Seòmar agus comataidhean

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-40510 on 29 September 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.

The Scottish Government recognises the importance of ensuring that Transgender young people are supported in Scotland’s schools.

I confirm that the Scottish Government has published revised guidance for education authorities and schools on Supporting Transgender Pupils in Schools. This concludes the detailed work which was been undertaken since the Supreme Court Judgement in April to consider the guidance for schools.

The revised guidance for schools will be available from https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781806432097

I meet regularly with the Scottish Police Federation (SPF), where we discuss a range of issues which affect their members. At our meeting on 19 December 2024, the SPF raised concerns about the condition of buildings in the Police Scotland estate, and we discussed the Police Scotland Estates Masterplan.

Management of the Police Scotland estate, including assessments of the condition of its buildings, is an operational matter for the Chief Constable under the oversight of the Scottish Police Authority. The Scottish Government supports Police Scotland’s commitment to providing a safe environment for officers, staff and the public, and notes that Ayr police station moved from old and outdated premises to a new modern location in May 2023.

We are investing a record £1.64 billion in policing in 2025-26. This includes £70 million of capital funding for investment in police assets, including the police estate.

In relation to prisons, the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) and the Scottish Government are aware of the negative impact of drones being used to introduce illicit items into the prison estate and the threat that has for the operational stability of prisons across Scotland.

Covert technology to detect when a drone is approaching or entering SPS airspace has been piloted. In addition, SPS is implementing low tech solutions such as window grilles, which have been fitted to 3 establishments so far, are also part of SPS’s response to this ongoing threat. SPS continue to analyse the marketplace as well as consult with other jurisdictions to keep pace with this ever-evolving environment.

Many sensitive secure sites in Scotland relate to defence and national security and are as such the responsibility of the United Kingdom Government. The legislative, physical and electronic defence of these sites are varied and the responsibility of the owner/operator.

Perimeter defence systems can form one of a number of physical and/or electronic defensive measures. It is for the site owner/operator, in co-operation with the National Cyber Security Centre and National Protective Security Authority to determine whether drone defences are appropriate, proportionate and effective for their site.

In relation to Critical National Infrastructure sectors, some of which are reserved, some devolved and some a mix of both, security risks will be assessed and appropriate mitigations developed.

The two main pieces of dog control legislation are the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 (“the 1991 Act”) and the Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act 2010 (“the 2010 Act”). In general terms, Police Scotland will deal with offences under the 1991 Act, and local authority dog wardens will deal with matters under the 2010 Act.

The training of police officers in relation to the enforcement of the 1991 Act is an operational matter for Police Scotland to consider. Equally, the training of local authority dog wardens is an operational matter for local authorities.

The Scottish Government is committed to ongoing engagement with Police Scotland, local authorities and other relevant stakeholders, in order to consider any issues, concerns, or barriers to effective dog control enforcement including in relation to how best dogs can be identified.

Earlier this year the Scottish Government provided Police Scotland with funding to assist with the training of police officers who would be tasked with identifying prohibited dog breeds. Separately, the National Dog Warden Association also received funding from the Scottish Government to help improve how dog wardens are trained.

Please see the news release issued by the Scottish Government on 8 April 2025 for details: https://www.gov.scot/news/investing-in-community-safety/.

The Centre for Good Relations has been grant funded to carry out three strands of work – civic diplomacy in relation to marches and parades; civic mediation and facilitation of dialogue in relation to protest and demonstrations; and steward and marshal training for those involved in organising and running processions and protests.

This work is funded and delivered on the submission of a business plan, a condition of which is the completion of quarterly reports with clear deliverables and an annual review. Additionally, feedback sought from stakeholders who engage with the Centre for Good Relations has continued to be positive. This ensures that the Centre for Good Relations continues to effectively address community tensions and improve the quality of stewarding for marches, parades and protests.

The breakdown of funding is set out in the following table:

The Scottish Government understands the importance of sport and physical activity for women and girls in Scotland and the positive impact that has on their physical, mental, and social health across all stages in life. We recognise the importance of having a proper fitting sports bra to support women and girls in sport and physical activity, and to reduce barriers to participation.

The Female Athlete Performance Working Group at the sportscotland Institute of Sport has developed a range of resources for female athletes and anyone supporting and working with girls and women in sport at any level. This includes a learning module on bras and breast health, amongst other female athlete health modules. These are available on Brightspace, free of charge. These modules have been promoted by a number of Scottish Governing Bodies of Sport, as well as through our national agency for sport, sportscotland.

Scottish Government officials have attended four governance meetings between Scottish Ministers and senior NDA officials in the last five years. Scottish Ministers also have a role in approving governance documents such as the NDA Business Plan and NDA Strategy documents. This requirement is enshrined in the 2004 Energy Act.

The Scottish Government’s formal role in NDA governance is underpinned by a strong partnership approach to ensure NDA are implementing devolved policies and contributing their expertise to our future policy development. For example, Scottish Government Officials are also members of a number of UK wide networks that oversee key themes related to the NDA’s work.

The Digital Front Door programme has progressed over the summer to ensure we launch the Health & Social Care online app this year. In recent months, the programme has worked collaboratively with stakeholders on technical delivery, organisational readiness and branding of the service.

Following the conclusion of the work on branding, I am pleased to confirm Scotland’s app will be called MyCare. Like any digital service, good practice means the first version of MyCare will be evaluated thoroughly in Lanarkshire before it is rolled out across Scotland for the population from April 2026. With the delivery of MyCare, Scotland’s app will go further than other models proposed elsewhere in the UK and will support services in both health and social care.

Furthermore, today the Scottish Government has published an update on our approach to rolling out MyCare.scot across Scotland and the anticipated timelines. Members can read this publication at: https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781806431717

We are working across public sector delivery partners, and with industry and the supply chain to deliver the ambition set out in the Green Industrial Strategy to realise the benefits from growing our renewables sector.

Our approach includes our strategic investment of up to £500 million over five years, expected to leverage private investment of £1.5 billion in offshore wind infrastructure and manufacturing facilities; our Just Transition Fund supporting companies to move into the renewable sector, and a commitment with the onshore wind industry to develop a specialist blade treatment facility in Scotland.