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A broadened role for firefighters has the potential to deliver economic benefits in terms of reduced hospital visits from a broader preventative home safety visit and to deliver better health outcomes through co-responding to emergency medical incidents with the Scottish Ambulance Service.

The substantial additional cost in terms of a significant uplift on salary for all firefighters in Scotland has been unaffordable over the last 2 financial years due to the difficult decisions needed on the allocation of resources within the Justice portfolio budget.

The Scottish Government is committed to improving inclusion and accessibility for everyone who needs to use public toilets. To achieve this, we are investing £10 million through the Changing Places Toilets Scotland Fund, launched in August 2025, to deliver up to 150 additional Changing Places Toilets (CPTs) across Scotland. These facilities are larger, fully accessible toilets equipped with specialist equipment to meet the needs of people with complex disabilities and health conditions, including those who require carer support. CPTs ensure that individuals can have their personal care needs met safely and with dignity, a fundamental human right.

Since 2012, the number of CPTs in Scotland has grown from 25 to around 270, including a 30% increase since 2019, when we amended Scottish Building Regulations to require CPTs in all larger new public buildings. This legislative change, supported by Planning Circular 1/2020, has driven significant progress, and the new Fund will further expand provision, prioritising areas with the greatest need.

Responsibility for public toilet provision often lies with local authorities and individual businesses, which are required under the Equality Act 2010 to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people. The Scottish Government encourages all relevant organisations to meet their responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010 and to follow guidance from the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC).

The Scottish Government has published a Changing Places Toilets Planning Guide, created in partnership with Promoting A More Inclusive Society (PAMIS), along with an easy-read version. These resources are designed to help organisations plan and install Changing Places Toilets in both new and existing buildings.

Through these measures, the Scottish Government is working proactively to ensure that people with a stoma, and all those with complex needs, can access facilities that uphold dignity, equality, and inclusion.

The Scottish Government remains committed to developing the Learning Disabilities, Autism and Neurodivergence Bill and will publish draft provisions as the next step.

The Single Procurement Document was published on the Public Contracts Scotland platform which is designed to facilitate the procurement process for public sector procurement contracts in Scotland for both domestic and international suppliers. The Portal provides access to contract opportunities, guidance for suppliers and information on the procurement process.

A Transport Scotland press release was issued on 04 June 2025 to note the start of the procurement process. NIFS Freight Flex Project updates and information on the procurement process and timelines are also available on the CMAL website.

Improving access to Urgent and Emergency Care services is a key priority for the Scottish Government through our NHS Scotland Operational Improvement Plan, which details our ambitions to shift the balance of care from acute to the community.

NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde are contributing to this shift through expansion of their virtual hospital. In a recent update to the Scottish Government, the board advised that a number of pathways are scheduled to come on stream, with a target of 1000 virtual beds in place by Autumn 2026.

The Single Procurement Document (SPD) was published on 04 June 2025 with returns received on 09 July 2025.

The Heroes of Net Zero campaign was raised to me in a meeting in 2024.

Ideas for future communications campaigns are discussed with teams involved in Let’s Do Net Zero. The suggestion has not been taken forward this year.

The Scottish Government publishes statistics on the numbers of homes that have been empty for 6 month or more annually. The local authority breakdown is available from the Scottish Government website at: Housing statistics: Second homes and empty properties - gov.scot.

Scotland’s aerospace, defence, marine and space sectors are vital to national security and economic growth. Since 2006-07, over £90m has been invested through enterprise agencies. Recent examples include: £9.22m to BAE Systems to support a skills academy, part of a project to modernise shipyards on the Clyde; £9m to ZeroAvia for green aircraft engine manufacturing, creating 350 jobs and building on a £20m Scottish National Investment Bank investment; up to £2m for engineering skills in Glasgow; and over £300k to boost space sector innovation. Ministers also continue to engage on UK Government initiatives such as the UK Defence Industrial Strategy.