Seòmar agus comataidhean

The UK Government undertakes scoping assessments prior to negotiations, and impact assessments on completion of an FTA, which detail the likely economic, social and environmental impacts of a new FTA. Those consider opportunities for increased trade in environmental goods and impacts on trade with third countries.

In our engagement with the UK Government on all trade negotiations, the Scottish Government has consistently requested more detailed assessments of the economic impacts on Scotland. We believe that before embarking on the negotiation of such agreements, the UK Government should be fully aware of their likely impacts across all parts of the UK. Net zero and environmental commitments should be a core part of scoping and impact assessments.

The Scottish Police Authority Budget has not decreased. We have increased police funding year-on-year since 2016-17, investing more than £14.6 billion since the creation of Police Scotland in 2013. This includes a record £1.64 billion investment in policing in 2025-26, an increase of £90 million compared to 2024-25.

In addition, £3 million has been made available to Police Scotland to enable it to work in partnership with the Retail Industry Leadership Group, to help tackle retail crime. We recognise that this issue costs businesses millions of pounds each year, and has a knock-on effect on the prices we pay in the shops.

As set out in their Beaver Management Report it is NatureScot policy to consider authorised populations and catchments where licensed release has already taken place are considered to form beaver’s natural range in Scotland.

Therefore, in considering the definition of ‘within range’ are essentially talking about catchments where there have been licensed translocations or reinforcements, or as in the case of Tayside and Knapdale the population has been officially permitted to remain, i.e. rather than a definition based on current distribution.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-37115 on 6 May 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.

Sustrans’ Children’s Walking and Cycling Index Scotland was itself funded by Transport Scotland, and serves as good example of the Scottish Government’s continued commitment to proactively listening to young people’s voices in transport decision making.

I have welcomed the report, which demonstrates the overwhelming support for safer walking, wheeling and cycling paths that children in Scotland are asking for. When we build active travel infrastructure, we are doing so not just for today, but for tomorrow, ensuring our young people can build and then maintain sustainable transport options into later life.

Beyond active travel, the Scottish Government has completed and published Child Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessments (CRWIAs) since 2015, to ensure children’s rights are taken into account in all legislation, policies, and strategic decisions. CRWIAs guidance provides advice on when and how decision makers must consult or engage with children and young people where decision will impact them.

This guidance applies to Transport Scotland in the exercise of its responsibilities in transport decision making, and it’s CRWIAs are included in the list of published child rights and wellbeing impact assessments available on gov.scot under the ‘transport’ theme.

An example of this was the development of the second Strategic Transport Projects Review in 2020-21, during which Transport Scotland actively engaged with a sample of primary and secondary schools across Scotland as part of a programme to understand young people’s views on transport. In total 30 schools and 655 pupils were involved, and their feedback was included in the development and appraisal of transport options considered during the review. The experience gained from this engagement programme will help inform future transport reviews of this type.

Another example of this in practice is our recent announcement of two new concessionary schemes for under-22 year old islanders, providing unlimited free travel on inter-island ferries within Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles from 1 April 2025, and expanding the scheme providing 4 free journeys per year to/from the Scottish mainland to 16–21 year olds from 23 June 2025.

Eradicating child poverty is the single greatest priority of this Government and we are committed to giving all of our children and young people the very best chance to succeed in life. These commitments from the Islands Connectivity Plan will help to ensure public transport is available, accessible and affordable for children and young people, and will them to travel more often, improving their access to education, employment, training, health and social activities and much more.

The Scottish Government is providing £23.4 million of funding, in 2025-26 to the Regional Transport Partnerships and their local authority partners through the Active Travel People and Place programme. One of the key areas of investment in this programme is Schools and Young People, which targets investment in behaviour change initiatives to encourage more children and young people to use active travel as a way of travelling to school. The aim of this programme is to make sustainable travel choices the most desirable way to travel for young people and families by providing the necessary interventions and adaptations that make active travel more attractive.

More than £1bn will be provided through the Attainment Scotland Fund (ASF) to tackle the poverty-related attainment gap during this parliamentary term. Headteachers and education authorities are free to decide to use this funding to provide additional tutoring support.

Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that all young people have the opportunity to develop core STEM skills and knowledge, which is why tackling inequity within STEM learning and careers is at the heart of our STEM Education and Training Strategy. Through the Curriculum Improvement Cycle, we have established a systematic approach to curriculum improvement which will help to ensure that STEM subjects are attractive and accessible to all learners.

Specialist STEM programmes for pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds are currently being delivered across Scotland. These include SSERC’s Research Placements Programme, funded by a range of partners, which provides S5 pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds the opportunity to undertake online modules to develop their professional skills, followed by a two-week STEM research placement.

In addition, Strathclyde University run an Engineering Scholars Programme open to senior phase pupils from under-represented groups who are interested in studying Engineering at university. The opportunity includes a scholarship package featuring personal or small group tutoring.

The Parole Board for Scotland and officials at Community Justice Division initiated the redrafting of the memorandum of understanding/agreement in summer 2022. Protracted discussions and negotiations on the nature and detail of the document; and resource intensive pressures on both parties meant that delivery of the document took longer than anticipated. Agreement on the document had neared finalisation by the end of 2024, however sign-off and clearance by interested parties allowed for publication of the MOA to proceed into early 2025.

We have noted the recommendations in the SAWC report and are giving them careful consideration.

The Scottish Government recognises the serious impact that untreated hearing loss can have on individuals, including potential links to cognitive decline and dementia risk in older people.

The Independent Review of Audiology Services, published in August 2023, set out 55 recommendations which the Scottish Government accepted in principle to support improvements to audiology services across Scotland. A significant amount of work has been undertaken to date, to move forward the implementation of recommendations made as part of the Independent Review, involving a wide range of stakeholders across the public and third sector. In December 2024 we concluded this phase of work and will soon publish a report outlining how each of the recommendations set out in the Independent Review has been closed or transitioned, and the rationale for that.

We know that audiology services are facing sustained pressure, and this challenge is not unique to Scotland, with similar issues being felt across the UK. However, it is not acceptable that some people have had to wait longer than they should for appointments and referrals. The Scottish Government is taking action, and the 2025-26 Budget is providing a record £21.7 billion for Health and Social Care.

Audiology is considered a clinical priority area within the NHS in Scotland and improvement work is being progressed through the National Planning and Delivery Board under leadership from the Chief Operating Officer, NHS Scotland.