Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government engages external multi-disciplinary support services to provide specialist technical, engineering, environmental and project delivery expertise that is essential to the planning, design, promotion, procurement and delivery of major transport infrastructure projects. This provides access to the specialist skills and resources required to support informed decision-making and successful project delivery.

These services have ensured the successful delivery of projects such as the Queensferry Crossing, Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route and M8 M73 M74 Motorway Improvements, enhancing connectivity across Scotland.

Multi-disciplinary support services are being provided on our current programme of transport infrastructure projects, including: A9 Dualling Programme, A96 Dualling Inverness to Nairn (including Nairn Bypass), A9/A96 Inshes to Smithton, A83 Rest and Be Thankful, A720 Sheriffhall, A90 Laurencekirk, A75 Springholm to Crocketford and M8 Woodside.

Information on all of these schemes can be found on the Transport Scotland website.

In addition, grant funding is provided to Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL) and Network Rail to support the delivery of harbour, pier and rail infrastructure projects.

Transport Scotland publishes monthly and annual reports detailing expenditure, including consultancy costs, over £25,000. This can be found here: Expenditure | Transport Scotland

The policy was implemented on 3 September 2025 following the First Minister's statement to Parliament. As previously stated, the policy remains under continuous review given its nature as a pause. An update on publication of the associated Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment (BRIA) will be provided in due course.

Taxis and Private Hire Cars (PHCs) are licensed under the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 (“the 1982 Act”).

While the Scottish Government and Scottish Parliament has responsibility for the overarching legislation, the day to day administration of the licensing regime is devolved to independent licensing authorities through the 1982 Act – in effect the 32 Scottish local authorities.

All licensing authorities have a duty under section 17 of the 1982 Act to fix the scales for fares and all other charges in connection with the hire of taxis in their area, and have a duty to review the resultant fare scales within 18 months of the scales coming into effect. These are matters for each licensing authority to determine.

While the Scottish Ministers do not have any specific functions in relation to the day to day operation of the Taxi/ PHC licensing regime in any given local authority area, we provide best practice guidance to inform and assist local licensing authorities in their independent decision making.

In 2023 the Scottish Government published updated best practice guidance for local licensing authorities and Taxi and PHC operators on the licensing of Taxis and PHCs and their drivers. Chapter six of the best practice guidance includes information in relation to taxi fares.

The Scottish Government is aware of three economic impact assessments undertaken for the 7stanes mountain bike network in 2004, 2007 and 2012. Those studies found that the network generated significant economic benefits for the South of Scotland, including Dumfries and Galloway and the Scottish Borders.

The most recent assessment, undertaken in 2012, estimated that the 7stanes network generated approximately £11 million of net additional visitor expenditure across the South of Scotland and helped attract almost 400,000 visits annually, with around 82% of visitors originating from outside the region.

The studies also found that the network supported local businesses, increased overnight stays and contributed to employment in rural communities.

The Scottish Government has not undertaken a more recent economic impact assessment of the 7stanes network.

Scotland’s AI Strategy recognises AI’s potential to transform work across sectors and the importance of Fair Work principles in ensuring employers and workers benefit. We need a clearer picture of AI’s impact across Scotland’s sectors and workplaces, to support future skills planning and target government interventions effectively. That is why our AI Strategy commits to establishing a Future Jobs Panel; a group of experts from academia, the workforce and businesses, who will assess the evidence on AI’s impact in the workplace and advise on monitoring these impacts over time. The Panel will focus primarily on Scotland, while drawing on relevant UK-wide evidence, and its findings will inform our wider engagement with the UK Government where appropriate.

The Scottish Government has a range of processes and structures in place to capture, monitor, and take action to respond to Audit Scotland recommendations and findings and to communicate these. This includes central co-ordination and tracking of recommendations from Annual Audit reports throughout the year; clear Roles & Responsibilities of Accountable Officers and other Senior Civil Servants in relation to both Annual Audit reports and National Performance Audits; quarterly Director General Assurance meetings and other governance boards to assure implementation progress and plans for responding to Audit Scotland.

I would refer the member to the answer to question S7W-02351 on 3 September 2026. This answer sets out that the Scottish Government has received clear and unambiguous assurance that the voluntary run parental group, Queer Milk, is not training men to lactate and feed infants. Any claim to the contrary is untrue. In addition, the Scottish Government does not directly fund Queer Milk. 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

LGBT Health and Wellbeing receives funding from the Scottish Government via the Equality and Human Rights Fund to help shape policy and practice to improve outcomes for LGBTQI+ communities. Further information on funding given to LGBT Health and Wellbeing via the Equality and Human Rights Fund between 2021-2026 can be viewed at: Equality and Human Rights Fund: projects funded - gov.scot. LGBT Health and Wellbeing is listed here as LGBT Healthy Living Centre.

The Scottish Government also provides funding to LGBT Health and Wellbeing for LGBTQI+ community support services, including support for victims and survivors of conversion practices.

The Scottish Government draws on a range of evidence to inform its understanding of outcomes across the justice system, including: official statistics, research, inspection findings, stakeholder engagement, lived experience and feedback from those who interact with justice services, as well as information provided by justice agencies.

We recognise that outcomes and experiences are not always as they should be. In some cases, the causes may be operational and relate to the delivery of services by individual organisations. In others they may reflect wider pressures and broader challenges across the system.

That is why we work with justice partners to both identify and address specific issues where they arise; and to collaborate with them to pursue the system-wide reform needed to deliver a more efficient, person-centred and trauma-informed justice system.

The Scottish Government committed to begin engagement on the Rural Renewal Bill within our first 100 Days, commencing on 18 June as the First Minister announced at the Royal Highland Show. Over the summer we have engaged with people, communities and organisations across rural Scotland to understand priorities and experiences.

Consultation will continue to take place throughout the Bill process. The Government’s future legislative programme will be announced as part of the Programme for Government.

I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-03221 on 23 September 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.