Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government has allocated £570 million to local authorities through the local authority capital grant settlement for flood protection schemes and flood resilience. The distribution of this funding is agreed by Scottish Ministers and COSLA Leaders. Typically 80% is used to support the delivery of specific flood protection schemes and Flood Risk Management Plans, and the remaining 20% is distributed amongst all Scottish local authorities for wider local authority flood resilience capital projects.

SEPA designate Potentially Vulnerable Areas (PVAs). Around 90% of Scotland’s flood risk is contained within PVAs. PVAs are used to prioritise areas where the risk is highest and the benefits of flood risk management will be greatest.

Flood risk management actions which benefit PVAs should therefore be prioritised, but this does not prevent responsible local authorities and stakeholders from taking forward actions to tackle flooding in areas located outwith the PVAs.

Lasting Powers of Attorney is an English term which refers to two separate legal documents – one for property and financial affairs, and one for health and welfare. In Scotland, the equivalent arrangement is called a Power of Attorney (PoA), which can combine continuing (financial) and welfare powers into a single document.

Last year the Scottish Government published a consultation seeking views on proposed changes to the Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000. The consultation opened on 25 July 2024 and closed on 17 October 2024. Part 2 of the consultation related to changes to continuing and welfare powers of attorney. The Scottish Government published analysis of consultation responses on 25 January 2025.

Patient safety is of the utmost importance and everyone in Scotland has the right to expect high quality, safe, and appropriate healthcare. NHS Forth Valley is responsible for assessing patient safety risks in its mental health facilities, including those posed by ligature anchor points, and for taking appropriate local action.

Oversight of the safety and quality of mental health inpatient services, including aspects of the built environment, is supported by intelligence-led, risk-based inspections carried out by Healthcare Improvement Scotland. Where concerns are identified, Healthcare Improvement Scotland will consider whether these should be escalated to the Scottish Government or Ministers.

Relevant issues may also be considered through cross-agency forums involving mental health scrutiny bodies and the Health and Safety Executive, depending on the nature of the concern.

The Scottish Government (SG) has acknowledged that, while the current system for granting Powers of Attorney (PoAs) generally functions well, certain elements require improving and updating.

In January SG published analysis of responses to a consultation on proposals for reform of the Adults with Incapacity Act, including PoAs.

SG are now considering those responses and working towards modernising the AWI Act, taking forward recommendations from the Scottish Mental Health Law Review.

As this is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise, I have asked its Chief Executive, Adrian Gillespie to respond to you directly.

As a priority, the Scottish Government is working with Health Boards and other key stakeholders to ensure that all patients can access abortion services up to the legal gestational limit within Scotland. A new Task and Finish Group is now being set up by the NHS Scotland Planning and Delivery Board to agree the best way to implement a service(s) for patients seeking an abortion between 20-24 weeks.

The Task and Finish Group will recommend to the Planning and Delivery Board the best option(s) for that service. As part of this work, they will consider whether any service(s) provided should offer surgical or medical abortions.

The Scottish Government is also taking forward work to improve surgical abortion provision across Scotland and remains committed to providing funding to support staff training to allow Health Boards to provide later stage abortions.

Action 1:1 of our Health Visiting Action Plan 2025-2035, the establishment of an online health visiting site, is scheduled for completion by the end of 2025.

The Scottish Government is committed to managing our seas sustainably to protect their rich biological diversity. NatureScot are currently liaising with local stakeholders to better understand the situation within the Loch Sween MPA. Surveys will be carried out in the MPA this year to better assess the status of the native oysters across the loch.

SEPA reviews, updates and publishes Potentially Vulnerable Areas (PVA) information every 6 years. The most recent update was published in December 2024 following public consultation. Further information on that consultation and how the PVAs are defined can be found on SEPA's website.

Scottish Government officials met with environmental and conservation stakeholders on at least 55 occasions and with fishing stakeholders on at least 65 occasions in a range of different forums to discuss Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) from 1 January 2022 until 18 April 2025.