Asked by: Baillie, Jackie (Scottish Labour - Dumbarton)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-43013 by Neil Gray on 27 January 2026, regarding the additional £135.5 million allocated to planned care in 2025-26, whether it plans to baseline this funding into 2026-27.
Answered by Gray, Neil - Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care
In 2025-26, we allocated £135.5 million to Health Boards, directing this funding towards specialties experiencing the longest waits. The most recent data demonstrates that this targeted investment is delivering improved outcomes for patients across Scotland. This funding has not been baselined for 2026-27.
Looking ahead to 2026-27, we will build on the progress already achieved. Up to £100 million will be available to support further reductions in waiting times and to enhance patient flow across the Health System, ensuring continued improvement in access to care.
Asked by: Eagle, Tim (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party - Highlands and Islands)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many non-UK-owned fishing vessels, including vessels operating under foreign flags, (a) visited and (b) transhipped catches in (i) Ullapool, (ii) Lochinver, (iii) Scrabster and (iv) Lerwick ports in (A) 2024 and (B) 2025.
Answered by Gougeon, Mairi - Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands
The number of vessels visiting i.e. entering port but not landing, was,
Port/Year | 2024 | 2025 |
Lerwick | 71 | 121 |
Lochinver | 9 | 12 |
Scrabster | 5 | 6 |
Ullapool | 0 | 1 |
Note, Lerwick experiences significant numbers because Norwegian vessels take advantage of a tax exemption on fuel.
Transhipment refers to landing direct to another vessel. There were no vessels transhipping in the ports. There were the following landings, i.e. where a vessel lands to a lorry or market.
Port/Year | 2024 | 2025 |
Lerwick | 48 | 16 |
Lochinver | 170 | 163 |
Scrabster | 100 | 120 |
Ullapool | 10 | 2 |
Asked by: Golden, Maurice (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party - North East Scotland)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the maximum planning fee applicable is for onshore renewable energy project applications, broken down by capacity of (a) under 50MW and (b) 50MW and over.
Answered by Martin, Gillian - Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy
Onshore renewable energy projects under 50MW are determined under the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 and are handled by the relevant planning authority. Fees are set by the Town and Country Planning (Fees for Applications) (Scotland) Regulations and vary depending on the size of the application. The maximum fee for a generating station application is £178,560.
For projects 50MW and over, consent is required from Scottish Ministers under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989. Fees are prescribed by the TheElectricity (Applications for Consent and Variation of Consent) (Fees) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2022 and vary depending on the MW capacity of the application. There is no maximum fee.
Asked by: Burnett, Alexander (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party - Aberdeenshire West)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-21946 by Michael Matheson on 25 October 2023, whether it will provide an update on NHS Grampian's (a) (i) NHS Scotland Resource Allocation Committee (NRAC) formula target and (ii) actual funding allocation, and (b) distance from NRAC parity in each year since 2021-22.
Answered by Gray, Neil - Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care
In 2026-27, NHS Grampian will receive nearly £1.5 billion in baseline funding, which equates to increased investment of £130.7 million from 2025-26 and ensures the Board is no further than 0.6% from its target share. Since 2021-22, NHS Grampian has received additional funding of £15.5 million specifically to support the Board's movement towards NRAC parity.
Asked by: Wells, Annie (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party - Glasgow)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the action it is taking to tackle drug use.
Answered by Todd, Maree - Minister for Drug and Alcohol Policy and Sport
The Scottish Government uses a public health approach to substance use. This means decisions are based on evidence, respect for human rights, and compassion.
The additional £250 million invested through the National Mission has strengthened services so they can better support people and communities. This includes rolling out the Medication Assisted Treatment standards, funding residential rehabilitation and naloxone, providing multi-year funding for third sector alcohol and drug organisations, and delivering the Workforce Development Plan.
As the National Mission comes to an end, we remain committed to reducing harm and improving lives. We have been working closely with stakeholders, including people with lived and living experience, to develop a new alcohol and drug Strategic Plan to follow the National Mission. This will be published in the coming weeks.
In 2025, Police Scotland seized drugs with a street value of almost £80 million including a haul of cannabis worth an estimated £12 million.
Asked by: Carlaw, Jackson (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party - Eastwood)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether a member of a charity speaking to a class of pupils on an organised visit would be considered as a regulated role with a requirement for the individual to obtain a PVG scheme membership approval that is specific to the school and local authority area.
Answered by None
Regulated roles are defined under schedule 2 and schedule 3 of the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007 and there is guidance to assist at PVG scheme - Regulated roles guidance - mygov.scot.
It is the responsibility of the organisation providing the individual with the role to assess whether, as a necessary part of that individual’s role, the type of activity they are doing with children would meet the definition of a regulated role with children set out in schedule 2 of the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007.
Where an individual is doing a regulated role, the organisation supplying them is responsible for confirming PVG scheme membership.
For school-based volunteering managed by the school or local authority, the school or local authority must apply its own recruitment procedures, including appropriate use of the PVG scheme.
When activities arranged by a school are provided by another organisation, for example, a charity providing mental health support to pupils then suitability for the role is the responsibility of the charity. The charity must ensure that the individual is a PVG scheme member and has received a Level 2 PVG scheme disclosure before undertaking the regulated role.
A more definitive answer to this question cannot be provided as it is unclear whether the role would take place within a school or on the charity's own premises. This distinction is significant because the setting can determine whether a role is regulated, particularly where there is potential for unsupervised contact with children.
In relation to activities involving contact with children, a charity representative delivering a talk about their organisation is unlikely to be carrying out a regulated role. However, if the charity is delivering workshops designed to train or teach children a specific skill or activity or is providing recreational or physical activities, then the individual would be carrying out an activity set out in schedule 2 of the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007.
Asked by: Whittle, Brian (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party - South Scotland)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that people with mental illness are provided with timely screening and treatment for preventable physical health conditions.
Answered by Minto, Jenni - Minister for Public Health and Women's Health
The Scottish Government and our NHS partners are committed to ensuring everyone in Scotland has equal access to the healthcare they need. This is reflected in The Health and Social Care Service Renewal Framework 2025-26, which sets out our vision to improve population health, including mental health; preventative healthcare and early intervention; and reducing inequalities.
The Scottish Equity in Screening Strategy 2023 - 2026 also outlines our commitment to improving access to screening for all, including those with mental health conditions. The screening programmes are working with all NHS Boards, screening programmes and a wide number of stakeholders to identify and address challenges patients may face.
To support this work, the Scottish Government have provided £1 million annually for national and local initiatives that reduce inequalities and improve access to screening. This funding has recently enabled NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde to employ a specialist nurse to deliver cervical screening in mental health inpatient settings. Screening Oversight and Assurance Scotland is also developing new guidance to improve screening access for all inpatients, including those in mental health care.
Across the NHS more generally, all patients and screening participants are encouraged to discuss any concerns or additional requirements with a relevant healthcare professional before attending appointments or receiving treatment. These must be taken account of and recorded where they have been communicated by the patient, the patient’s carer, or a medical practitioner, to ensure support can be provided throughout the entire patient pathway. This is underpinned by the Waiting Times Guidance, published November 2023, which notes that Health Boards have a duty to ensure that patients are provided with information they can easily understand, and that appropriate support is put in place as required.
Finally, Everyone should be invited every five years between the ages of 40 and 74 for a NHS health check, while people engaged with their GP’s learning disability register are entitled to a mandatory annual health check.
Asked by: Simpson, Graham (Reform UK - Central Scotland)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether Scotland-based retail, hospitality and leisure firms that will be liable for the higher property rate in 2026-27 will be better placed to pay a higher non-domestic rate than their counterparts in England in similar sized premises.
Answered by McKee, Ivan - Minister for Public Finance
Following the extended relief announced at Stage One of the Budget Bill, the Budget ensures the estimated revenues raised from non-domestic rates in 2026-27 will be 7% lower in real terms measured by the Consumer Price Index than pre-COVID despite the number of properties on the valuation roll increasing in that time. It sets out a decrease in the three non-domestic property rates, including a 3.5% decrease in the Higher Property Rate, from 56.8p to 54.8p.
Decisions on Budget are made in the context of the prevailing economic conditions and government priorities. We have had to consider how best to target support within limited finances but also acknowledge that it is no longer possible to directly compare tax rates between Scotland, England and Wales due to differences in the tone dates used to derive Rateable Values. Different tone dates and by extension different impacts on Rateable Value growth, merit different decisions on tax rates and do not necessarily translate to higher liabilities.
The non-domestic rates liability that applies to a property depends on the interaction between its rateable value, the tax rate that applies and any reliefs that it is in receipt of. Total rateable value (local list) is expected to rise by 19% at the 2026 revaluation in England but only 12% in Scotland.
By way of example, shops are expected to see an increase in total rateable value of 6% in Scotland and 10% in England. Hotels’ total rateable value is expected to rise by 28% in Scotland but 79% in England, while for pubs this is 15% in Scotland but 30% in England. For restaurants the overall increase is expected to be 8% in Scotland while the total rateable value increase of restaurants and cafes in England is expected to be 15%.
Given the context of higher rateable value growth in England, the relief available to retail, hospitality and leisure properties liable for the Basic and Intermediate Property Rates in Scotland still compares well with the support available to equivalent properties in England.
The Budget continues to support businesses and communities, with a strong non-domestic rates package, including more than £180million of forecast support through transitional relief schemes over the next three years.
We believe that the relief package proposed in Budget strikes a fair balance and estimate that 96% of retail, hospitality and leisure properties could benefit from some form of relief in 2026-27.?
Asked by: Boyack, Sarah (Scottish Labour - Lothian)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to meet its commitment to spend £500 million on the offshore wind supply chain in the current parliamentary session, in light of Scottish budgets over the course of the session indicating that less than £375 million will be spent.
Answered by Martin, Gillian - Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy
Following our commitment in 2024 to invest up to £500m over five years in offshore wind infrastructure and supply chain, the Scottish Budget has allocated up to £93m for investment in 2026-27. We are working closely with industry and public sector delivery partners to identify and deliver projects at pace, with a continued focus on leveraging significant wider investment. Over the past two years, we have made £200 million of capital funding available and allocated £100 million, leveraging up to £370 million of private investment, with the potential to support over 2,000 jobs.
And overall to date, our investment of almost £150 million is crowding in a further £70m from UK public finance institutions and leveraging up to £670 million in private investment into projects with the potential to support up to 5,000 jobs.
The impact of global offshore wind market conditions, and delays to progress on key UK-level policy and system enablers – including Contracts for Difference, transmission charging, electricity grid connections, and the Strategic Spatial Energy Plan – have affected short-term investor confidence. It is now more important than ever that the UK Government takes decisive action to ensure the Scottish project pipeline can be deployed quickly in order to deliver the thousands of offshore wind sector jobs that can support a just transition.
Asked by: Boyack, Sarah (Scottish Labour - Lothian)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of indications that the capital funding allocation for climate action lies in the local government budget, whether it will set out what (a) funding is in place for flood defence projects across Scotland, and (b) the total amount being provided for this purpose is.
Answered by Martin, Gillian - Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy
Ministers and COSLA Leaders have agreed that £42m from the General Capital Grant will be distributed for flood resilience in 2026-27. The Draft Budget also includes £20m of capital funding for the Climate Emergency, and £15.5 for Inter Island Connectivity.
The Scottish Government’s policy on spending is to allow local authorities the financial freedom to operate independently. It is then the responsibility of local authorities to manage budgets and to allocate their financial resources, including on flood protection, on the basis of local needs and priorities, having first fulfilled their statutory obligations and the jointly agreed set of national and local priorities.