Asked by: Lumsden, Douglas (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party - North East Scotland)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-43144 by Ivan McKee on 27 January 2026, whether it will confirm whether Corporate Travel Management North Ltd holds any data on frequent flyer or other travel loyalty scheme accounts used in connection with ministerial air travel booked through Scottish Government travel management arrangements.
Answered by McKee, Ivan - Minister for Public Finance
CTM North Ltd. does not hold any data on any travel loyalty scheme accounts, including frequent flyer memberships, used in connection with Ministerial air travel.
The current Crown Commercial Services Framework for Travel and Venue Solutions stipulates that the supplier shall not facilitate the collection of a traveller's loyalty card points that may be awarded by any third party provider.
Asked by: Kerr, Stephen (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party - Central Scotland)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with Alexander Dennis since September 2025 to establish the reasons for the company reportedly not having applied for any funding through the furlough scheme that was created to support it, and whether any conditions of the scheme have prevented or delayed access to the funding.
Answered by Forbes, Kate - Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Gaelic
The Scottish Government maintains regular contact with Alexander Dennis in relation to the furlough support scheme awarded to the company on 15 September 2025. It is the responsibility of the business to approach the Scottish Government to access the agreed furlough grant, thereafter compliance with the terms and conditions of the grant offer letter will be assessed.
Asked by: Ruskell, Mark (Scottish Green Party - Mid Scotland and Fife)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what financial support there will be for regional transport partnerships to support the development and delivery of franchising of local bus services.
Answered by Fairlie, Jim - Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity
The Scottish Government has allocated £4 million funding to support Local Transport Authorities to build business cases for local bus improvement through franchising, announced as part of the draft Scottish Budget for 2026-27.
Work on the design of the fund is at an early stage, but we will develop appropriate governance arrangements and work on the detail of administering the £4 million, which will be considered with various stakeholders, including CoSLA and regional transport partnerships.
Asked by: Kerr, Stephen (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party - Central Scotland)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much funding has been formally (a) applied for, (b) approved and (c) distributed to date through the furlough scheme for Alexander Dennis, in each month since the scheme was announced.
Answered by Forbes, Kate - Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Gaelic
The Scottish Government has not received claims for the furlough support scheme awarded to Alexander Dennis on 15 September 2025.
Asked by: Golden, Maurice (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party - North East Scotland)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to divert lithium-ion batteries from the residual waste stream.
Answered by Martin, Gillian - Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy
Lithium-ion batteries should not be disposed of in the residual waste stream and must clearly display markings relating to their disposal (the crossed out wheelie bin symbol). They are hazardous waste, pose safety risks due to fire, and result in valuable material being lost from Scotland’s economy.
Products containing lithium-ion batteries are regulated under both the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations and the Waste Batteries and Accumulators Regulations. Producers of these products must fund collection and recycling infrastructure, and the Scottish Government is working on a four-nation basis to reform waste batteries legislation to strengthen product standards and set statutory recovery and recycling targets for lithium batteries.
UK retailers selling electrical items containing a lithium-ion battery, including vapes, must offer a free takeback service for used items and meet statutory recycling targets. In 2025, a new category of Electrical and Electronic Equipment was established for vapes to ensure producers of vape products are legally required to finance the collection, recycling, and safe disposal of used vapes. New targets for vape-specific collections will be introduced in 2026.
The Scottish Government will consider further measures to divert lithium-ion batteries from the residual waste stream in its forthcoming product stewardship plan. This includes working with the UK Government and other nations on proposals set out in the WEEE consultation and call for evidence, held in 2024.
Asked by: Ruskell, Mark (Scottish Green Party - Mid Scotland and Fife)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government how regional transport partnerships will access the £4 million allocated in the draft Scottish Budget 2026-27 to support bus franchising, as set out in the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019.
Answered by Fairlie, Jim - Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity
It is right that local transport authorities explore how best to use the measures in the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019, as our approach is to enable them to determine what is best to improve services in their areas. I am pleased that £4 million is included in the draft Scottish Budget 2026-27 to support these authorities to build business cases for local bus improvements.
Work on the design of the fund is at an early stage, but we will develop appropriate governance arrangements and work on the detail of administering the £4 million, which will be considered with various stakeholders, including CoSLA and regional transport partnerships.
Asked by: Lumsden, Douglas (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party - North East Scotland)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-43144 by Ivan McKee on 27 January 2026, what arrangements it has in place to verify that any frequent flyer or other travel loyalty scheme benefits arising from ministerial air travel are not used for the traveller’s personal gain.
Answered by McKee, Ivan - Minister for Public Finance
The Scottish Government has no arrangements in place to verify personal use of frequent flyer or other travel loyalty scheme benefits that may arise from Ministerial air travel.
The Scottish Ministerial Code stipulates that Ministers must avoid arrangements that create undue obligation or personal benefit.
Asked by: McArthur, Liam (Scottish Liberal Democrats - Orkney Islands)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the removal of peak ferry fares for Northern Isles ferry services will also apply to (a) cabin and (b) car bookings.
Answered by Hyslop, Fiona - Cabinet Secretary for Transport
The removal of mid and peak islander fares on Northern Isles Ferry Services will apply to passenger, cabin and car bookings.
Officials are working with NorthLink on the detail and timing of implementation and further details will be confirmed in due course.
Asked by: Regan, Ash (Independent - Edinburgh Eastern)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of testimony from survivors of grooming gangs, frontline service organisations and justice agencies that child sexual exploitation (CSE) and grooming are core pathways through which vulnerable children are drawn into the commercial sexual exploitation of prostitution, both in childhood and later in adulthood, whether it consulted Professor Alexis Jay, its expert adviser on CSE, including grooming, in relation to the Prostitution (Offences and Support) (Scotland) Bill, ahead of the stage 1 vote on 3 February 2026.
Answered by Brown, Siobhian - Minister for Victims and Community Safety
It would be a matter for the sponsoring MSP to determine who she would wish to consult with on her Bill.
Professor Alexis Jay has been appointed independent Chair of the National Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation (CSAE) Strategic Group and will provide expert advice to Scottish Ministers on CSAE, and on the findings of the National Review of local responses to group-based CSAE announced by the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills in December 2025. Professor Jay chaired her first meeting of the Group on 28 January 2026.
A key focus of the Group’s current activity is to recommend improvements to workforce education and training to ensure professionals are better equipped to identify and respond when children are at risk of experiencing abuse.
This includes consideration and collaboration with other key workstreams and initiatives, including our Strategic Approach to challenge demand for prostitution.
Asked by: Cole-Hamilton, Alex (Scottish Liberal Democrats - Edinburgh Western)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what national guidance applies to the delivery of annual health checks for adults with learning disabilities, and whether these checks are expected to be offered within GP practices as standard, with home visits provided as a reasonable adjustment where required.
Answered by Arthur, Tom - Minister for Social Care and Mental Wellbeing
Scottish Government issued National Directions in 2023 for Learning Disability Annual Health Checks which detail the legal duties of Health Boards with regard to annual health checks as well as practical guidance on delivery. Annual health checks for people with learning disabilities (Scotland) directions 2023.
In Scotland, annual health checks are not required to be delivered via primary care. £2 million funding is provided per annum to Health Boards to offer LD health checks with flexibility in their chosen delivery mechanisms. The majority of LD annual health checks are being delivered via a nurse led model and the remainder via a hybrid model, which in some cases includes a Local Enhanced Service agreement with GP practices.