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On 1 June 2025, the Scottish Government introduced a ban on the sale and supply of single-use vapes in the course of business in Scotland. This fulfilled our 2023 Programme for Government commitment to take measures to tackle the environmental impact of single-use vapes. The ban was introduced alongside wider measures to require all retailers of vapes to provide a take back service for used vapes, and to strengthen recycling obligations on vape producers.

As a result of the ban, it has been illegal to sell or supply single-use vapes in the course of business in Scotland, and across the UK, for eight months. Public polling conducted by Keep Scotland Beautiful in August 2025, shortly after the introduction of the ban, showed a slight decrease in the percentage of people reporting vapes in litter than the previous year. The ban was also welcomed by a range of civic society and environmental groups. However, it remains too early to assess the impact of the ban as robust data are not yet available. We will be reviewing the longer-term policy outcomes in alignment with other nations, with the aim of publishing a full evaluation in 2028. We also continue to assess whether any further policy measures are required to address the environmental impact of vapes and support a circular economy.

Responsibility for service delivery rests with NHS boards which configure services based on local circumstances and the reasonable needs of their populations.

The Scottish Government expects all NHS Boards to provide high-quality, safe and effective person-centred care and support for everyone, including people with postural tachycardia syndrome (PoTS).

The Independent Review of Scotland’s Legislative Framework for Children’s Care will undertake a comprehensive, independent review of Scotland’s legislative framework affecting children, young people, families and the children’s care system, and to provide Scottish Ministers with clear, evidence-based and practical recommendations with the aim of simplifying legislation for practitioners and those working with, and supporting, children and families.

The remit will be finalised in the coming weeks however it is expected to take account of:

• challenges around access to justice and effective participation;

• the need for clarity about rights, responsibilities and routes to help;

• evidence of tensions, contradictions or misalignment across statutes and policy frameworks; and

• the benefits for children’s rights of re-enacting specific provisions relating to the care system in Scotland that are currently contained in UK Acts.

Immigration legislation and policy is a reserved matter, and won’t specifically fall within the scope of the review. However unaccompanied asylum-seeking children are entitled to support within the care system, and the review will consider relevant Scottish legislation such as the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 - which applies in relation to the care, protection and support of children and young people in Scotland, including unaccompanied asylum seeking children and young people.

The Scottish Government recognises the importance of timely consenting decisions in delivering transmission infrastructure for Scotland’s net zero ambitions. Working in partnership with industry and communities, we remain committed to our ambition to achieve a 52-week determination process to deliver Scotland’s energy transition.

Since 2023 the Scottish Government has been working with the UK Government on its Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025, which finally received Royal Assent in December. Included in the Act are provisions that minimise the risk of delays in the consenting process, including replacing judicial reviews with statutory appeals and removing the automatic public inquiry while retaining it as an option, both of which take effect from 18 February.

The Act granted other regulation-making powers to the Scottish Government, including the ability to set requirements for pre-application consultation and engagement of communities and to create a formal acceptance stage where we assess compliance before accepting applications. These powers are intended to further improve the efficiency of application processing, and we intend to consult on them later this year.

The Human Medicines (Amendment) Regulations 2017 grants schools the authority to obtain, without a prescription, spare adrenaline auto-injector (AAI) devices to use in emergency situations if they wish.

Whilst these Regulations do not compel schools to hold spare AAI devices for use in emergency situations, our guidance on supporting children and young people with healthcare needs in schools states there are many benefits of doing so. Primarily because the presence of these devices could potentially save the life of the child or young person since the effects of reactions can take hold very quickly, particularly so in the case of reactions to insect stings.

If a pupil has not been diagnosed with, or experienced, an allergic reaction before the school should call the emergency services immediately on 999 to seek further advice on whether it would be appropriate to administer adrenaline from an AAI device.

Harnessing the economic opportunities of AI is crucial for Scotland’s economic growth, global competitiveness, and the well-being of its people. This importance means Scotland cannot afford to fall behind in both its adoption and development, while also maintaining high ethical standards.

Policies in relation to AI are being, or have been, developed across the Scottish public sector, which is not one body, and which operates within a variety of different policy, strategic and regulatory contexts. Individual public bodies, including NHS boards, the Scottish Prison Service and Police Scotland, are responsible for governing and managing the use of AI within their own organisations, in line with existing legal, ethical and governance requirements.

Recent work undertaken by the Scottish Government indicates that a number of policy areas are either developing or strengthening approaches to the use of AI in policy development and public service delivery.

The Scottish Government will continue to support the responsible use of AI across the public sector, ensuring it aligns with public sector values, transparency and accountability.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) do not systematically record all of this information but reports that they are aware of the following:

The First Minister issued a letter of reprove to the Justice Secretary on 6 January. A copy of this letter is available here: Ministerial Code investigation: First Minister letter to Justice Secretary - gov.scot.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-43399 on 10 February 2026. 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 visited Caithness General Hospital on 30 July 2025 to meet with a range of stakeholders, including members of the Caithness Health Action Team.

The Caithness Health Action Team and other local community representatives play an important role in making sure the voices of women and families are heard. We expect NHS Boards to plan and provide safe, effective and high-quality care, in line with their statutory service provision and workforce planning responsibilities, which are dependent on the service needs of each Board taking account of national, regional and local priorities.

I chaired the inaugural meeting of the Scottish Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce on 29 January. The meeting brought together clinicians, service leaders, professional bodies, and third sector partners with a shared commitment to ensuring that every woman and baby receives safe, high-quality, and compassionate care.

At its first meeting, the Taskforce began developing its workplan and engagement strategy, including its approach to overseeing improvements in rural and island maternity services. Reviewing the issues facing rural communities, including Caithness and Stranraer, is one of the Taskforce’s priorities and will be taken forward in a structured and evidence-based manner. This work will be informed by the expertise of its members, grounded in the voices of lived experience and aligned with the principles of safe care as close to home as possible. A broad and diverse range of service users will be engaged as part of this process, including representatives from the Caithness Health Action Team.

Parliament will be kept updated on progress. The next meeting is scheduled for February.