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The Scottish Government remains committed to implementing a high quality and clinically safe thrombectomy service. We have invested £39 million to date on expanding access to thrombectomy. While we continue to face significant financial challenges, we are committed to further expanding the service, ensuring access is as equitable as possible.

We have provided funding for thrombectomy nurse posts in spoke sites with high rates of ischaemic stroke, including NHS Highland, and this will support maximising access to thrombectomy across Scotland. Part of the investment in thrombectomy is to support the Scottish Ambulance Service as they work in partnership with NHS Boards to deliver patient transfers.

Procurement of a national artificial intelligence imaging tool is also underway and, once implemented, this will help improve detection of patients with strokes suitable for thrombectomy.

We know there is more to do, and I have asked my officials and NHS planners to work at pace on developing a plan for the next steps for service expansion.

The Promoting Equality and Cohesion Fund initially ran from 2017 to 2020, and was then extended to October 2021 due to the impacts of covid-19. It was superseded by a revised funding programme: the current Equality and Human Rights Fund.

The Promoting Equality and Cohesion Fund was used to fund projects that would contribute to one or more of four outcomes:

• Discrimination against people who share protected characteristics is reduced and multiple discrimination is addressed so that barriers to participation are reduced.
• People covered by hate crime legislation experience lower levels of hate crime.
• People and communities are supported to participate in and engage with services and civic society; their contribution is recognised, and community cohesion is increased.
• Current imbalances in representation in all aspects and levels of public life, including education and employment are addressed to better reflect our communities

The Scottish Older People's Assembly (SOPA) project was funded to support the Scottish Older People's Assembly to use inclusive communication in different towns to;

• partner with Scottish Council on Deafness, Retired Police Association and Trading Standards Scotland, hold 3 facilitated conversations with older people with sensory impairment and physical impairments to examine experience of hate crime and fear of crime, and inform Lord Bracadale’ review of hate crime legislation and the Scottish Government’s Justice department to increase public confidence, reduce fear of crime and strengthen community engagement and resilience.
• partner with Trust Housing Association (Equalities), Citizens Advice Scotland and Faith in Older People, facilitate 4 conversations with older people from minority communities to examine their experience of health and social care services and improve their chance of receiving effective healthcare appropriate to their needs and have fewer inequalities in their life.
• partner with Women’s Aid, Action on Elder Abuse Scotland, RNIB and Soroptomists International, facilitate 6 conversations with the older LGBTI community to hear about their experience of domestic violence and elder abuse, and prevent ill health, improve their chance of receiving better coordinated support and being less isolated and lonely.

The specific outcome to be achieved was:

• Older people with sensory and physical impairment, and from the minority communities will be supported to better influence policy and service developments and be recognised for their contributions.

The Fund was managed on a day to day basis on the Scottish Government’s behalf by Impact Funding Partners initially and then Inspiring Scotland. You can find a Final Progress Update report for the Fund summarising its impacts here: Promoting-Equality-and-Cohesion-Fund-Final-Report-Jan-Sep-2021-for-SG-publication.pdf

The Promoting Equality and Cohesion Fund initially ran from 2017 to 2020, and was then extended to October 2021 due to the impacts of covid-19. It was superseded by a revised funding programme: the current Equality and Human Rights Fund.

The Promoting Equality and Cohesion Fund was used to fund projects that would contribute to one or more of four outcomes:

• Discrimination against people who share protected characteristics is reduced and multiple discrimination is addressed so that barriers to participation are reduced.
• People covered by hate crime legislation experience lower levels of hate crime.
• People and communities are supported to participate in and engage with services and civic society; their contribution is recognised, and community cohesion is increased.
• Current imbalances in representation in all aspects and levels of public life, including education and employment are addressed to better reflect our communities

The Equalities Project was funded to enable Maryhill and Possilpark Citizens Advice Bureau to broaden volunteering opportunities for protected characteristics individuals to increase confidence, skills/knowledge, aspirations, and community cohesion by ensuring equal participation and representation in public life. Volunteers with the CAB would gain workplace experience to access paid employment and/or further education/training. It was intended that the CAB would continue to strengthen its partnerships with local equality organisations and Glasgow CABx to address the needs of protected characteristics individuals.

The specific outcomes to be achieved were:

• People from equalities groups have increased access to quality advice and information services and are enabled to inform service design and delivery.
• People from across the protected characteristics will have increased opportunities to access quality volunteering opportunities, training and support which will increase their skills, knowledge and experience to enhance employability and representation in public life.

The Fund was managed on a day to day basis on the Scottish Government’s behalf by Impact Funding Partners initially and then Inspiring Scotland. You can find a Final Progress Update report for the Fund summarising its impacts here: Promoting-Equality-and-Cohesion-Fund-Final-Report-Jan-Sep-2021-for-SG-publication.pdf

Local Government have the statutory responsibility for education so this information is not held centrally.

I regularly meet with youth organisations such as Youth Scotland, YouthLink Scotland and Scottish Youth Parliament.

The First Minister of Scotland and other Scottish Minister’s also regularly meet with youth organisations. This includes a summit on 12 June attended by the First Minister of Scotland that brought together experts and grassroots youth organisations to discuss how to tackle youth violence.

Information on Ministerial engagements is published on the Scottish Government website and can be found at: www.gov.scot/collections/ministerial-engagements-travel-and-gifts/. The engagements are published three months in arrears.

The Right to Buy (RTB) policy pre-dates the Scottish Parliament. The Tenants’ Rights, Etc. (Scotland) Act 1980 introduced the RTB for tenants of local authorities, New Town Development Corporations, the Scottish Special Housing Association and Housing co-operatives to buy their homes at a discount depending on how long they had lived in the property. Any original guidance would have been the responsibility of the UK Government.

The Scottish Government published the Right to Buy Guidance Circular for social landlords in 2011: Right to Buy Guidance Circular A guide for social landlords - gov.scot

This covered changes to RTB as a consequence of the Housing (Scotland) 2010 Act and a comprehensive overview of the legislation relating to the RTB. The procedure in relation to RTB sales was covered by sections 63 to 68 of the 1987 Act and is also covered in the guidance.

A guide for social housing tenants, “your right to buy your home” was also published by the Scottish Government in 2011, and included information and advice for social tenants on buying the home and the costs involved in this. The guidance strongly recommended the purchaser to have a survey carried out on the condition of the home to make sure there are no structural problems as they will be responsible for repairs once they buy the property. Additionally, the guide confirms the owner’s responsibilities for the repair and maintenance costs of the property, after the home has been purchased, details of this are included in the conditions of sale.

Official NHS Workforce Statistics are published by NHS Education for Scotland. This data shows the NHS Scotland Consultant Radiologist workforce grew by 2.3% over the last year. Over the last decade the NHS Scotland Consultant Radiologist workforce has grown by 28% and now stands at 388.9 Whole Time Equivalents.

We know many people are still waiting too long and this is not good enough. We are determined do more. This year, more than £106 million has been allocated to health boards to help tackle the longest waits for procedures and operations.

The funding has been assigned to specialty areas where it can have the greatest impact against the longest waits – this includes £21 million for imaging.

Over the next year we will reduce the radiology backlog so that 95% of referrals are seen within six weeks by March 2026, through expanding to seven day services, recruitment, and utilising mobile scanning units. We want to make progress on improving our NHS and our Budget will drive the long-term and lasting improvements – and the healthier population – that we all want to see.

While we work with boards through planning to make best use of existing NHS resources and capacity, Health Boards will continue to use the private sector in a structured and prioritised manner. As new, better and more sustainable ways of delivering services to improve access for patients are developed, we expect the need for private sector capacity to lessen. It is for local NHS health boards to determine how they use the private sector and to agree any contractual arrangements.

Whilst the Scottish Government sets the strategic direction for the NHS in Scotland, operational matters including staffing and the recruitment is the responsibility of health boards as autonomous institutions.

Decisions will depend on the service needs of each board taking account of national, regional and local priorities, and we expect NHS boards to plan and provide safe, effective and high-quality care, in line with their statutory service provision and workforce planning responsibilities.

Over the last ten years we have increased the Consultant Radiologist workforce by 27.7% (from 304.5 WTE as of March 2015 to 388.9 WTE as of March 2025).

Scottish Government is committed to supporting NHS staff, including radiologists, through the provision of over £2.5 million in annual funding dedicated to staff wellbeing initiatives. This funding provides our workforce with access to psychological interventions and therapies, self-service resources through the National Wellbeing Hub and the National Wellbeing Helpline delivered by NHS 24. Registered staff also have access to confidential mental health services through the Workforce Specialist Service (WSS).

These resources play a vital role in helping the workforce manage mental health challenges, supporting their return to work and enhancing the quality of care they can provide.

We know that cancer services are treating more patients on time, within both standards, compared to the same quarter five years ago – 4.5% more within the 31 day standard & 1.6% more within the 62 day standard.

Over £106 million has been allocated to NHS Boards in 2025-26 to help tackle the longest waits for procedures and operations. The funding has been assigned to specialty areas where it can have the greatest impact– this includes £21 million for imaging and over £14 million for cancer waiting times. Scottish Government officials meet with NHS Boards’ Cancer Management Teams on a monthly basis to identify challenges, explore solutions and share best practice.

We have also committed to additional funding for chemotherapy services reaching up to £10m per annum by 2026-27, with £6.6m released in 2025-26. This funding will support increased regional working and workforce recruitment to maximise capacity across the existing workforce.