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Caledonian Sleeper Ltd. has not yet provided a timeframe for replacing the fold-out tables in individual berths. However, Scottish Rail Holdings advise that Caledonian Sleeper is actively working on the replacement programme and will share a timeline in due course.

The Learning Disability Support Fund aims to sustain and support organisations working directly with people with learning disabilities in Scotland to build a more inclusive society, reduce inequality and provide opportunities for fulfilling lives.

Funded work will contribute to at least one of the following objectives:

• A more inclusive society
• Improved health outcomes for people with learning disabilities
• People with learning disabilities have a social network and safe relationships

Further details on the Learning Disability Support Fund can be found via the fund manager, Inspiring Scotland’s, website here Learning Disability Support Fund - Inspiring Scotland.

Three year funding was provided separately to the Scottish Assembly for the Leadership and Engagement Framework project. This was a time-limited project which came to a natural conclusion in 2024-25.

Latin can be taught in both primary and secondary state schools as part of the Scottish Government’s 1+2 approach to language learning. It is also offered as a National Qualification from National 3 to Advanced Higher level.

Education Scotland work closely with partners to develop resources to support the teaching of Latin and other classical subjects in schools.

The Scottish Government continues to engage with the UK Government and the other devolved administrations to discuss animal welfare improvements and remains committed to consulting on phasing out the use of farrowing crates.

Transport Scotland undertakes an annual assessment of the safety performance of the entire trunk road network, including the A90. Further investigations are then carried out and, where appropriate, mitigation measures are prioritised for delivery.

Whilst the Toll of Birness junction was not, itself, identified for further investigation through the 2023 annual assessment, it was agreed, following a request from the Council, to include the A90 Toll of Birness junction within an investigation being undertaken by Transport Scotland’s Operating Company for the North East, Amey.

The report is currently in draft and will be finalised in April/May 2025.

Two interactive road signs were erected in 2017 with a third interactive sign to supplement the northbound signs erected in 2021. These signs alert drivers to vehicles turning at the junction and encourage drivers to drive within the speed limit. Other work involved an additional northbound advance direction sign.

The A90 at its junction with the A952 will be programmed for resurfacing improvements in August 2025 which will see improvements to surface texture, white lining and road studs within the scheme extents.

Transport Scotland through their role as statutory consultee in the planning process continue to engage constructively around developments allocated in Aberdeenshire Council’s 2017 Local Development Plan, and the necessary mitigation measures required to offset any potential traffic impacts on the trunk road network.

The council’s Plan allocated approximately 1,200 houses within Mintlawas well as a number of smaller allocations. The Plan also allocates land for over 1,400 houses plus extensive employment in Peterhead, with a further 1,000 houses allocated in Fraserburgh, again with areas of employment land. All of these planned developments have the potential to impact on the operation of the A90(T) and A952 corridors and significantly affect the performance of the Toll of Birness junction.

At this time, through existing planning consents, Aberdeenshire Council has effectively imposed an infrastructure capacity of 200 houses across the allocated sites within Mintlaw until such a time as the Toll of Birness Junction has been upgraded.

Transport Scotland has been clear and consistent in its engagement with all parties, in that Aberdeenshire Council and/or developers will be required to fund and deliver improvements to the Toll of Birness Junction as a result of development.

You may be also be aware that Nestrans, the statutory Regional Transport Partnership (RTP) for North East Scotland, has engaged Stantec to undertake an appraisal of the A90(N) / A952 Road Corridor. This study includes identifying issues and opportunities within the transport infrastructure system and evaluating potential short to medium term road improvements on the A90 north of Ellon. The findings of this review are currently under consideration.

This information is not held centrally. However all recommendations are published on the website of the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service and are publicly available.

Community pharmacists and pharmacy technicians gained access to the Emergency Care Summary (ECS) on 2 October 2023. The ECS provides information on recent acute and repeat prescriptions and allergies. They also have access to the Key Information Summary (KIS) where available, which provides information about a person’s health issues, a carer’s name and contact details, preferences on how a person would like to be cared for, the treatment they would like and where they would like to be cared for.

In addition, several health boards are providing community pharmacists access to their clinical portal which provides additional clinical information. Clinical portals support Health Boards to allow healthcare professionals to access information about an individual, including in some cases those from other Health Boards when required, with their permission.

Community pharmacists can create, read and edit Pharmacy Care Records (PCRs) to record details of consultations they have undertaken (for example Pharmacy First consultations) as well as details of any items that have been prescribed and/or dispensed in their community pharmacy. The PCR also allows them to create a structured report which can be sent to any other healthcare organisation.

The Chief Pharmaceutical Officer has commissioned work to explore how the required level of access to clinical records by community pharmacists can be delivered.

Farmers and crofters are required to complete at least two of the five Whole Farm Plan audits, including a habitat map for the Biodiversity Audit requirement, by May 2025. All five audits will need to be completed by May 2028.

Takeaway meal containers (lunch boxes) and single use coffee cups in the Garden Level Restaurant are fully compostable, made from a fibrous by product of sugar cane.  Single use coffee cups at the coffee bar are made from paper, paperboard and recyclable materials and are designed for industrial composting.

Compostable items are placed in the food waste bins located throughout the building and are taken by a commercial food waste recycling company to the Anaerobic Digestion Plant at Millerhill just outside Edinburgh.

19 tonnes of food and compostable packaging were taken to the Anaerobic Digestion Plant at Millerhill in 2024/25. This represents 26% of our operational waste stream.

For the period of April 2024-March 2025, 36% of hot beverages sold were served in single use cups. And for the same period, 31% of sales made in the Garden Level Restaurant were in single use lunch boxes.

In partnership with our catering supplier we are implementing many measures to reduce the consumption of single use disposable items such as;

• continuation of the disposable hot drink cup charge to encourage colleagues to use their reuseable cups.
• Removal of disposable cutlery and placing collection caddies at each tea point to return metal cutlery back to the kitchen for cleaning
• Introduction of reusable take away food containers and various campaigns to encourage uptake.
• Actively exploring further options to support reusables and educating users on environmental benefits
• Holding a stock of reuseable hot drink cups for customers on a return basis
  

More information about our Sustainability Plan including waste minimisation is available on our website Sustainability | Scottish Parliament Website.