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I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-43974 on 5 March 2026. the National Radiology Lead from the Centre for Sustainable Delivery meets regularly with Health Boards to discuss imaging performance, staffing levels and scanner stock. NHS Boards have been asked to provide plans to support delivery of the 95% target of patients seen within 6 weeks throughout 2026-27.

Furthermore, we are looking at options to increase the amount of CT and MRI scanners as well as more robust replacement plans of the current stock to ensure technology advances are optimised which in turn can improve throughput, reduce radiation dose and improve energy efficiency.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.

In 2025-26 we allocated more than £22 million additional funding to Health Boards to help tackle the longest waits for Radiology. The latest data shows that the Radiology list size decreased by 18.1% compared to last quarter. We are determined to continue to build on this momentum, ensuring people receive the treatment they need as soon as possible.

We have also provided additional funding of more than £12 million for 13 MRI mobile scanners and 4 CT mobile scanners, this will provide capacity of almost 90,000 additional scans throughout 2025-26.

The Scottish Government commissioned Centre for Sustainable Delivery who routinely monitor planned and actual diagnostic performance, and work with Boards towards the delivery of the 95% of patients seen within 6 week target. Their evaluation of this work will help inform plans for 2026-27.

We have increased Radiography staff from 2,248.2 WTE to 2,773.0 WTE a 23.3% increase (Dec 2015 – Dec 2025). This includes:

• 24.1% increase in Diagnostic Radiographers (from 1,978.8 WTE as at Dec 2015 to 2,455.9 WTE as at Dec 2025).
• 17.7% increase in Therapeutic Radiographers (from 269.4 WTE as at Dec 2015 to 317.1 WTE as at Dec 2025).

The National Radiology Lead from the Centre for Sustainable Delivery meets regularly with Health Boards to discuss imaging performance, staffing levels and scanner stock. NHS Boards have been asked to provide plans to support delivery of the 95% target, of patients seen within 6 weeks, throughout 2026-27.

This is an operational matter for ScotRail. The Member may wish to contact ScotRail directly.

The Scottish Government has been engaging with FRP Advisory, as the appointed administrators of Orbex, to understand both the position of the company, its workforce and its infrastructure and assets to explore any measures that could support continuity of operations.

The Scottish Government’s enterprise and skills agencies are also monitoring developments closely to support any viable pathways that safeguard strategic capability and skilled employment.

Finally, Scottish Ministers have sought clarity from the UK Government around its intentions for generating and maintaining sovereign launch capability for the UK, given its relevance to our national security.

The Circular Economy (Scotland) Act 2024 strengthens the legislative framework for tackling flytipping. The current position on the relevant Sections of the Act are set out below:

• Section 11 (fixed penalty notices for flytipping): this provision enabling Scottish Ministers to increase the flytipping fixed penalty amount in section 33A(9) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 up to £1,000 (and also provide for different amounts in different cases or descriptions of cases) by way of order is in force, but no secondary legislation has been made in exercise of that power. The amendment was supported during Stage 2 to provide flexibility for the future, particularly following the increase of the flytipping fixed penalty amount to £500 under existing powers from 1 January 2024. No commitment was made to increase the fixed penalty amount further within a specific timeframe.
• Sections 12 (removal of unlawfully deposited waste) amends Section 59 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and sets out the current process on the face of legislation and amends the appeals process. the same approach applies, regulation making powers have been commenced to enable the necessary supporting regulations to be developed in advance of full commencement of the substantive provisions.
• Section 13 (information on flytipping offences) is in force. The provision creates a power for Scottish Ministers to require information from relevant authorities in order to better understand the national picture on flytipping and to progress towards effective and accurate national reporting. Beyond the power itself being commenced, there are currently no further statutory requirements or published commitments setting out when or how that power will be exercised. Work to improve flytipping data is ongoing through delivery of the National Litter and Flytipping Strategy.
• Section 14 (householder’s duty of care) amends the Environmental Protection Act 1990 to make breach of the existing householder duty of care an offence and to provide for enforcement by way of fixed penalty notice. While the core offence and fixed penalty amount are set out on the face of the Act, the section also includes regulation-making powers, for example to modify the fixed penalty amount or to specify additional categories of authorised enforcement officers. At present, section 14 has been commenced for the purpose of making regulations only and the amended offence and fixed penalty regime are therefore not yet fully in force.
• Section 19 (powers to search and seize vehicles): the powers to make various regulations necessary for the effective operation of the new provisions inserted into the Environment Act 1995 by section 19 are in force, with the intention to bring the provision fully into force once the regulations are made.

As set out in the Duty of Care: Code of Practice for Managing Controlled Waste, every organisation and individual has a duty to ensure that, when they dispose of waste, they do so using a registered waste carrier. SEPA provides a public register of waste carriers on its website. SEPA and Revenue Scotland are members of the Joint Unit for Waste Crime, a multi-agency taskforce that works in partnership to tackle serious and organised crime in the UK waste industry.

Our new digital waste tracking system, which is being introduced in all four nations, will replace existing paper-based and inconsistent systems for tracking waste with a streamlined digital service, reducing opportunities for waste crime and underpinning our transition to a circular economy.

The Scottish Government laid The Digital Waste Tracking (Scotland) Regulations 2026 before the Scottish Parliament on 12 January. These Regulations introduce the first phase of the new digital waste tracking system.

Powers introduced by the Circular Economy (Scotland) Act 2024, when fully implemented, will strengthen the legislative foundation for tackling and deterring fly tipping. For example, new powers to be inserted into the Environment Act 1995 by section 19 will allow local authorities to search and seize vehicles suspected of being used in relation to specified waste crimes.

No additional direct funding has been provided to local councils for the implementation of the National Litter and Fly tipping Strategy. However, we have funded Keep Scotland Beautiful to deliver targeted interventions working with councils and communities, and SEPA has developed the partnership enforcement model with councils.

The Scottish Government is making available record funding of £15.7 billion for Local Government in 2026-27. The vast majority of funding allocated to councils is provided by means of a block grant. It is then the responsibility of individual local authorities to manage their own budgets and to allocate the total financial resources available to them, including meeting the requirements set out in the 2018 Code of Practice on Litter and Refuse (CoPLAR).