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In response to the Manchester Arena Inquiry the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act received royal assent on Thursday 3rd April 2025 and has a 24 month commencement period before it will come into force.

The Scottish Government continues to work in collaboration with the UK Government in the development of Statutory Guidance that will support the legislation. The Scottish Government will consider how the regulation of ambulances and first aid provision in Scotland needs to align with the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act as this guidance is developed and in response to the views of stakeholders.

The Scottish Government continues to encourage and signpost stakeholders to both the Protect UK and Gov.UK websites for further information and updates on the legislation. Materials and guidance to support duty holders is available on both websites over the commencement period.

The 2025-26 Budget will provide a record £21.7 billion for Health and Social Care, including almost £200 million to reduce waiting lists and improve flow through hospitals. Gynaecology will be targeted as a key priority area for additional funding.

We are committed to ensuring those living with endometriosis are able to access the best possible care and support and that they benefit from healthcare services that are safe, effective and put people at the centre of their care.

Endometriosis is one of the key priorities in the Women’s Health Plan and will continue to be so. Timely access to gynaecology services will also be a priority as we continue to develop the next phase of our Women’s Health Plan, which we aim to publish in 2025.

Guidance issued to NHS Boards by the Scottish Government states that in all new hospital developments, there should be a presumption of 100% single rooms, and where existing accommodation is being refurbished as close to 100% as possible is expected. The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) are working at pace on updated guidance for public bodies following the Supreme Court’s ruling, and the Scottish Government will await this guidance and review any relevant updates to NHSScotland patient policies and guides as appropriate.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-34345 on 28 February 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

Scottish Government notes this report with interest and is fully aware that the risk of liver disease is increased by the impact of harmful alcohol use and obesity.

This is why we are determined to do all we can to reduce alcohol-related harm, one of the most pressing public health challenges that we face in Scotland. We take a whole population approach to tackling such harm, in line with the World Health Organisation’s focus on affordability, availability and attractiveness of alcohol.

Our Alcohol Framework 2018 contains 20 actions to tackle alcohol-related harm. One of the key actions was the implementation of Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP) in May 2018. Since then, we have seen a reduction of 3% in total alcohol sales, with a focus on the cheap high-strength alcohol which is often drunk by people drinking at harmful levels. Recent research by Public Health Scotland has found that MUP has been found to save more than 150 lives a year and 411 fewer hospital admissions. It’s also encouraging to see that this research has highlighted that the policy is having an effect in Scotland’s most deprived areas – which experience higher death rates and levels of harms from problem alcohol.

We also want everyone in Scotland to eat well and have a healthy weight to help reduce the impact of a range of diet-related ill health conditions, including liver disease. We continue to implement the wide-ranging actions set out in our 2018 Diet and Healthy Weight Delivery Plan to address this challenge. This includes our commitment to restrict less healthy food promotions and improve the availability of healthier options when eating out, as outlined in our Out Of Home Action Plan.

Scottish Government through its national Centre for Sustainable Delivery (CfSD) has formed a Specialty Delivery Group for Liver Disease with the first meeting on 6th November 2024. Early Detection is one of the pathways being prioritised.

The Early Detection Pathway has already been passed through the first Gateway in the CfSD delivery pathway. The challenges are around how individual boards can implement this before the National Laboratory Information Management System.

There has been progress in developing the Early Detection pathways in individual health boards using the technology as currently available while others are using the Referral Advice to Primary Care with increased use of the FIB-4 and Fibroscan with advice for Lifestyle changes and repeat investigation as required.

The Scottish Government is investing a record £1.64 billion in policing in 2025-26, an increase of almost £90 million of additional funding from the 2024-25 budget.

Our investment in policing has enabled Police Scotland to undertake the highest level of recruitment since its inception, with around 1,200 new officers joining since the start of 2024. In February, Police Scotland reported their officer establishment was 16,614.

To support the Chief Constable’s reform and modernisation programme, an additional £10m has also been provided to Police Scotland, to enable the delivery of her three-year business plan and bring frontline policing to its strongest possible position.

I am pleased that Police Scotland has invested £17 million to enhance welfare provision. This included a new 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme, direct access to occupational health services and a greater focus on mental health. This highlights the priority that Police Scotland places on supporting the health and wellbeing of the workforce, supported by a Health and Wellbeing Action Plan to underpin delivery.

Golf is important to Scotland’s economy, culture and reputation. We have more than 550 golf courses, host world-renowned events and enjoy the benefits from a thriving golf tourism sector.

Golf events and golf tourism bring significant economic benefits to Scotland.

The economic value of golf tourism for the Scottish economy is approximately £300 million per annum, around 5000 jobs and approximately £150 million in GVA.

Scotland’s portfolio of golf events, including The R&A’s major championships and our annual national Opens, help maintain our worldwide reputation as the ‘Home of Golf’.

In 2024, Scotland successfully delivered an exceptional summer of golf, hosting five high-profile tournaments across the men’s and women’s games, headlined by the 152nd Open at Royal Troon. All five events were supported by Scottish Government funding.

Independent research from Sheffield Hallam University’s Sport Industry Research Centre found that last year’s Open at Royal Troon generated an estimated £87.3 million in total economic impact – new money entering the economy – for Scotland.

The figures for Royal Troon bring the total economic benefit generated by the ten stagings of The Open in Scotland since 2005 to £1.36 billion.

The 2024 Genesis Scottish Open reported £19.2 million in economic impact for Scotland.

In addition to direct economic benefits, Scotland’s golf events also bring wider benefits, including supporting charitable causes, engaging communities and young people, increasing participation in sport and general wellbeing, and advocating for policy priorities such as environmental issues.

Procurement legislation requires public bodies to treat suppliers equally and without discrimination irrespective of size when buying goods, services and works.

Through the Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014, we introduced a legal requirement for public bodies to consider and act on opportunities to facilitate the involvement of small or medium-sized enterprises (‘SMEs’), third sector organisations and supported businesses in the procurement process, and also to advertise regulated contract opportunities openly and transparently on Public Contracts Scotland, helping SMEs to identify opportunities in the supply chain.

We continue to focus on making it easier for SMEs to participate in public supply chains, including publishing an SME and Third Sector Procurement Action Plan in 2024 as part of our New Deal for Business.

We continue to test, challenge and inform procurement approaches through industry engagement, such as round tables with SMEs, to underpin continuous improvement.

The ‘annual report on procurement activity in Scotland 2022 to 2023’ (our most recently published report) shows that 61 pence in every pound of known procurement spend in Scotland went to an SME, and that, of the 18,079 suppliers awarded contracts through Public Contracts Scotland, SMEs received 77% of these contracts.

I refer the member to the answer to the question S6W-36536 on 28 April 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 reviewed the effectiveness of the Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) process in 2021, engaging with key stakeholders including all local authorities. The review found that, overall, local authorities were satisfied with the system but highlighted areas for improvement, particularly in relation to Experimental Traffic Regulation Orders (ETROs) and Redetermination Orders.

As a result of this assessment, legislative changes were introduced to streamline ETROs, enabling implementation with 7 days’ notice and a 6-month consultation period. Guidance was also issued to clarify that Redetermination Orders may not be required where a TRO sufficiently regulates access.

In addition, Transport Scotland is considering further work to support the digitisation of TROs, with a view to improving accessibility and administrative efficiency.