Seòmar agus comataidhean

The procurement of fire and rescue vehicles and operational equipment is a matter for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS). Oversight and Governance is provided by the SFRS Strategic Leadership Team and the SFRS Board.

I refer the member to the answers to questions S6O-05097 on 5 November 2025 and S6W-41741 on 21 November 2025.

There is an existing and established Orthopaedic pathway in place for patients in Argyll & Bute to receive treatment in NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde. This has been the position for some time and we understand from Health Boards that patient feedback on this arrangement is largely positive.

More recently, the Haematology service was redesigned and repatriated to NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde due to the sub specialist nature of the many blood cancers and treatments now available, ensuring patients can continue to be treated safely. Patients are also supported through consultant consultations via NearMe within NHS Highland’s McMillan Suite with specialist nursing support.

To deliver case closer to home, many services across Argyll & Bute are also provided via an outreach service level agreement (SLA) which allows local access to consultant clinics.

As part of my plan to reform the NHS, I have announced that Health Boards will plan on a sub-national basis in 2026-27. This will ensure NHS Boards work together in the East and West of Scotland, allowing teams to work across their boundaries and share resources to ensure capacity is maximised and that long waiting patients can access treatment more quickly.

I expect all Health Boards to support across boundaries to deliver for their patient population ensuring timely access treatment.

The Scottish Government held discussions about its plans for walk-in services with the British Medical Association on 12 and 15 October and on 12 November. Walk-in services were discussed with the Royal College of General Practitioners on 15 October and on 12 November.

There have been no discussions with the Royal College of Nursing.

The Scottish Government has powers under the Fiscal Framework to borrow for capital investment, but outright purchase of new fleets would require significant upfront capital and would count against the Scottish Government’s borrowing limits. For context, the cost of the full suburban fleet order is estimated at three to four times SG’s annual borrowing limit.

Scottish public sector support for floating offshore wind projects is provided primarily through the Scottish National Investment Bank and Enterprise Agencies, who must ensure that all projects are subject to robust appraisal, in accordance with the Scottish Public Finance Manual, with decisions taken under their approved schemes of delegated authority and funding decisions made public. Public sector delivery partners consider benefits including employment impacts when evaluating investment decisions. The respective Accountable Officers (AOs) are directly accountable to Parliament for the propriety, regularity and value for money of any support provided.

Provisions in Part 5 (homelessness prevention) of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2025 must commence 3 years from Royal Assent, if not already commenced. Royal Assent was given on 6 November 2025. The cost of implementation of the ask and act duties is therefore not a consideration for the 2026-2027 budget.

The learnings collected from the pilots will provide valuable data on prevention activities undertaken and volume of ‘asks’ and ‘acts’ by relevant bodies, including referrals to local authorities. These will be combined with findings uncovered from stakeholder engagement across relevant bodies and sectors, and with costs provided by local authority housing departments, so as to iterate and ratify the financial memorandum.

The findings of the pilots will also inform the drafting of guidance and regulations to help ensure effective implementation of the duties by named relevant bodies.

The Scottish Government has granted ministerial approval for the introduction of charging for access to Calanais Standing Stones.

This decision follows a community consultation exercise and will ensure a sustainable income for the site management, ongoing conservation work and help support the local economy. The income generated will also be essential to sustaining the adjoining Calanais Visitor Centre which has key investment from the Scottish and UK Government jointly funded Islands Growth Deal as part of the Outer Hebrides Destination Development programme. Importantly the local community will retain free access.

(a) The objectives of the levy

The levy is designed to raise money from business flights to be invested in carbon reduction and active travel projects to reduce the impact of business travel and improve health and wellbeing.

In 2018 the Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform approved a proposal to focus the money raised from the levy to reduce the Scottish Government’s carbon emissions to help compensate for the carbon emitted from business travel, which was the original purpose of the Levy. This has the benefit of reducing the Scottish Government’s carbon emissions in a measurable and reportable way.

(b) Projects are selected based on the potential for carbon reduction either via fully or partially funding projects, funding behaviour change initiatives, training or promoting active travel options.

(c) The carbon levy is administered by the Environmental Management Team within Workplace Division in the Scottish Procurement & Property Directorate.

(d) The rate of the carbon levy has not been reviewed since it was created in 2009. Officials are currently carrying out a review. The operation of the levy was reviewed in 2018.

(e) A review is currently underway. No changes have been made to the rates since the levy was introduced. The review in 2018 resulted in a change to the way the levy was spent. Agreement was given to support using the levy to fund carbon reduction projects on the Core Scottish Government Estate.

3 Projects have been funded since the levy was introduced.

1) Project 1

(a) Climate Change Saltire Fellowships

(b) Greener Scotland

(c) The Scottish Government agreed to set up a carbon emissions off-set/reduction fund as part of the bid to secure the 2014 Commonwealth Games for Glasgow. The fellowship scheme targeted resources to students from Commonwealth countries least able to deal with the impacts of climate change.

(d) N/A

(e) £40,000

(f) Not Measured

(g) N/A

2) Project 2

(a) Scotland Lights up Malawi

(b) 2020 Climate Group, Keep Scotland Beautiful and Glasgow Caledonian University

(c) To bring safe, solar energy to rural communities in Malawi replacing paraffin lights with rechargeable solar lighting.

(d) N/A

(e) £200,000

(f) Not Measured

(g) N/A

3) Project 3

(a) Solar PV

(b) Scottish Government

(c) To provide funding to install solar panels on SAH to demonstrate installing renewables on a listed building in a conservation area and world heritage site.

(d) GHG Protocol

(e) £200,000

(f) 39,128 Kg CO2 saved to date.

(g) N/A