Seòmar agus comataidhean

The Scottish Government’s Chief Scientist Office supports open competitive grant and fellowship schemes for applied health research in Scotland across a wide remit. This remit is inclusive of consideration of applications for funding for research on novel treatments, such as hyperbaric oxygen therapy, for long term conditions, including myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome and long COVID. Applications submitted to these schemes are assessed through independent expert peer-review with funding recommendations made by independent expert committees.

The Scottish Government recognises the importance of ensuring equitable access to electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure as we transition to a net zero transport system. Approximately 40% of households in Scotland do not have access to off-street parking, and we are committed to supporting innovative solutions such as gully cableway systems and other cross-pavement charging technologies to address this challenge.

The installation of cross pavement charging is complex, covering road works permissions, neighbourhood relations, pedestrian safety and ongoing maintenance, liabilities and responsibilities for residents and local authorities. This is why we are working closely with the Scottish Collaboration of Transport Specialists (SCOTS) – a strategic collaborative body representing Scotland’s 32 local authorities and seven regional transport partnerships - to develop Scottish specific guidance for local authorities. The draft guidance will be issued to stakeholders for consultation in autumn 2025.

In order to ensure a just transition, it is critical that as many households as possible can access lower cost home charging. That is why in this year's Programme for Government Scottish Ministers have committed to enabling the wider implementation of cross-pavement charging solutions via a pilot scheme for those without access to their own off-street parking. The learning from the pilot scheme will complement the work with SCOTS, to demonstrate safe and legal ways of rolling out cross-pavement charging infrastructure across all of Scotland’s local authorities.

Since 2021 we have also made grant funding available to those who live in flatted & factored properties through EST. Funding allocated to recipients of the ‘flatted/factored development scheme’ since its inception can be found in the following table.

We have recently published an Active Travel Infrastructure Investment Report for 2023-24, which reports on Transport Scotland’s active travel capital investment in infrastructure.

The active travel budget does not allocate funding to specific infrastructure types, rather is available for the delivery of all active travel infrastructure projects. The individual project expenditure information we hold from delivery partners does not always disaggregate or identify distinct infrastructure types such as cycle lanes. However, the active travel infrastructure investment in each of the last five years is presented in the following table:

The information requested is not held centrally.

The Scottish Government has not conducted a national workforce assessment for the staffing requirements of a 24/7 thrombectomy service, although regional planning groups have previously assessed the staff in various roles required to deliver a 24/7 thrombectomy service.

Scottish Government officials and NHS planners have been asked to work at pace on developing a plan for the next steps for thrombectomy service expansion, and this will include assessment of workforce requirements.

Work is also progressing with a review of how the stroke specialist decision-making workforce works nationally, using telemedicine and cross board working, to improve resilience in rotas and increase capacity to be able to support hyperacute stroke care, such as thrombectomy, out of hours.

The Scottish Government does not hold information regarding clinical outcomes in relation to delays in receiving hyperacute stroke care. We remain committed to implementing a high quality and clinically safe thrombectomy service that is available across Scotland whenever people need it.

Scottish Government officials and NHS planners are working at pace on developing a plan for the next steps for service expansion.

The information requested is not held centrally. This is a matter for Public Health Scotland.

The information requested is not held centrally. Thrombolysis is available 24/7 across Scotland.

The Scottish Government provides various forms of support to Scotland’s abattoirs, including those in remote and island areas.

We remain committed to supporting small producers, and empowering them to help deliver our Vision for Agriculture. One way we are realising this is by supporting the ecosystem that our Small Producers rely upon, and so last year, through the Small Producers Pilot Fund, we provided over £300,000 in Private Kill Abattoir grant funding. This support was directed to organisations including Quality Meat Scotland (QMS), SAOS, Munro’s of Dingwall, and facilities in Shetland, Wishaw, Mull, Barra, and Orkney.

This year, we’re going further – we are delivering up to £1 million in resource funding to support a range of targeted actions. This includes investment in the Small Producer Practical Training Fund, which is designed to help small producers build resilient, sustainable businesses for the future. Applications for the 2025–26 financial year have already been received from private kill abattoirs, in Shetland, Shotts, Mull, Wishaw, and Stornoway.

Officials have also had some initial engagement with those organising the Boreray sheep slaughter facility on the Orkney Islands - the ‘Tiny Trailer Abattoir’ - and we expect further engagement with them, including their application in due course. I am also aware that Food Standards Scotland have been working with them on the establishment of the abattoir, which would enable processing specifically of Boreray and North Ronaldsay sheep.

Abattoirs across Scotland have also benefited from a Ministerial discount scheme that has been applied by Scottish Ministers for Official Veterinarian charges since 2015, amounting to £1.07 million. This was supplemented in 2024/25 with an additional £500,000, helping to further reduce costs for abattoirs.

In addition, the Scottish Government commissioned a report, published in March 2020, entitled ‘Assessing the Viability and Sustainability of Mobile Abattoirs in Scotland.’ The research provides details of what would be required to operate mobile abattoirs in Scotland, including the regulatory framework, and offers a cost-benefit analysis of possible operational models. Whilst the report found support for fixed or mobile abattoirs, there was some concern amongst existing island abattoirs that support for MSUs could result in the diversion of animals and income streams that could otherwise be channelled to their businesses.

The Scottish Government does not currently have an estimated cost for the provision of a 24/7 thrombectomy service.

The Scottish Government remains committed to implementing a high quality and clinically safe thrombectomy service that is available across Scotland whenever people need it.

Scottish Government officials and NHS planners have been asked to work at pace on developing a plan for the next steps for service expansion.

While there is not a specific date for publication, we expect the next steps for service expansion to reflect work to align the governance and delivery of thrombectomy with similar national programmes. This alignment with wider health service planning aims to support oversight of thrombectomy planning for the NHS Chief Executive Group and encourage greater collaboration between NHS Boards in delivering this vital service. This work will include developing costings for further service expansion.