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The Scottish Government does not hold this information centrally.

Whilst Scottish Government regularly review the financial positions of NHS Boards, data regarding spending on translation services is not collected.

Each Health Board is responsible for their own spending decisions and Scottish Government expects that Boards will ensure best use of available resources whilst prioritising patient safety and care.

Cost of translation services can be obtained from Health Boards individually.

The Housing (Scotland) Act 2025 requires local authorities to assess rent conditions in their areas and report their findings and recommendation to Scottish Ministers. The first report is to be provided by 27 May 2027 and on a five yearly basis thereafter. Scottish Ministers may then designate rent control areas where it is deemed necessary and proportionate to protect tenants’ social and economic interests.

The Act provides powers for local authorities and Scottish Ministers to collect rental data from landlords to support their assessments.

Data will play a vital part in rent control being successful and we continue to work with local authorities on developing the detail of the assessment process. Work is also continuing on the potential options for collecting data, including consideration of the use of the landlord register as a vehicle to collate data collected in support of rent control.

I can confirm that the commitment to reduce drop-off in breastfeeding at 6-8 weeks by 10% by 2025 has been achieved and exceeded. The rate of drop off has reduced from 34.5% in 2017-18, when the stretch aim was announced, to 25.3% in 2024-25, a reduction of 9.2 percentage points. This shows a 27% reduction, thereby exceeding the anticipated 10% by some margin.

As we set out in the Breastfeeding and Infant Feeding Strategic Framework published earlier this year, we committed to setting out a new stretch aim before the end of 2025. Following engagement with Health Boards and key stakeholders, I can now confirm that this will be ‘to reduce drop-off in breastfeeding at 6-8 weeks by 10% by 2031’.

Much of the improvement over the last seven years has been driven by a combined approach within and between Health Boards, including further embedding of the Unicef UK Baby Friendly standards. From 2025-26 the Scottish Government is permanently transferring over £0.8 million annual additional investment into the baseline budgets of NHS Boards to provide a sustainable basis for funding for interventions to support breastfeeding. This builds on additional investment of over £11 million since 2018. This funding will continue to be used to support evidence-based interventions and to target those who need it most.

As part of our achievements for the highest rates of breastfeeding ever, at 69% initiation and 61% at First Visit, we now have more than half of all babies being breastfed at 6-8 weeks. The statistics from 11 November mark the first time since these statistics began in Scotland in 2002-03 that more babies are being breastfed than formula fed at that time point. It is also clear from the most recent Infant Feeding Statistics, that action on breastfeeding inequalities is making a difference, with the most marked differences for those who live in the most deprived areas and younger mothers.

We want all babies to have the best start in life, including the best nutritional start. Supporting, protecting and promoting breastfeeding remains one of the most important actions we can take to improve the health of both the mother and baby, in both the short and long term. However, we also recognise that breastfeeding might not be possible for every mother and baby and we will continue to support all parents with their infant feeding choices.

This work has been driven through our health services and partners, and in particular the role of Infant Feeding Leads and their teams across maternity, neonatal and community-based services. We will continue to work collaboratively with local leaders to ensure that all mothers across Scotland can be fully supported to achieve their breastfeeding goals.

The Digital Strategy for Scotland Vision and the Sustainable Digital Public Services Delivery Plan (2025-2025) will both be published today (18 November 2025). Tomorrow, I will be attending the Digital Scotland conference at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre, where I will give the joint keynote with Cllr Katie Hagmann.

• The Digital Strategy for Scotland Vision is available here:
  https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781806433698
• The Sustainable Digital Public Services Delivery Plan is available here:
  https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781806433704

A core team of six RPID officials from the Agricultural Development and Area Office teams were responsible for assessing applications to the Future Farming Investment Scheme. They were supported by a further six members of staff from across the RPID area office network, who provided additional capacity during the assessment and verification process.

Supporting Scotland’s workforce to develop the skills needed for the transition to Net Zero is a key priority for this Government, with colleges playing a pivotal role.

To enable delivery, the Scottish Funding Council allocates an annual credit threshold to each college based on established pattern of provision. Colleges use this funding to offer learning opportunities that reflect regional priorities and align with their own business plans. The SFC have also introduced a Curriculum Transformation Framework to allow colleges to use credits flexibly to support skills priorities in their areas. The Scottish Government doesn’t hold information on credit distributions.

Alongside this, this Government funds a range of initiatives to strengthen the college sector’s capacity to deliver the skills required for a Just Transition. For example, the Energy Skills Partnership, the National Energy Skills Accelerator (NESA), and the Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA) Academy – supported through SFC funding – strengthening connections between colleges and industry, enabling colleges to embed cutting-edge green skills into their curricula and respond quickly to emerging workforce needs.

We are also investing directly in skills development though targeted programmes for a just transition to Net Zero. For example, the Just Transition Fund for the North east and Moray has provided £4.5 million for the Energy Transition Skills Hub in Aberdeen, which will equip North East Scotland workforce for the demands of the energy transition.

As our national and international development agency, Scottish Enterprise continues to engage with companies regarding support and potential inward investment opportunities. Specific details of this engagement cannot be disclosed due to commercial sensitivity.

The Scottish Government is clear that Health Boards are expected to follow best practice, ensure that all staff are adequately trained and report all restraint incidents through robust systems.

While Scottish Government sets the strategic policy direction for the NHS in Scotland, operational matters - including staff training - are in the first instance the responsibility of NHS Boards.

The Scottish Government is also clear that restraint must only ever be used as a last resort, for the shortest time necessary to ensure safety. Protecting human rights is of the utmost importance.

This year, the Scottish Government provided NHS Education for Scotland (NES) with around £31.67 million to continue multidisciplinary education, training and workforce expansion for staff.

NES are committed to supporting the reduction of restraint and seclusion in services by building workforce capability in trauma-informed practice, embedding human-rights-based practice, and promoting evidence informed alternatives.

The Scottish Health Information Integrity Strategy is focused on supporting Scotland’s health and social care system, to help people access the best quality health information and make the best choices for their own health. For evidence-based and accurate information related to alcohol consumption, people should refer to Scotland’s national health information service, NHS Inform.

The Alcohol Framework published in 2018 sets out the Scottish Government’s approach to engaging with the alcohol industry in relation to public health policy.

The Scottish Government does not work with the alcohol industry on the development of health policy but engages on the potential impacts, effects and implementation of alcohol harm prevention policy, where appropriate.

Information relating to the number of buildings which have had remedial works carried out as a result of a Single Building Assessment is published on the Scottish Government’s website as Official Statistics in development on a monthly and quarterly basis.