Seòmar agus comataidhean

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-41890 on 1 December 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.

A Wholesale Distribution Authorisation (WDA) is typically required to legally supply a medicinal product to another legal entity, for example for a Health Board to supply a GP Practice. There is no requirement to hold a WDA where medicinal products are being transferred between different locations within the same legal entity, for example from a Health Board managed pharmacy department to a Health Board managed vaccination clinic.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is responsible for the granting of WDAs. The MHRA fees are in the public domain and vary depending on factors such as the number of distribution sites. In addition to the MHRA fees, there are resource implications in meeting the obligations and conditions of a Wholesale Distribution Authorisation, for example appointment of a suitably qualified Responsible Person.

NHS Highland is currently reviewing its distribution arrangements for vaccines. NHS National Services Scotland (National Procurement) and Scottish Government officials are providing assistance.

The Scottish Government and Public Health Scotland continue to support NHS Highland and Highland HSCP to ensure consistent, safe and timely access to vaccination across the area under the new model. The detailed timetable is a matter for NHS Highland and Highland HSCP.

The SMC | Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) appraisal is undertaken independently of Scottish Ministers. Making decisions about whether or not to recommend that people should routinely have access to new medicines is a complex task, and the independent SMC bases its decisions on the best available evidence provided to it.

Where licensed medicines, such as elacestrant and capivasertib, are not routinely available on the NHS in Scotland, doctors can use the PACS Tier Two system to request access on a case-by-case basis. The cost of the medicine is not a decision-making criterion when considering PACS Tier Two applications.

Since May 2021, Ministerial oversight of the National Museums Scotland (NMS) has been led by the Minister for Europe and International Development until January 2022, then the Minister for Culture, Europe and International Development from January 2022 until May 2024. I took over Ministerial oversight of NMS in May 2024.

In that time period, I joined the NMS Board of Trustees pre-meeting session on 8 June 2022. Ministers and I have met when required with the Chief Executive as is normal convention for non-departmental public bodies.

It is important that young people are supported to develop an understanding of the history, heritage and culture of Scotland, and an appreciation of local and national heritage within the world. While the curriculum in Scotland does not mandate specific areas of history to be taught in schools, the experience and outcomes cover a range of key themes which are relevant to the Enlightenment.

For example, the social studies curriculum at second level states that pupils should be able to investigate a Scottish historical theme to discover how past events or the actions of individuals or groups have shaped Scottish society. The social studies curriculum at third level states that pupils should be able to show my understanding of how people and events have contributed to the development of the Scottish nation. Further detail on these and other Experiences and Outcomes is available at:

Curriculum for Excellence: Experiences and outcomes.

Within the social studies curriculum framework, it is then for teachers and schools to determine detailed courses of learning. The number of pupils in Scotland who sat Advanced Higher History was 1,305 in 2025. The Scottish Government does not hold data on the extent to which schools cover the Scottish enlightenment within the Broad General Education.

In the senior phase history qualifications, there is a further option to focus on Scotland: from the Treaty of Union to the Enlightenment, 1707–1815 as a field of study in Advanced Higher. Pupils also have an opportunity to undertake an assignment as part of qualifications in the senior phase and have the option to focus on an area of history which is of interest to them. The SQA’s Advanced Higher History course specification provides further detail on the Scottish enlightenment field of study, confirming that it covers cultural achievements of the Enlightenment, including: education and attitudes towards improvement; history, philosophy, social commentary; contacts with England and Europe; architecture, painting, literature; poetry and the languages of Scotland.

The Scottish Government has full confidence in NatureScot’s Chief Executive Officer and its Chair on the work being carried out by NatureScot in relation to gull management.

The Scottish Government and Scottish Ministers regularly meet with NatureScot on a range of issues, including gull management.

The SMC | Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) appraisal is undertaken independently of Scottish Ministers and is based on the clinical and cost-effectiveness of newly licensed medicines at a population level, ensuring value for both the NHS in Scotland and taxpayers.

Following a submission for (a) elacestrant (Korserdu®), as a treatment for postmenopausal women, and men, with locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer, the SMC published ‘not recommended’ advice in November 2025, and (b) capivasertib (Truqap®), as a treatment for adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic breast secondary breast cancer, the SMC published ‘not recommended’ advice in October 2025.

In both cases, the submitting pharmaceutical companies did not present a sufficiently robust economic analysis to gain acceptance. The SMC would welcome a resubmission from both companies at any time.

NatureScot is implementing the work set-out in the statement the I made on 1 October 2025, as well as the issues that arose during the gull summit.

NatureScot is taking the following actions to find practical solutions to gull issues:

• NatureScot leading four further regional roundtable events across Scotland to continue to develop a partnership approach with those not able to attend the gull summit in Inverness; A new People and Gulls Forum will be established at a national level to ensure the longevity of summit efforts.
• Delivery of £100k funding to local authorities who face the more acute issues in order to develop their area wide gull management approach ahead of Spring next year;
• Leading a partnership, including with Zero Waste Scotland and Keep Scotland Beautiful, in developing a national awareness campaign to encourage people not to feed gulls and carry out proper waste management so that the food supply for gulls in towns and cities is minimised;
• Accelerating our understanding of gull populations nationally, with increased focus on improving survey techniques for gulls nesting in urban areas so that we can more fully understand the numbers and population dynamics involved;
• Lead best practice guidance to include waste management in urban areas to limit food availability to gulls and undertake survey techniques that assess local urban populations, movements, and high impact areas.

Since May 2021, Ministerial oversight of the National Galleries of Scotland (NGS) has been led by the Minister for Europe and International Development until January 2022, then the Minister for Culture, Europe and International Development from January 2022 until May 2024. I took over Ministerial oversight of NGS in May 2024.

In that time period, I have not attended any board meetings of NGS. However, Minister and I have met when required with the Chief Executive as is normal convention for non-departmental public bodies.