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I am pleased to announce that today we have published Rail Recharged: Scotland’s Fleet Transition Strategy which is available at: https://www.transport.gov.scot/publication/rail-recharged-scotland-s-fleet-transition-strategy-delivering-a-modern-fleet-for-a-connected-scotland/

This Strategy has been developed following the commitment made within the Rail Services Decarbonisation Action Plan to review the progress that has been made towards decarbonising Scotland’s railway.

Our Strategy builds on the Scottish Government’s record of modernising Scotland’s railway and is closely aligned with the action we are taking to replace ScotRail trains that are reaching the end of their useable life. This will ensure we continue to provide reliable and resilient passenger services, which is essential for attracting more people away from their cars and onto their publicly owned rail services.

At the core of our Strategy is our commitment to keep passenger services moving, investing strategically in light of ongoing budgetary pressures and supporting Scotland’s railway on its journey to net zero emissions by 2045.

The Scottish Government recognises the impacts the landslip risks at the Rest and Be Thankful have on the local community and businesses and is committed to developing a response as quickly as we are able.

The situation is being treated with the seriousness and urgency it deserves, with measures to maintain connectivity on a short, medium and long term basis being implemented. Delivery of a permanent and resilient solution to the landslide risks at the Rest and Be Thankful is a priority for the Scottish Government and we continue to seek ways to achieve that as quickly as possible.

It is a sign of that ongoing commitment that Transport Scotland published draft Orders for both the long-term solution and future phases of the medium-term solution for improving the diversionary route along the Old Military Road on 13 December 2024. Transport Scotland is considering all representations received, including objections, to the published draft Orders and is working at pace to resolve these if possible. If it is not possible to resolve objections a Public Local Inquiry may be required to consider objections received and not withdrawn.

The Scottish Government is duty bound to follow the correct statutory procedures which rightly include the opportunity for local communities to input and have any objections received resolved appropriately. As with all infrastructure projects, construction of the long-term solution can only commence if it is approved under the relevant statutory authorisation process and thereafter a timetable for delivery can be determined.

The Key Performance Indicators are set out in Schedule 11 of the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services Grant Agreement between The Scottish Ministers and CalMac Ferries Ltd. This information is available on the Transport Scotland website by following this link: Grant Agreement - Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services (CHFS3) | Transport Scotland

The first review meeting between Transport Scotland is scheduled, but yet to take place. Following the meeting, information relating to performance will be published.

Through our delivery plan, which supports implementation of our Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy, we have looked to ensure that the actions set out reflect and respond appropriately to those Audit Scotland recommendations.

We are currently developing a Monitoring Framework and Evaluation Framework, and both are scheduled for publication in early 2026. Both frameworks will identify key gaps in current data sources and set out evaluation questions which will support understanding of progress against the outcomes of the Strategy. The work is being led by the Scottish Government and Public Health Scotland (PHS) and was developed in collaboration with a range of stakeholders, including the Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy Leadership Board. Both frameworks will be used to plan monitoring and evaluation activities over the lifespan of the Strategy.

We have made significant improvements to the collection of routine data on the demand for and access to mental health services. PHS have developed an interactive dashboard for the Mental Health Quality Indicators, which will continue to be developed into a “one-stop-shop” for data on mental health services.

NHS Scotland expenditure on mental health is published annually in arrears in the Scottish Health Service Costs book by Public Health Scotland. The Cost Book is publicly accessible and offers a consistent framework for financial data across all NHS Boards. The most recent data published in February 2025 covers 2023-2024.

The Cost Book data shows NHS Scotland expenditure by services where the primary purpose of the service is the care and/or treatment of individuals with mental health conditions. This details expenditure on adult psychiatry, older adult psychiatry, CAMHS and recently added information on clinical psychology as previously recommended by Audit Scotland. This data is used to track progress towards Boards allocating 10% of their budgets to mental health, including 1% on CAMHS.

The Scottish Government continuously monitors NHS Boards’ financial positions through routine finance reporting. This resource provides a standardised approach to collecting detailed financial information, including outturn, spend by specialty, and achievement of efficiency targets. We expect spending on Mental Health between the Scottish Government and NHS Boards, to be around £1.5 billion in 2025-26.

Scottish Government recognises the key role of the third sector in the provision of mental health support, including in enabling early intervention and prevention. We remain committed to delivering against our commitment to increase the stability and sustainability of the third sector by developing a Fairer Funding approach, including offering multi-year funding where possible. For example, the 2025-27 Fairer Funding pilot includes £15 million per annum to grassroots projects through the Communities Mental Health & Wellbeing Fund administered by Third Sector Interfaces.

Our Service Renewal Framework, published in June 2025 sets out wider proposals to develop updated performance metrics and clearly defined outcome measures for all parts of our system, including mental health.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring Scotland’s system is one where children are first and foremost treated as children, with their rights and wellbeing at the heart of all decisions with, for, and about them. There are many reasons why children and their families might be in need of additional support, across a range of systems and contexts. The core of our Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC) approach is that children and young people get the right help at the right time, from the right people.

We expect children and young people who need inpatient mental health care to be looked after in age-appropriate specialist facilities. On occasions where young people are placed within an adult ward this will be monitored and reviewed regularly to ensure that the young person is receiving the most appropriate treatment and care.

Data on mental health service provision is collated by Public Health Scotland. Currently, the percentage of under 18 psychiatric admissions admitted outwith NHS specialist Child and Adolescent Mental Health (CAMH) wards (year ending June 2025) is published as part of the Mental Health Quality Indicators profile, although this is just a snapshot of the most recent data. Time series data and breakdowns by NHS Board and HSCP are planned for future iterations.

The Scottish Government’s Mental Health Inpatient Census records all patients in a mental health bed in NHS Scotland on one day in March or April. The census has run every year since 2014 (except 2015, 2020 and 2021). It provides a snapshot, not a yearly total. In 2014 there were 12 under 18s in adult wards (out of 50 under 18s in any mental health beds), 7 in 2016 (out of 55), 2 in 2017 (out of 36), 6 in 2018 (out of 57), 6 in 2019 (out of 52), 1 in 2022 (out of 46), 3 in 2023 (out of 46) and 4 in 2024 (out of 40). No under 18s were treated in forensic mental health wards in NHS Scotland at the time of the census in any year.

The Mental Welfare Commission (MWC) produces annual reports on admissions of young people under the age of 18 to non-specialist wards in Scotland. In the Children and young people monitoring report 2023-24, the number of children and young people under the age of 18 admitted to non-specialist hospital wards, including adult wards, for treatment of their mental health difficulties in Scotland was 67 admissions involving 59 children and young people, lower than the figures seen in 2022-23 (79 admissions, 66 children and young people).

Regarding criminal justice, the Scottish Government does not hold data specifically on young people placed in adult services, however does have data on the number of young people (under 21) by prison establishment from 2009/10 to 2023/24 which is provided in Table 1. This data is taken from the Scottish Prison Population Statistics.

In respect of under 18s in the criminal justice system, we take a strong focus on early and effective intervention, diversion and appropriate supports to address offending behaviour by children, through a whole system approach. This includes, where possible, keeping children out of the criminal justice system. In August 2024 we brought in provisions through the Children (Care and Justice) (Scotland) Act which saw an end to the detention of under 18s in Young Offenders Institutions. Anyone under the age of 18 requiring a period of detention will now be placed in smaller, child friendly settings such as secure accommodation.

Turning to homelessness, the most recent homelessness statistics show that 25 per cent of homeless households contain children. However, there is no distinction between adult homelessness services and children’s homelessness services. When fulfilling duties to homeless households, local authorities must have regard to the best interests of the applicant’s dependent children, and must ensure that accommodation provided for such a person is suitable for occupation by such children.

Table 1: Young people under 21 by prison establishment

As was made clear to Jamie Halcro Johnston and Douglas Ross in the Chamber on 5 November 2025, the claims that an AI based system was used to assess applications are not correct. Applications were assessed through a standardised framework that cross checked application data against the Single Application Form (SAF) and other system held data to ensure consistency, transparency, and audit defensibility.

Assessment work was led by the Agricultural Development Team, supported by staff from across the RPID area office network, which is experienced in delivering Scottish Government grant schemes. Independent validation was undertaken by a Project Board, which also included RPID Area Office representatives, as well as being reviewed by Internal Audit representatives.

The following tables presents the total number of personal injury collisions on the trunk roads in Highland Council Region between 1 January 2021 and 5 October 2025 (latest date for which data is available for serious and slight collisions and 12 November 2025 for fatal collisions), broken down by month and severity.

Personal Injury Accident Statistics: By route as noted in tables

Discussions are ongoing at official level between Scottish Government and UK Government officials in relation to the proposed section 104 Order to enable the conversion of a marriage into a civil partnership.

If regulations were made by the Scottish Ministers without a section 104 Order covering matters reserved to Westminster, this could result in conversions not being recognised in the rest of the UK and could negatively impact the pensions of some couples who convert their relationship. Therefore our original policy proposal remains to also proceed with a section 104 Order.

The latest meeting my officials had with the Scotland Office was productive, however it was noted that there would be no progress made on this Order until after the Scottish general election in 2026.