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Angela Leitch CBE, was appointed as the Chair of the independent review of Creative Scotland based on merit and the criteria set out for public appointments under section 7 of the Scottish Ministerial Code. The role was not publicly advertised due to the timing of the independent Review, which is to conclude later this year.

Angela Leitch brings significant public sector experience having worked in a number of Local Authorities and as Chief Executive of Public Health Scotland. Angela Leitch also has relevant experience as Convener of the Board of the Scottish Local Authority Remuneration Committee. She is a member of the Accounts Committee and the Scottish Police Authority. She is also Chair of YouthLink Scotland and is a Trustee of the homelessness prevention charity Cyrenians.

An economic assessment was carried out based on the scenario of a prolonged full closure in order to inform decision making in managing these important viaducts, which indicated significant detriment to the Scottish economy if the viaducts had to be closed.

An economic assessment reflecting the current traffic management arrangements, of two lanes open in each direction, has not been undertaken.

The transfer and repatriation of mother and babies is a normal component of neonatal care provision in Scotland, ensuring babies receive the most appropriate care at the correct time.

The intention with the new model of care is that mothers in suspected extreme pre-term labour are transferred before they give birth (in-utero transfer) to maternity units in the hospitals that have neonatal intensive care units. We expect that those maternity units will have planned capacity to receive those women.

It is recognised that it will not always be possible to transfer mothers before they give birth, and in that case our specialist neonatal transfer service, ScotSTAR will transfer those babies in specialist ambulances equipped to care for neonates, as this has been established practice for many years. Babies receiving care in one of the three intensive care units will be transferred back to their local neonatal unit for ongoing care as soon as possible.

The Scottish Perinatal network has developed and published guidance for all Boards across Scotland to support identification and transfer of mothers in suspected extreme preterm labour. Experiences of testing the new model of neonatal intensive care showed that the vast majority of mothers in suspected pre-term labour were identified and transferred before giving birth.

While the Scottish Government has overall responsibility for health and social care policy in Scotland, the statutory responsibility for delivering, commissioning and providing appropriate social care services at a local level lies with local authorities and Health and Social Care Partnerships. This includes the responsibility to reduce the number of people being delayed in hospital unnecessarily.

Since 2015-16, the Scottish Government has provided additional funding for social care and integration. This annual investment has risen to almost £2.2 billion in the 2025-26 Scottish Budget.

However, decisions on how best to deliver services to local communities are ultimately for Health and Social Care Partnerships and locally elected representatives to make.

The Scottish Government has provided specific funding to NHS Boards for the development of a thrombectomy service to treat ischaemic stroke: £6.6 million in 2021-22; £7.2 million in 2022-23; £10.1 million in 2023-24 and £12.1 million in 2024-25. 2025-26 thrombectomy funding allocations will exceed the funding provided in 2024-25.

In addition, the Scottish Government has provided funding to support the delivery of the Stroke Improvement Plan and wider stroke improvement work: £182,980 in 2021-22; £174,489 in 2022-23; £185,507 in 2023-24 and £175,150 in 2024-25.

While we know thrombectomy procedures are not currently available overnight, stroke care is available and we expect NHS Boards to provide safe, effective and person-centred care for those who have experienced a stroke, at all times.

The Scottish Government values the input of clinicians in informing any recommendations regarding abortion services. The Scottish Government works closely with services through the Scottish Abortion Care Providers network in particular to identify contributors with suitable clinical backgrounds to be involved in any groups convened by the Scottish Government regarding abortion services.

No one should remain in hospital when they no longer need to be there, and we are clear that the current level of delay is unacceptable. It is important to reflect that 97% of all hospital discharges happen without delay. The latest published statistics show that the level of delayed discharges has fallen. At the end of April 2025, 1,868 people were delayed in hospital, 162 fewer than the high point of 2,030 delays at the end of October 2024.

In the 12 months to April 2025, there were 261,980 operations performed, 1.6% increase from the previous 12 months. Out of all the planned operations, only a small proportion were cancelled due to capacity reasons.

Addressing the variation in delays across the country is the focus of significant and sustained attention and effort by this Government. The NHS Scotland Operational Improvement Plan sets out a clear plan to reduce waiting times and delayed discharges, supported by £200 million targeted investment as part of the 2025-26 Budget.

It has been confirmed via title search that the site of the former Carnbroe Mains Farm at Carnbroe Road, Shirrel, Bellshill is not under the ownership of Scottish Ministers. The site is privately owned by individuals. Steps are being taken to update the Vacant and Derelict Land Register accordingly.

The Scottish Government does not hold this information.

Since the publication of the Stroke Improvement Plan, each NHS Board now has a named individual with responsibility for stroke care. The Minister for Public Health and Women’s Health chaired a roundtable meeting with these individuals in October 2024, outlining the Scottish Government’s priorities and expectations regarding stroke care.

A National Stroke Engagement Forum, which met for the first time on 2 October 2024, has been established. This forum, attended by stroke service representatives from every NHS Board, is helping to drive improvement work and facilitate the sharing of best practice across NHS Board boundaries.

An increased focus on rehabilitation is a key component of our Stroke Improvement Plan. We are now asking stroke services in all NHS Boards to offer a formal review to everyone who has had a stroke, taking place six months after the stroke event and allowing re-referral into stroke services where required. In addition, empirical measures of rehabilitation and stroke-specific Patient Reported Experience Measures (PREMS) are being developed and these will further enhance our ability to gauge the delivery of stroke care and rehabilitation.

Since the publication of the Stroke Improvement Plan, NHS Boards are now required to demonstrate adequate provision of psychological support for those who have suffered a stroke, and this is assessed via NHS Board reviews.

In terms of stroke prevention, the Scottish Government has launched the Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) Risk Factors programme to improve CVD outcomes with an aim to reduce avoidable CVD death by 20% in 20 years. This work focuses on improving the identification and management of key risk factors which are high blood pressure, high cholesterol, raised blood sugars, obesity and smoking. We have also established a new GP enhanced service from the 2025-26 Reform Fund to support 100,000 patients who are at risk of developing CVD.