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Scottish Ministers have visited Skye House on several occasions.

My last visit to Skye House was on 4 September 2024.

The Scottish Government continues to support the development of our ports, and the potential for new direct freight and passenger ferry services linking Scotland to Europe.

I have personally engaged with parties interested in introducing new ferry services, and Transport Scotland officials communicate regularly with potential operators and Scotland’s main ports.

The Scottish Government and its agencies have supported a number of maritime initiatives across Scotland, including establishing a Green Freeport at Forth Ports, which includes Rosyth. This involves both seed capital funding, along with businesses locating within the ports being able to access a package of devolved and reserved tax incentives.

We will continue to engage with port operators and others to explore opportunities for new commercial ferry services, so that Scottish exporters and passengers have more direct routes to and from Europe. However, the Scottish Government cannot subsidise routes in ways which would be anti-competitive beyond considering the availability of limited start-up grant funding opportunities for freight initiatives.

I have raised concerns with the UK Treasury about the impact on public services if this reserved tax increase is not fully funded. The Scottish Government has published updated estimates of the impact of the increase in employer national insurance contributions on the public sector in Scotland. These estimates indicate the combined impact on the public sector and commissioned services is over £700 million. If the UK Government’s reported allocation is all that is provided, the Chancellor will be short-changing services the public depend on by over £400 million. The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations estimates that the third sector in Scotland will face additional costs of £75 million per year, plus wider inflation.

The Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Gaelic, myself, and Scottish Government officials have held several meetings with Scottish Engineering to discuss the report Engineering Skills Gap Analysis for Scotland. We will continue to engage with the sector in the coming weeks to assess options and expect to finalise an action plan by April.

We will also continue to drive agility and efficiency in the post school education and skills system through our programme of reform. This includes work on skills planning that will put in place a mechanism to collectively agree and prioritise Scotland strategic skills needs, to meet our economic, social and environmental aims

The Scottish Government does not hold the information requested centrally.

We remain committed to the provision of a community hearing service, however, there is no community hearing service at this time; a rephasing of funding has meant that not all the challenges we are facing will be addressed in a single budget. A new model of care suitable for the Scottish context, would address pressing issues faced by all health boards.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-34203 on 27 February 2025. 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

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-34203 on 27 February 2025. 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

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-34203 on 27 February 2025. 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

Policies to support the decarbonisation of Scotland’s manufacturing base will be summarised in the forthcoming Climate Change Plan which is being informed by discussion with representatives from key industrial sectors.

I was first informed about the BBC Disclosure Programme on 24 January 2025.

Since I was made aware of the specific allegations in the programme, my officials have been in regular contact with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde to seek assurances about current practice.

On Wednesday 26 February, myself and the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care met with the Chief Executives of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, NHS Lothian and NHS Tayside, where inpatient units are located. They provided me with assurance that the allegations in the programme are being taken very seriously, that internal and external review processes are underway, and that appropriate governance arrangements are in place.

To provide further external assurance, I have asked NHS Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) and the Mental Welfare Commission to carry out a series of joint visits to all three adolescent inpatient units in Scotland, as well as the National Child Inpatient Unit.

HIS and the Commission will use these visits to recommend what is required to ensure the quality and safety of our CAMHS inpatient units in the future.