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The requested information on what the total financial cost has been of staff absences related to stress, anxiety and depression in NHS Scotland since 1 January 2020 is not held centrally.

I refer the member to the answer to questions S6W-34295 and S6W-34294. on 10 February 2025

The implementation of the Collaborative and Compassionate Cancer Care The Cancer Strategy for Children and Young People in Scotland 2021–2026 is managed by the Managed Clinical Network for Children and Young People with Cancer (MCN CYPC). They are responsible for its implementation and the evaluation of the current ambitions and actions.

Scottish Government is working with the MCN CYPC to consider future approaches that best support improved outcomes for children and young people with cancer.

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.

The Collaborative and Compassionate Cancer Care: The Cancer Strategy for Children and Young People in Scotland 2021–2026, is a dedicated cancer strategy for children and young people, in Scotland.

The strategy sets out our ambitions and actions to provide the best possible treatment and care, as early as possible, to children and young people with cancer. There are several actions that specifically relate to an early, precise diagnosis of cancer. The Managed Clinical Network for Children and Young People with Cancer (MCN CYPC) are responsible for the implementation and evaluation of the Children and Young People’s cancer strategy.

We published the Scottish Referral Guidelines for Suspected Cancer on 6 August this year, with updates on supporting a diagnosis of cancer in children and young people specifically. This includes considerations for non-specific symptoms of cancer for under-18s, like those considered for Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Services.

The Scottish Government does not hold data for diagnostic waiting times and routes to diagnosis for children and young people presenting with potential cancer symptoms.

The Equipment Theft (Prevention) Act 2023 began as a private members bill which received Government and cross-party support in England and Wales.

The legislation seeks to prevent and deter criminals from targeting items of plant and machinery, the theft of which can have a major financial and personal impact on owners and rural communities.

While the legislation only applies to England and Wales, the Scottish Government will continue to monitor its implementation and impact, working closely with Police Scotland, industry partners and rural stakeholders to assess any implications for Scotland’s approach to tackling rural crime. The Scottish Partnership Against Rural Crime (SPARC) will also consider any learning from the Act that could help inform prevention and enforcement activity here.

The Scottish Government’s role is to set the strategic policy direction for the NHS in Scotland. Operational matters relating to the recruitment and retention of allied health professionals are the responsibility of each NHS board as the employer and will depend on individual service needs taking account of national, regional and local priorities as well as the demand for each AHP speciality which will vary by board. It is the expectation that all NHS boards plan and provide safe, effective and high-quality care, in line with their statutory service provision and workforce planning responsibilities considering current turnover, retention, absence rates and budgets.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-41401 on 5 November 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.

We held a public consultation to formally hear views on the introduction of a potential cruise ship levy and point of entry levy, and to consider further the impacts on business, local government, and others. The analysis of the responses will be published shortly and the Scottish Government will consider next steps in due course.

Neonatal Care pay and leave is currently a matter that is reserved to the UK Parliament and statutory guidance, including that on parental eligibility, is provided by the relevant UK department.

Local authorities are entirely separate entities from the Scottish Government. Their powers are set out in statute and, it is up to each local authority to manage its own day to day business. As such, the Scottish Government does not hold information on the provision of guidance on parental eligibility for Neonatal pay and leave.

The member may wish to contact local authorities directly for further information.

Prioritising the mental wellbeing of health and care professionals, including nurses, midwives and other frontline NHS staff, is vital to help them to navigate complex challenges and continue to provide person-centred, high-quality support. The Scottish Government are supporting staff throughout the NHS through funding of over £2.5m annually to support staff wellbeing.

This funding provides our workforce with access to psychological interventions and therapies, self-service resources through the National Wellbeing Hub and the National Wellbeing Helpline delivered by NHS 24. Registered staff also have access to confidential mental health services through the Workforce Specialist Service (WSS).

Further, the national ‘Supporting Work Life Balance’ workforce policies provide staff with a range of flexible working options to help them to balance their lifestyle, to improve their mental wellbeing, whilst maintaining and promoting the best possible service to our patients and service users.

The Scottish Government actively works with stakeholders to support and enhance workforce wellbeing. In September, National Wellbeing Week, delivered by our National Wellbeing Champions Network with Scottish Government support, provided healthcare staff with valuable tools, practical insights and positive mental health benefits.

The Scottish Government regularly engages with waste sector representative bodies, including those representing commercial operators/Energy from Waste (EfW) facilities such as the Scottish Environmental Services Association (SESA), through channels such as the Waste and Resources Sector Forum.

This includes recent engagement with both public (local authority) and commercial sector representatives in relation to policies including the ban on landfilling biodegradable municipal waste (BMW), the proposed expansion of the UK Emissions Trading Scheme to include incineration and waste treatment capacity, among others.