Chamber and committees

The following table shows the number of individuals entering the NHS Scotland workforce following completion of pre-registration education (headcount), by sub job family. Midwifery is included for completeness alongside nursing sub job families. Figures may be subject to future change, as some individuals who have completed training may enter the workforce at a later date.

We are taking bold and ambitious action to reform and renew our health and care systems in line with our vision where people live longer, healthier and more fulfilling lives while recognising the financial pressures facing the health and social care sector now. The 2026-27 Budget provides almost £22.5 billion investment in health and social care services, exceeding consequentials and providing a real terms uplift to enable more sustainable and resilient services.

Delivering the transformation the people of Scotland need depends on improving prevention and ensuring that health and care services are accessible, high quality, and person led. The Service Renewal Framework provides a structured approach to drive the transformation necessary to realise our vision - responding to today’s pressures but also building the foundations for long-term sustainability and improvement. Renewing Scotland’s essential public services must be rooted in a long-term vision - one that prioritises prevention and early intervention.

The integration of health and social care planning is essential in ensuring services are well-coordinated and responsive to the population's evolving needs, and the report recognises the need for local collaboration in setting budgets. This means that local authorities are responsible for how they choose to invest in those services, not Ministers.

Adrenaline auto-injectors (AAIs), such as an EpiPen®, are prescription-only medicines which are prescribed by an authorised healthcare professional and dispensed at a registered pharmacy. A current exception to this is that schools are allowed to purchase AAIs without a prescription, for emergency use in children with a prescription and who are at risk of anaphylaxis, but whose own device is not available or not working.

The regulation for the licensing, quality, safety, and efficacy of medicines is reserved to the UK Government and is the responsibility of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). Extending access to AAIs to eateries in Scotland will require a change to the Human Medicines Regulations (HMR) 2012. Scottish Government officials are engaging with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and the MHRA about the changes to the HMR 2012 that will be required and will develop options for a pilot following these discussions.

Data and information about Scotland’s Cladding Remediation Programme (CRP) has been published regularly since June 2025. The range and structure of information released is developing across publications, reflecting Programme progress and activity over time, and to date has included:

• the number of expressions of interest (EoIs) submitted via the Single Open Call, by type of applicant
• the number of EoIs that had been identified as likely to be eligible or ineligible for Scottish Government funding from the CRP to carry out an Single Building Assessment (SBA)
• the number of initial grant or funding offers issued
• the number of SBAs started and completed
• whether remedial works were identified as a result of those SBAs
• information relating to remediation and urgent interim measures
• Programme expenditure by financial year
• Information on developer funded assessment and remediation

The latest information on the number of expressions of interest received via the Single Open Call and the number of grant offer letters issued as a result of expressions of interest made to the Single Open Call, was published in the management information release reporting on progress at 31 December 2025.

The latest information on the progress of the Cladding Remediation Programme was published on 28 April 2026, in the management information release reporting on progress at 28 February 2026.

Further financial information relating to the Cladding Remediation Programme was published on 25 March 2026 in a Letter to Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee.

The next management information release, reporting on the progress of the Cladding Remediation Programme at 31 March 2026, will be published on 16 June.

The Scottish Government welcomes the His Majesty’s Inspector of Prisons Scotland (HMIPS) report on HMP Kilmarnock and the important work by HMIPS to assess the treatment and care of those in custody.

We note the report’s recognition of the positive and respectful relationships between staff and those in the care of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) and that the transfer from private into public ownership was done in a safe and controlled manner.

The report makes a number of recommendations for improvement and since the inspection which was undertaken in May 2025, SPS have progressed work to address many of the points raised, recognising the need for continuous improvement.

The impact of the high prison population in Scotland is felt within HMP Kilmarnock, and across the prison estate. The inspectorate acknowledges there are opportunities for the future under the transition.

SEPA’s National Flood Risk Assessment (NFRA) provides a national picture of the risk of flooding in Scotland. It is carried out every 6 years under the Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009 and estimates the number of properties(residential and non-residential) in Scotland at current ,and future, risk of flooding.

The expansion of the NHS 24 Mental Health Hub to provide a national pathway to brief psychological interventions for those would benefit from early treatment but would not meet the criteria to access local specialist secondary care mental health services launched in December 2025. This is providing treatment from professionals appropriately trained in psychological practice. The expansion also allows people calling the Hub access to existing digital psychological therapies. This is helping to improve early identification of the need for support and timely access to early intervention support to prevent mental health issues escalating, support for life events, and to help people cope with physical health conditions.

Since the initial launch and in line with this government’s manifesto commitment, improvement work will continue to ensure the service can increase the number of people who can benefit from treatment.

There is no robust assessment of illicit trade, which encompasses a wide range of crime threats and also covers devolved and reserved matters. The National Crime Agency has assessed that SOC offenders use high street businesses to support criminality, distribute illicit goods, engage in illegal working or launder funds. This can undermine legitimate businesses, damage consumer confidence and harm local investment. The Scottish Government is engaging with the UK Government and others to disrupt high street criminality.

I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-00581 on 8 June 2026. 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 Aberdeen City GP walk-incentre, based in Aberdeen Health Village, is due to open later this month.