Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government is a member of the Scottish Partnership on Rural Crime (SPARC) and regularly attends partnership meetings which cover a wide range of rural crime incidents. We are aware that the theft of GPS units is an issue affecting some businesses and the Scottish Government continues to support SPARC’s five priorities, one of which is the prevention of machinery, tools, fuel and metal and metal from rural premises. The revised SPARC strategy highlights activity Police Scotland and its partners are undertaking to prevent this sort of crime, prepare and protect rural businesses and pursue those responsible.

The Scottish Government continues to support Regional Transport Partnerships (RTPs) through targeted funding streams aligned with its commitment to delivering public transport at a regional level. While the Verity House Agreement sets out principles for collaboration and funding between central and local government, it does not explicitly reference RTPs, as funding priorities under the Agreement are determined by individual councils. It is the responsibility of Local Authorities to determine their funding priorities.

The Scottish Government is providing Scotland’s seven regional transport partnerships (RTPs) with up to £15.5 million of capital grant funding from the People and Place Programme (total value £23.4 million, split between resource and capital).

The primary focus of the capital funding is to provide a programme of sustainable and active travel behaviour change interventions on a regional basis to encourage people to travel actively and more sustainably. In addition to the direct capital grant funding, RTPs can apply to the Tier 2 Active Travel Infrastructure Fund for both Design and Construction, and they worked with local authorities in receipt of Bus Infrastructure Fund awards.

There are no plans to amend the current criteria of the People and Places programme to include park and ride facilities as eligible capital projects.

The Scottish Government is working with key partners across Scotland to ensure that relevant information, with the appropriate safeguards in place, from patient health records is available to all healthcare staff when and where they need it.

Community pharmacists have access to the Emergency Care Summary (ECS). Community Pharmacy gained access to the Emergency Care Summary (ECS) for all community pharmacists and pharmacy technicians during COVID-19. Directions formalising access to the ECS system came into force on 2 October 2023.

In addition, many health boards are providing access to the Clinical Portal which provides additional patient information. Clinical Portals support Health Boards to allow clinicians to access different pieces of information about an individual patient including patients from other Health Boards when required. Some Health Boards have opened access to their clinical portals to community pharmacy. We are encouraging all health boards to extend role-based access to Clinical Portals.

The Digital Health & Care Strategy, published 2021, sets out ambitions for greater access to medical information both for staff and the public. In the medium to longer term, as part of the Digital Health & Care strategy, a National Digital Platform is being developed and has started to bring together service data that is appropriately accessible to the workforce regardless of where they are based.

The Scottish Government does not hold the information requested.

Spending on postage is an operational matter for individual NHS Boards to consider, as such, the information should be sought directly from each Board.

The Scottish Government has considered this UK report with interest and recognises the importance of a range of factors including land use, yield, and population in planning future food security.

The Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Act 2024 similarly recognises the importance of these factors and requires Scottish Ministers to make a statement on food security at least every three years and to also have regard to food supply and security in the rural support plan.

The publication of Scotland’s 4th Land Use Strategy to be published next year will also allow us to further consider the multiple pressures on land and the benefits and opportunities presented by a more integrated approach to land use.

The Scottish Government provides funding and support to Sabhal Mòr Ostaig (SMO) in recognition of its importance to Gaelic through its key role in adult and Gaelic learning and Gaelic medium teacher education. The duty on Scottish Ministers through the Scottish Languages Act to conduct a review of the status of SMO is welcomed as a way of informing further and future actions. It is the intention to commence the duty on Ministers to undertake a review of SMO in due course and before the end of the Parliamentary term, subject to the parliamentary process and timetable.

The Scottish Government is aware of the suggestion that some stolen farm machinery stolen in the UK has made its way to eastern Europe. However, Police Scotland do not hold have enough evidence to confirm that this is a developing trend for machinery stolen Scotland. Officers will continue to investigate all crimes of this nature and trace those responsible.

Since the question, S6W-00259, was answered in 2021, the Scottish National Centre for Craniofacial Surgery for Children & Young People in Glasgow has introduced craniofacial endoscopic strip craniectomy with helmet therapy.

Endoscopic strip craniectomy (ESC) is a minimally invasive surgical procedure offered as a treatment choice for children who meet specific clinical criteria presenting to the craniofacial clinic under 16 weeks of age. It is estimated that approximately 20 endoscopic procedures will be undertaken in Glasgow per year.

As a result of the introduction of ESC in Glasgow, NHS National Services Scotland’s National Services Directorate, who commission the craniofacial service, have no plans to review the pathway to Great Ormond Street Hospital for craniofacial therapy.

The referral pathway guidance was last revised in 2023, reflecting the changing landscape and improving specialist expertise within NHS Scotland, and the Scottish National Centre’s understanding of the need to operate within the critical window. This guidance is next due for review in July 2026.

NHS Scotland expenditure on mental health is published annually in arrears in the Scottish Health Service Costs book by Public Health Scotland. The Cost Book is publicly accessible and offers a consistent framework for financial data across NHS Boards. The most recent data published in February 2025 covers 2023-2024. Costs Book publication - Costs Book - Finance within the NHS - System monitoring, accountability and quality of care - Healthcare system - Public Health Scotland.

The Scottish Government continuously monitors NHS Boards’ financial positions through routine finance reporting. This resource provides a standardised approach to collecting detailed financial information, including outturn, spend by specialty, and achievement of efficiency targets.