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Progress on the delivery of affordable homes is published through quarterly official statistics –Housing Statistics for Scotland Quarterly Update. Homes delivered through the Affordable Housing Supply Programme include homes for social rent, affordable rent, and affordable home ownership. They also include off the shelf purchases and rehabilitations as well as new builds.

UK Government decisions in reserved areas of offshore energy policy are driving an accelerated decline in North Sea oil and gas and opening up a gap with the renewables industry – a gap into which jobs and livelihoods are being lost. That is why we are calling for an immediate end to the Energy Profits Levy and a sensible future fiscal regime in the North Sea. This is essential to ensure a just transition from oil and gas to renewables that protects jobs and skills and delivers a pipeline of future investment.

These matters continue to be raised by Scottish Ministers with UK Government counterparts at every opportunity. The First Minister raised them with the Prime Minister on 5 December and again on 16 February. The Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy and myself both wrote in advance of the Spring Forecast. The Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy has also written again following the Forecast and in light of volatility in global oil and gas prices.

As set out in the response to S6W-43401 on 12 February 2026, the Scottish Government does not collect national data on the total number of devices issued by local authorities to learners. Local authorities manage delivery directly and continue to make progress in improving digital access for learners, supported by record Scottish Government investment.

The First Minister announced that the Scottish Government has allocated £14.25 million to a second round of the Future Farming Investment Scheme for the 2026-27 financial year. This builds on the £21.4m delivered through the first round of FFIS. The Scottish Government will take into account industry feedback from the 2025 round and work with stakeholders to ensure any appropriate changes are made. Details of any changes will be outlined once stakeholder engagement has been completed.

Section 81 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2025 requires the Scottish Ministers to conduct a rural and island communities impact assessment of the provisions of the Act no later than 6 November 2026.

A report of the findings will be laid before the Scottish Parliament and published with a statement of the action, if any, the Scottish Ministers intend to take as a result of the impact assessment by that date.

The National Planning Hub has 2 dedicated Scottish Government staff – a Head of the National Planning Hub (Grade 6) and Programme Manager (Grade 7), based within Planning and Development Delivery Division. This is complemented by 2.5 posts within the Improvement Service which are funded by Scottish Government, with a team led by the National Planning Improvement Champion, a Planning and Capacity Lead, and a Planning Officer.

In 2025-26 the Planning Hub budget was £1.35m, this figure includes the costs for the Improvement Service staff and programme delivery, and the additional resources provided to planning authorities. The Planning Hub also draws on the wider capacity across Government, including the Planning Housing team that lead work on brokerage for stalled housing sites.

Decisions related to any programme activity in 2026-27 and beyond will be the prerogative of the new government, post the Scottish Parliament election. Initial funding for 2026-27 has had approval to maintain current operational delivery.

Further detail on the activities of the Hub can be seen at https://www.planninghub.scot/.

The Scottish Government remains firmly committed to a public health, evidence-based approach to drug harms as outlined in our Alcohol and Drugs Strategic Plan published on 10 March. We recognise substance use as a complex health and social issue often driven by trauma, poverty, inequality and marginalisation. The Strategic Plan sets out how we will strengthen prevention, harm reduction, and treatment and care measures to promote wellbeing and support recovery.

However, many internationally recognised, evidence-based harm reduction interventions for drugs remain prohibited under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. We will continue to work with the UK Government and other devolved administrations to pursue further harm reduction measures to support a public health approach.

The Strategic Plan is available at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/preventing-harm-promoting-recovery-scotlands-alcohol-drugs-strategic-plan-2026-2035/.

The Scottish Government remains firmly committed to reducing drug-related harms. On 10 March 2026, the Scottish Government and COSLA published ‘Preventing Harm, Promoting Recovery: Scotland’s Alcohol and Drugs Strategic Plan 2026-2035’. This long-term plan builds on the achievements of the National Mission and provides a clear framework for sustaining action to reduce both drug- and alcohol-related harms.

To deliver on our ambitions, we are sustaining the significant increase in investment made over the course of the National Mission. We are maintaining record levels of funding of more than £160 million in total. This includes £115 million for Alcohol and Drugs Partnerships across Scotland and continued investment in the third sector.

The Strategic Plan is available at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/preventing-harm-promoting-recovery-scotlands-alcohol-drugs-strategic-plan-2026-2035/.

The Scottish Government has no plans to introduce a moratorium on data centres.

The environmental implications of all developments which require planning permission are considered through the planning process, and all proposed developments are considered on their own merits. In cases where a proposal is likely to have a significant environmental effect, these powers are further supplemented by the procedures set out in environmental impact assessment legislation. National Planning Framework 4 makes clear that significant weight will be given to the global climate and nature crises when considering all development proposals. We continue to review emerging evidence on energy use, resource implications and good practice in the operation of data centres.

The Nature Investment Partnership continues to engage with a range of investors, land managers and local communities to identify the most suitable approach for each potential investment site. No private finance has yet been directed through the Partnership into on-the-ground projects. More information about the Partnership is available on its webpage: Nature Investment Partnership | NatureScot.