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The Scottish Government fully supports the work of the Respiratory Specialty Delivery Group, based at the Centre for Sustainable Delivery (CfSD), which is developing this pathway. While the Scottish Government is not directly involved in drafting, we understand it is progressing through CfSD’s internal assurance processes, and we will continue to work closely with colleagues leading this work to keep stakeholders informed.

The Scottish Government recognises the importance of ensuring people diagnosed with lung conditions, such as interstitial lung disease (ILD), receive timely, high-quality post-diagnosis support, and values the vital role that third sector organisations play in delivering these services across Scotland.

The Scottish Government’s Respiratory Care Action Plan (RCAP) sets out our priorities for improving prevention, diagnosis, treatment and support for people living with respiratory conditions, including interstitial lung disease (ILD). To oversee delivery of the RCAP, we established the Scottish Respiratory Advisory Committee (SRAC), which brings together clinical experts and third sector partners such as Asthma + Lung UK and Chest, Heart & Stroke Scotland. This collaborative approach ensures that the voices of patients and charities are central to shaping services

A key commitment in the RCAP is to increase access to pulmonary rehabilitation which is an is an important element of respiratory care. We are working in partnership with Chest, Heart & Stroke Scotland on developing a digital resource for pulmonary rehabilitation.

This will provide digital self-management tools, including advice, videos and information about conditions such as ILD, that can be accessed anywhere in Scotland, ensuring equitable access for people regardless of where they live. The materials will be hosted on the My Lungs My Life website: My Lungs My Life | Patient Respiratory Self-Management Toolkit: My Lungs My Life | Patient Respiratory Self-Management Toolkit.

We have also published the Respiratory conditions - quality prescribing strategy: improvement guide 2024 to 2027, which aims to keep people at the centre of their treatment and promote safe, evidence-based, sustainable prescribing.

The guide was developed by a wide range of stakeholders and is intended to support clinicians and people living with respiratory conditions, in shared decision-making and the effective use of medicines. It offers practical advice and options for tailoring care to the needs and preferences of individuals.

I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

SPS hold our serving staff and prospective staff to the highest of standards. While the vast majority of our staff adhere to the highest standards of conduct, SPS continue to be vigilant to any potential corruption concerns within our establishments. Maintaining the safety and security of Scotland’s prisons is and remains an absolute priority.

The following table sets out the number of prospective employees who have been prevented from taking up SPS employment. Due to differences relating to data recording, categories have been amended as follows: (a) criminal history, (b) financial vulnerabilities, (c) corruption or integrity risks, (d) association with serving or liberated prisoners, (e) failure to provide required documentation and (f) any other identified grounds. Any other identified grounds include reasons such as failed medical assessments and unsatisfactory employment history.

I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

SPS hold our serving staff and prospective staff to the highest of standards. While the vast majority of our staff adhere to the highest standards of conduct, SPS continue to be vigilant to any potential corruption concerns within our establishments. Maintaining the safety and security of Scotland’s prisons is and remains an absolute priority.

The following table sets out specific grounds that led to Scottish Prison Service staff being removed, dismissed, or blocked from taking up employment due to security concerns, including how many cases involved (a) known or suspected links to organised crime, (b) intelligence provided by Police Scotland, (c) corruption or integrity risks, (d) involvement in contraband-related activity and (e) associations with serving or liberated prisoners’ and (f) other.

As already noted in my 11 December response to the member’s previous question (S6W-42117), following Professor Alexis Jay’s letter of 26 September, Scottish Government officials contacted Professor Alexis Jay about this matter. As Professor Jay’s request was for clarification of the quote by providing additional context, it was agreed that it would be minuted at the Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Strategic Group’s meeting on 8 October that the quote was correct, but was from January and not made specifically in relation to the amendment or the Victims Bill.

I considered these steps satisfactory when advised on 7 October by Scottish Government officials, noting that Professor Jay was content with this approach as it put her position on the public record via publication of the meeting minutes on the Scottish Government’s website.

I subsequently wrote to the editor of the Official Report on 17 December with a request to update the parliamentary record to clarify the context of Professor Jay’s quote. I was advised that the proposed change could not be made under the Official Report’s remit or the members’ correction procedure.

To ensure that the correction I sought was made widely known, I made two Points of Order, and wrote a letter to the Presiding Officer, which was copied to business managers and members who are not represented in the Parliamentary Bureau. I also placed a copy of this letter in SPICe.

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 listing by Historic Environment Scotland (HES) recognises the historical importance of HMP Barlinnie, not only to our prisons and criminal justice system, but to Scotland as a whole.

Following this listing, HES and other relevant bodies will advise on its implications for the future of HMP Barlinnie, its permissible uses and alterations, and the Scottish Prison Service and the Scottish Government will take time to carefully consider this.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-42557 on 5 January 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.

The Serious Organised Crime Taskforce (SOCT) exists to bring together a range of organisations and sectors to promote the aims and objectives of the SOC Strategy through partnership working. It has no operational or tasking function, and its priorities are informed by partners’ intelligence assessments.

There are currently no plans to introduce a risk register for the SOCT.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-42557 on 5 January 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.

The full-time equivalent (FTE) teachers by gender and local authority for early learning and childcare settings provided in the following table. Statistics for teachers in primary and secondary schools are published in the teacher census supplementary statistics: Teacher census supplementary statistics - gov.scot

Table 1 Teachers in early learning and childcare settings by sex, FTE, 2024