Asked by: Webber, Sue (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party - Lothian)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it is working with Network Rail and other stakeholders to increase capacity for rail freight in Scotland.
Answered by Hyslop, Fiona - Cabinet Secretary for Transport
Transport Scotland works closely with Network Rail, and the wider industry, on a range of opportunities, plans and projects. Targeted infrastructure upgrades, network modernisation and operational enhancements can all help increase capacity for rail freight in Scotland.
Funded by Scottish Ministers Network Rail recently completed a £7 million upgrade at Mossend (which handles circa 80% of rail freight in Scotland). Additional investment of £250,000 at Mossend also increased yard entry and exit speeds from 5 to 15 miles per hour allowing freight trains to clear the line more quickly improving rail capacity.
Scotland’s rolling programme of electrification also benefits the rail freight industry as do freight specific performance and timetable measures. The rail industry is also working with the freight and logistics industry to develop a long-term plan for rail freight growth as specified by Scottish Ministers.
In addition in 2025 Scottish Ministers awarded two freight facilities grants including a grant of £3,000,000 to enable the construction of rail freight terminal near Inverness to facilitate the movement of finished goods to the UK market by rail.
Asked by: Duncan-Glancy, Pam (Scottish Labour - Glasgow)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to issue statutory guidance on the assessment of capacity for the purposes of the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill.
Answered by Gray, Neil - Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care
Liam McArthur’s Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill is still to go through a further amending stage (Stage 3), before MSPs are asked to vote on whether or not to pass the Bill. The guidance that will constitute statutory guidance will depend on the final text of the Bill, should it be passed.
The Scottish Government continues to maintain a neutral position on the Bill. The Government will of course comply with the law and therefore if the Bill is passed and the resulting Act requires statutory guidance to be issued on a matter the Government will do so. Decisions around the content of any statutory guidance which the resulting Act permits or requires to be issued will only be made as part of implementation if the Bill passes, as it will need to be in accordance with the final text of the Act and informed by stakeholders’ views.
Asked by: Whittle, Brian (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party - South Scotland)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-42932 by Neil Gray on 21 January 2026, what it expects the accelerated timeline of the national rollout of MyCare.scot to be.
Answered by Gray, Neil - Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care
MyCare.scot remains on track for whole-population rollout from April 2026, with the national plan (published September 2025) setting the strategic direction. Timelines may adjust based on evidence from the initial NHS Lanarkshire launch, with further details on national scaling to follow in Spring 2026.
Asked by: Cole-Hamilton, Alex (Scottish Liberal Democrats - Edinburgh Western)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what updates have been made since 2021 to its (a) AI and (b) Digital Health and Care Strategy.
Answered by Lochhead, Richard - Minister for Business and Employment
a) The Scottish Government will publish its new AI Strategy in March 2026. Building on the 2021 AI Strategy, it will outline the Scottish Government’s approach to harnessing the economic opportunities of AI.
As set out in its Programme for Government, the Scottish Government will also launch AI Scotland, a national transformation programme driven by collaboration between business, academia, government, and public agencies to help ensure that Scotland maximises the potential economic and social benefits of AI.
b) The Scottish Government has produced annual delivery plans for the Digital Health and Care Strategy following its publication in 2021. The delivery plans provide an update on progress and developments of projects and programmes to meet our vision and ambition for digital in health and social care. You can find the latest delivery plan on Gov.scot: https://www.gov.scot/publications/care-digital-age-delivery-plan-2025-2026/.
The Scottish Government also produces annual updates for the Data Strategy for Health and Social Care Since the original publication in 2023. These updates provide the latest developments of the Data Strategy. You can find the latest update on Gov.scot: Health and social care - data strategy: 2025 update - progress and priorities - gov.scot
Asked by: Burgess, Ariane (Scottish Green Party - Highlands and Islands)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider the case for providing financial support for horse-logging as a low-carbon, low-impact timber harvesting method, and what assessment it has made of any potential environmental benefits, including the protection of rivers, burns and biodiversity, arising from expanding its use on sensitive forestry sites.
Answered by Gougeon, Mairi - Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands
The UK Forest Standard (UKFS) defines the requirements and guidelines on how to practice Sustainable Forest Management in the UK, and ensures the protection of water, soil and biodiversity. It also promotes the benefit of low-impact harvesting to protect sensitive sites. Approval for a felling permission from Scottish Forestry is subject to planned operations being UKFS compliant on the specific site.
Those applying for a felling permission can decide which UKFS compliant harvesting option they use. They may choose to use horse logging, where it supports their management objectives, and contributes to the delivery of the approved grant scheme option. There is no financial support offered for different harvesting methods in the grant scheme. Scottish Government have not specifically assessed the benefits of an expansion in use of horse logging.
Asked by: Burgess, Ariane (Scottish Green Party - Highlands and Islands)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it is monitoring the (a) number and (b) energy capacity of data centres that are currently in the Scottish planning system.
Answered by McKee, Ivan - Minister for Public Finance
The Scottish Government does not hold a centrally maintained dataset specifically identifying developments as data centres within the planning system.
Planning applications are submitted, assessed and determined by planning authorities, and information on the type, scale and energy demand of proposals is recorded through local authority planning registers and associated supporting documentation.
The Scottish Government engages with planning authorities, the energy sector and wider stakeholders to understand emerging development trends, including those associated with digital infrastructure and data centres.
Asked by: Whittle, Brian (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party - South Scotland)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-42575 by Maree Todd on 7 January 2026, how it is working with (a) local authorities and (b) NHS boards to encourage disabled people to participate in physical activity or sport.
Answered by Todd, Maree - Minister for Drug and Alcohol Policy and Sport
The Scottish Government remains committed to increasing opportunities for everyone to participate in sport and physical activity, no matter their background. This involves working closely with a wide range of partners across the sector, including both local authorities and NHS boards.
Our national agency for sport, sportscotland, invests in all 32 Scottish local authorities. This investment includes support for Community Sport Hubs and the Active Schools programme, which provide inclusive opportunities to participate, including for disabled people.
sportscotland has increased investment in Scottish Disability Sport (SDS) to £750,000 in 2025-26. This investment helps SDS to deliver a range of programmes to increase the participation of disabled people in sport and physical activity across Scotland, including through their work with local authorities and wider partners in the delivery of Parasport Festivals.
Our Physical Activity for Health Framework was delivered in partnership with CoSLA and recognises the important role that local authorities play to help increase rates of physical activity for all across the population.
In addition, the Framework acknowledges the vital role of health professionals in encouraging and supporting their patients to be active, including disabled people. The Framework includes an action to integrate the NHS Physical Activity Pathway into routine healthcare and exiting clinical pathways as part of treatment and rehabilitation. Public Health Scotland are working with NHS Boards to review progress with implementation.
Asked by: Sweeney, Paul (Scottish Labour - Glasgow)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what support is available to those whose mental health is affected by climate anxiety due to the reported ongoing climate crisis.
Answered by Arthur, Tom - Minister for Social Care and Mental Wellbeing
We recognise that concern about climate change can affect mental wellbeing.
Mental health support is available to anyone experiencing anxiety about any issue, by phone, online and in-person. Talking to others can help and in addition to support available through GPs, the Mental Health Hub via 111 and Breathing Space via 0800 83 85 87 also provide free mental health support.
Resources to support anxiety are also provided on our mental wellbeing websites - Mind to Mind for adults, Parent Club for parents and Aye Feel for children and young people, which includes steps that can be taken by anyone experiencing climate anxiety.
We are continuing to develop our understanding of the link and emerging evidence between climate change and mental health and what this means for the people of Scotland.
Practical advice on how people can protect themselves, their community or business from the impacts of climate change as well as action they can take in their home and local communities is available on Home - Adaptation Scotland..
Asked by: Baillie, Jackie (Scottish Labour - Dumbarton)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government, regarding its draft Budget 2026-27 and the associated level 4 tables, whether it will provide a detailed breakdown of the £2.3 billion allocated to investment for social care and integration.
Answered by Gray, Neil - Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care
The 2026-27 Budget has not yet been passed by Parliament and is at draft stage. The level 4 breakdown provided in the budget tables is the most detailed breakdown currently available as spending plans are still being developed. However, the Budget shows total investment of £471 million for Social Care Support. This includes increased investment of £160 million to support an uplift for Adult Social Care (ASC) workers to the Real Living Wage, £7 million for the Care Inspectorate, £12.8 million for the Independent Living Fund (ILF),and £5.7 million to explore enhanced terms and conditions for ASC workers.
In addition to the £471 million set out in the level 4 tables, the Health and Social Care portfolio has also baselined over £1.8 billion of funding to Local Government and NHS Boards for social care, supporting policies such as the Real Living Wage and inflationary uplifts to Free Personal Nursing Care. This takes total investment to over £2.3 billion.
Asked by: Whittle, Brian (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party - South Scotland)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what training has been made available to civil servants to ensure compliance with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Answered by None
Civil servants in Scottish Government and its Executive Agencies have access to an online training module on the UNCRC and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Incorporation) (Scotland) Act 2024. They also have access to self-led and facilitated training, guidance and a template on the section 17 duty of the UNCRC Act, which requires Scottish Government and Executive Agencies to prepare and publish a child rights and wellbeing impact assessment (CRWIA) in certain circumstances.