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The Scottish Government strongly welcomes efforts to boost the production and use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). SAF is one of the most promising ways of reducing aviation emissions and is therefore important in supporting the Scottish Government’s commitment to achieve net zero by 2045.

Ministers and Scottish Government officials regularly engage with third sector organisations to support our commitment to person-centred, effective, and safe care for people living with long-term conditions. We remain committed to ongoing dialogue with these organisations and greatly value their insight and expertise. Their contributions play a vital role in shaping policy and improving services across Scotland.

Details of the last meeting held between myself or the relevant portfolio Minister and these organisations are set out in the following table:

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that Scotland’s colleges continue to be at the heart of local and regional level work to support economic development.

We recognise the value of the Flexible Workforce Development Fund to both employers and learners. Through its Outcomes Framework and Assurance Model, the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) engages with colleges to maximise their engagement with employers and to respond to industry and sector needs. Modern Apprenticeships are one form of provision that colleges provide to meet those needs.

The introduction of the SFC’s College Transformation Framework in Academic Year 2025-26 aims to increase flexibility in the system. The Framework offers options around bespoke funding arrangements between colleges and the SFC to enable colleges to plan their curriculum more effectively to reflect the needs of industry.

The Scottish Government recognises the contribution colleges make to widening access, and the important role they provide in delivering higher education.

We are working with the Scottish Funding Council (SFC), colleges, and universities to improve articulation agreements, particularly for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. This includes expanding opportunities for direct entry into degree programmes with advanced standing.

We are promoting stronger partnerships between colleges and universities to ensure smoother transitions for learners, including joint curriculum planning and shared support services.

Articulation from college to university is a key route into degree level study for many learners from disadvantaged backgrounds. With so many more young people from deprived areas successfully securing places directly to university, this inevitably reduces articulation figures and also allows those young people to enter the job market sooner. School-leaver destinations stats published in June 2025 showing the proportion of leavers in positive follow-up destinations 9 months after leaving school, show that 24.6% of school leavers from the most deprived areas in Scotland are in Higher Education, an increase from 24.0% the previous year.

However, the data shows there is still a need for articulation, with over a third (33.5%) of new entrants at university from deprived areas in 2022-23 progressing from Higher Education courses at college.

We continue to invest in guidance and support services to help students from deprived backgrounds navigate their options and make informed decisions about progressing to university.

As part of the Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) enhanced service, GP practices are required to identify people on their practice lists at risk of developing CVD, and carry out appropriate checks with those people, with a particular focus on people who live in areas of deprivation, and who have not received the checks in the last three years. The checks include: blood pressure, lipid profile, type two diabetes risk assessment, waist circumference, Body Mass Index and smoking status.

Each person accessing the service is then given the results of their checks and offered a follow up appointment. If their test results are within the normal range, they are offered lifestyle advice to support onward health. If their test results are out with the normal range, they are offered treatment as appropriate, and a follow up appointment in 6 months, where the checks are repeated.

The matter raised falls within the remit of Skills Development Scotland (SDS), the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) and the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB).

The Scottish Government does not hold this information centrally.

As set out in answer S6W-41307 on 13 October 2025, improving access to primary care is a key priority for this Government. We recognise the vital role that GPs, community nurses, pharmacists, dentists and other members of the primary care team play as the foundation of healthcare in our communities.

We are committed to strengthening the whole primary care system, building on our ongoing commitment through the Service Renewal Framework to shift more care into community settings and make services more accessible for patients.

As part of this, we will develop options for new and innovative ways to improve access to primary care, including local walk-in models which will provide more flexibility for patients. It is our intention to develop proposals for a model would see these services open Monday-Sunday. We will develop these proposals first as a pilot model which will complement current core general practice and provide a range of same-day assessment and small-scale diagnostics. To do this we will work in collaboration with NHS Boards and primary care delivery partners to ensure they strengthen, rather than duplicate, existing primary care services.

The Scottish Government will set out further details as these plans develop.

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 information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government. More detailed information on cleft lip and palate surgery waiting times will be held locally by NHS boards.

As set out in answer S6W-41307 on 13 October 2025, improving access to primary care is a key priority for this Government. We recognise the vital role that GPs, community nurses, pharmacists, dentists and other members of the primary care team play as the foundation of healthcare in our communities.

We are committed to strengthening the whole primary care system, building on our ongoing commitment through the Service Renewal Framework to shift more care into community settings and make services more accessible for patients.

As part of this, we will develop options for new and innovative ways to improve access to primary care, including local walk-in models which will provide more flexibility for patients. It is our intention to develop proposals for a model would see these services open Monday-Sunday. We will develop these proposals first as a pilot model which will complement current core general practice and provide a range of same-day assessment and small-scale diagnostics. To do this we will work in collaboration with NHS Boards and primary care delivery partners to ensure they strengthen, rather than duplicate, existing primary care services.

The Scottish Government will set out further details as these plans develop.

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.

Although the Scottish Government has not made any specific assessment of the impact of public exposure to fire related fine particulate matter, we are implementing a wide range of actions to further improve air quality which are set out in our Cleaner Air for Scotland 2 strategy.