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The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government and is a matter for individual NHS Boards.

The following table shows the number of journeys, broken down by local authority, made through the Young Persons’ Free Bus Travel Scheme since its launch in January 2022 up to 28 February 2025. Journeys are based on the local authority in which the card was issued, therefore some journeys will have been undertaken outwith the local authority area.

NatureScot expect to present a final version of the species licensing review for external review in April 2025. The review will then be submitted to Scottish Ministers for consideration and the findings published thereafter. We do not yet have a set date for the findings to be published.

We take a comprehensive approach to reviewing support provided to people receiving cancer treatment, which includes those who are parents. We published our Cancer Strategy for Scotland 2023-2033 and initial three year Cancer Action Plan for Scotland 2023 – 2026 along with a Monitoring and Evaluation Framework in 2023. Our aim is that every person with cancer will have access to the support they need, clinical and non-clinical, reflecting what matters to them.

We are also committed to reviewing patients’ experiences through the Scottish Cancer Experience Survey, Care Opinion and the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measures Programme.

There is no provision in the Registration of Births, Deaths and Marriages (Scotland) Act 1965 allowing for the private funding of assistant registrars to carry out marriage ceremonies.

Under Section 7 of the 1965 Act, every local registration authority (which is also the local authority) shall appoint an appropriately qualified district registrar of births, deaths and marriages for their registration district. A local authority may also appoint additional district, senior and assistant registrars of births, deaths and marriages, for its registration district as it considers necessary. The local authority must consult the Registrar General under the 1965 Act when appointing additional district and senior registrars.

Section 17 of the Marriage (Scotland) Act 1977 permits the Registrar General for Scotland to appoint as many district registrars as is thought necessary for the purpose of affording reasonable facilities for the solemnisation of civil marriages throughout Scotland. The Registrar General may also appoint assistant registrars to districts where a district registrar has been appointed under Section 17. Under the 1977 Act, only district registrars and assistant registrars employed by the local registration authority may conduct civil marriages in Scotland.

I have asked Alison Byrne OBE, Registrar General for Scotland and Chief Executive of National Records of Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:

Statutory forms relating to marriage are prescribed by the Registrar General for Scotland with the approval of the Scottish Ministers. The Marriage Notice form (M10) was last amended in 2023. There are currently no plans to review and amend the Marriage Notice form.

National Records of Scotland (NRS) remains committed to improving and modernising its services, evidenced by the increasing number of birth and death registrations now carried out remotely following implementation of the Coronavirus (Recovery and Reform) (Scotland) Act 2022. Further digital improvements will be considered by NRS in the future.

The current NIFS contract is due to expire on 30 June 2028. Preparatory work to deliver the next generation of these services remains at an early stage. The detailed service requirements will be informed by a combination of stakeholder views alongside consideration of operational feasibility. There are no current plans to introduce shared cabins as part of the NIFS services.

The Scottish Government oppose the UK Government’s reforms which drastically reduce levels of financial support to disabled people. It is disappointing that the UK Government did not engage with the Scottish Government before announcing these measures.

We need to take the time to scrutinise the detail of the UK Government’s Green Paper and understand the impacts of the reforms on both devolved disability benefits in Scotland and on the people who rely on this support.

In 2025-26 we will invest around £3.6 billion in Adult Disability Payment - £314 million more than we are forecasted to receive from the UK Government.

The Scottish Government’s positive and compassionate approach ensures access to Adult Disability Payment is as straightforward as possible so more disabled people get the support they are entitled to.

Use of public transport and active travel both support reductions in car use. The impact of free bus travel on sustainable travel behaviours is complex, and is affected by demographics, geography and trip purpose. Evidence from the existing National Bus Travel Concession Scheme for Older and Disabled Persons indicates that people who benefit from free public transport tend to be more active as a result. These journeys can be used to access outdoor activities and most will involve an active component, for instance to get to or from the bus stop.

The Year One Evaluation of the Young Persons Scheme was conducted between April and August 2023 and found early signs of changes in mode choice, with young people opting to use the bus rather than car, train and potentially some active modes. We will continue to monitor the impacts of the scheme, including any continued impact to use of other modes and active travel.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that all pre-school children and their families can access the support of a Health Visitor.

Today we have published a Health Visiting Action Plan for Scotland. Through committing to deliver the action plan in its entirety, we can realise the full value of our health visiting services across Scotland and improve the health, wellbeing and development of our youngest generation.

The action plan can be found at https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781836912019.