.

Public Health Scotland (PHS) publishes annual data on 16 to 25 year olds with cancer in Scotland in their incidence statistics. The latest report is available on the PHS website

PHS also publishes information on cancer in children (ages 0 to 14) and young people (ages 15 to 24) in Scotland

Children and young people with cancer in Scotland 9 May 2023 - Children and young people with cancer in Scotland - Publications - Public Health Scotland

Higher Education Capital Funding, which includes the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) core funding for research and knowledge exchange has increased by £11.4m (3.2%) to £368.3m for 2025-26. This will enable us to continue to protect our core grant funding and portfolio of research, knowledge exchange and innovation investments, including Innovation Centres, delivered via the SFC

Scottish Government continue to work with the SFC and the sector on implications and allocation of this budget in line with the usual process. Final allocations are expected to be announced in late May.

The number of discharges from Scottish acute inpatient hospitals is presented in the following table. These figures do not include mental health facilities. These discharge figures have been produced using the Public Health Scotland SMR01 dataset which does not hold details of support provided on discharge.

Details of discharges from Scottish acute hospitals where the patient was recorded as having no fixed abode at hospital admission.

Decisions on applications made under sections 36 and 37 of the Electricity Act 1989 are made by the Scottish Ministers. All information relating to applications to build, operate or modify onshore electricity generating stations with capacities exceeding 50 megawatts, as well as all applications to install overhead power lines, large oil and gas pipelines, and associated infrastructure, are published and searchable on our Energy Consents website, at https://www.energyconsents.scot/.

Non-domestic rates are a tax levied on the occupiers of non-domestic properties. All non-domestic properties, including specified plant and machinery such as pylons, are liable for non-domestic rates. As such, the occupier of a non-domestic property with pylon infrastructure will be liable for non-domestic rates.

The valuation of non-domestic property is a matter for the independent Scottish Assessors who follow applicable statute and case law in making their decisions on non-domestic property valuations.

The rating of plant and machinery, including plant and machinery involved in the transmission of electricity, depends on a number of factors, and The Valuation for Rating (Plant and Machinery)(Scotland) Regulations 2000, as amended, specifies the plant and machinery which is to be assumed to be part of lands and heritages for the purposes of non-domestic rating valuation.

Meetings with only SSEN in attendance

Organised crime groups look to identify any opportunity to increase their wealth and the railway network is not immune from this threat. While it is for rail networks and British Transport Police to ensure that measures are in place to safeguard depots and the wider infrastructure, partners on the Serious Organised Crime Taskforce continue to work together through the Multi Agency Tasking and Delivery Board, based at the Scottish Crime Campus, to take measures to disrupt this illegal activity.

The Scottish Government does not hold responsibility for the recording and monitoring of staff grades and structures across the public sector, so we can only respond in relation to our own staffing.

Artificial Intelligence is increasingly being used in a number of policy areas and for a diverse range of purposes. Generally these activities will make up a small proportion of a staff members’ daily duties, while AI may be one technology among many deployed for a particular solution, so we only have a small number of staff whose job role is primarily focused on the deployment of AI.

Recently published FOI release (Scottish Government staffing and salary statistics: FOI release - gov.scot) shares that in 2024 we had 6 data scientists, and a wide range of functions involved in the preparation of data, design of digital services, and support functions which could be related to the use or deployment of AI.