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The Scottish Government’s Fair Work Action Plan includes a commitment to working with employers, workers and trade unions to strengthen effective voice, through a range of appropriate channels. Worker representation on company boards could be a potential channel for effective voice, noting that the forms of worker representation will vary across sectors and organisations.

While employment and industrial relations legislation continue to be reserved, the Scottish Government cannot mandate employers to provide effective voice channels for workers however recipients of public sector grants awarded on or after 1 July 2023 are now subject to Fair Work First conditionality. This requires them to pay at least the real Living Wage to their workers and provide appropriate channels for effective workers’ voice.

We know that the earlier cancer is diagnosed the easier it is to treat, and that early diagnosis is particularly crucial for people with pancreatic cancer due to known poor outcomes for this devastating disease. This is why we continue to invest in our Detect Cancer Earlier (DCE) Programme. Detect Cancer Earlier’s ‘Be The Early Bird’ campaign aiming to reduce fear of cancer and empower those with possible symptoms to act early. This re-ran in September 2025 to prompt health-seeking behaviour.

We published clinically refreshed Scottish Referral Guidelines (SRGs) for Suspected Cancer, including pancreatic, on 6 August 2025. These support primary care clinicians to identify those with symptoms suspicious of cancer and identify those who require urgent assessment by a specialist. This will ensure that people are on the right pathway at the right time. Furthermore, I joined the First Minister at a roundtable held with key stakeholders , including Sir Chris Hoy and Lady Sarra Hoy, in August to discuss what more needs to be done in Scotland, specifically to ensure those groups of men most at risk can access the diagnosis and support they need.

We have also launched six Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Services (RCDSs) across Scotland. These are ruling cancer in or out faster for those with non-specific symptoms, supporting our Earlier Cancer Diagnosis Vision. Hepatopancreatobiliary (HPB) cancers, including pancreatic cancer, are among the most common cancers found through the RCDSs. Independent evaluation in 2024 found that HPB cancers made up 17% of the cancers found.

Further to this, we have committed in the Cancer Action Plan 2023-2026 to invest in improving the pathways of less survivable cancers, particularly hepatocellular carcinoma and pancreatic cancer, aiming to shorten the time to staging and agreeing treatment options.

To that end, the Scottish Government commissioned the Scottish Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Network (SHPBN) to develop standardised pathways that improve outcomes for people with HPB cancers, working with NHS Boards, third sector organisations and patients where most appropriate.

I will continue to keep Parliament updated as this work progresses.

The Scottish Government does not hold this information centrally. Local authorities are responsible for paying foster carers’ allowances. Prior to the introduction of the Scottish Recommended Allowance in August 2023, the Scottish Government had no role in setting allowance rates.

The Scottish Government’s National Innovation Strategy sets out an ambitious programme of actions which aim to use innovation as a key driver of productivity and economic growth.

Since 2007 productivity has grown at an average rate of 0.9% per year compared to the UK average of 0.3%. We continue to work with partners to build upon this and maximise opportunities for sustainable productivity growth.

The Scottish Government has allocated almost £228 million to Scottish Enterprise to support its activity in 2025-26. Scottish Enterprise is delivering on the actions set out by the Innovation Strategy’s Productivity Programme through its two missions aligned to innovation and productivity. These missions aim to:

1. Scale innovation strengths into high-growth industries, strengthen competitive sectors, support scaling companies, create high-value jobs and enhance global competitiveness.
2. Drive capital investment to boost productivity, by increasing business investment, raising productivity, and supporting higher-value employment opportunities that contribute to inclusive economic growth.

The Scottish Government is also working with the Productivity Institute and the University of Glasgow on an Innovation-Driven Productivity Study, which will deliver a productivity framework tailored to Scotland’s high-value sectors, supported by regional and sectoral case studies to inform future policy and practice.

The National Innovation Strategy sets a clear ten-year vision (2023–2033) for Scotland’s innovation and productivity ambitions. It provides a long-term direction for government and partners — a compass setting the course for our innovation journey. While the priorities established in 2023 remain fixed, the delivery of these priorities is designed to be adaptive, allowing programmes and actions to respond effectively to evolving economic conditions, technologies, and business needs, while maintaining alignment with the Strategy’s overarching objectives.

The Scottish Government is committed to establishing Scotland as a leading start-up nation that fosters innovation, creates jobs, and accelerates economic growth.

Scotland’s National Innovation Strategy noted the importance of investing in innovation and since its publication in 2023, the Scottish Government has delivered the following as part of its investment in innovation:

• Invested almost £3 million in a Proof of Concept Fund to support university researchers to develop their innovative ideas and technologies and bridge the gap between groundbreaking research and commercial applications.
• Continued to invest in the Techscaler programme which now in its third year has supported member companies to collectively raise over £195 million to date - demonstrating Scotland’s growing reputation as a leading tech hub.
• Since 2023, the Ecosystem Fund has invested £2.4 million across 70 projects that strengthen the infrastructure supporting innovators and entrepreneurs to commercialise their ideas and access the resources, knowledge and capital needed to bring innovations to market.

The Scottish Government has also provided £5 million to support accelerated growth of Scotland’s innovation clusters and launched our AI Scotland programme, including a pilot scheme for SMEs that positions Scotland as a creator and supplier of AI technologies.

In line with their scaling innovation mission Scottish Enterprise(SE) has also supported industries where Scotland has global strengths to convert and scale innovation into growth. During 2024 – 2025 SE invested £43m into approximately 100 innovative, high-growth potential, early-stage companies leveraging £111m of external investment. Additionally, SE has supported 66 companies to raise
£132 million in growth funding, supported 46 innovative spinout projects, including the creation of three new spinouts, and backed ten female academic founders through market explorer programmes.

Scotland’s spring and winter vaccination programmes for flu and COVID-19 are implemented as part of the Scottish Vaccination and Immunisation Programme (SVIP) - a collaborative effort involving the Scottish Government, Public Health Scotland, and Health Boards.

In recognition of Scotland’s changing demographics and the ageing population, territorial Health Boards assess and plan their workforce needs to effectively implement their respective programs each season.

For each programme, SVIP conducts precise assessments of the eligible population - based on criteria established by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation - recognising that these numbers may vary annually, and planning is accordingly adjusted to ensure effective implementation.

Progress towards eliminating hepatitis C (HCV) in Scotland is monitored by Public Health Scotland (PHS). PHS’s latest HCV surveillance report, published in January 2025, described progress as “hugely encouraging”. For example, there was evidence to indicate the vast majority (89%) of individuals diagnosed with chronic HCV having cleared their infection.

However, the latest report only includes data up to 2023/24, so it is too early to say conclusively whether every indictor for HCV elimination has been reached. An update on Scotland’s progress towards achieving HCV elimination targets will be available in the next iteration of the PHS HCV surveillance report, which is due to be published in November 2025. In the meantime, identifying undiagnosed infections remains a top priority, and we continue to focus on testing and treating more people as we push towards the elimination of hepatitis C in Scotland.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) are currently coordinating a review of the UK’s progress towards HCV elimination in order to submit a dossier to the World Health Organization. Formal accreditation of HCV elimination from the World Health Organization is considered on a UK-wide basis and the Scottish Government continues to work collaboratively with partners to consider next steps, baring in mind potential differences in progress across the four nations.

It is also vital that we continue to monitor, test and treat for HCV beyond the elimination goal to ensure that we retain the elimination status and prevent cases recurring in Scotland.

Health Boards will ensure that all eligible adults are given the opportunity to receive their COVID-19 and flu vaccinations by Sunday 7 December 2025. This is to ensure that as many eligible individuals as possible are vaccinated at least 2 weeks prior to the beginning of the festive travel period (weekend of 20 & 21 December) and in advance of the peak of the flu season.

We recognise that not everyone will be able to be vaccinated by that point, and the COVID-19 vaccination programme will run until 31 January 2026 and the flu vaccination programme will run until 29 March 2026.

Between winter 2023-24 and winter 2024-25 uptake across all adult groups for both flu and COVID-19 decreased, with flu uptake dropping back in line with pre-pandemic levels.

Each year, the Scottish Vaccination and Immunisation Programme (SVIP) reviews the performance of the previous winter programme to improve delivery and implement new initiatives with the aim of improving uptake. In addition, SVIP holds regular winter task and finish groups throughout the winter programme, led by PHS and attended by immunisation teams from the 14 territorial Health Boards, as well as the national Boards and Scottish Government policy teams. This helps the programme to respond in real time to any unexpected drops in uptake, including sharing best practice.

There are a wide range of steps being taken to encourage uptake through how people are invited for vaccination. People eligible due to age and/or health condition will receive a direct communication by letter, email or text with details about their appointment or information on how to book one. In winter 2023-24, all those with a digital preference who self-booked via the online booking portal or national vaccination helpline received a digital reminder 24 to 48 hours before their appointment. This winter, we have expanded those reminders to 100% of those with a booking who have a digital preference, which now includes all those who have been automatically scheduled by the national programme. For those who are sent an appointment via SMS or email, a new process launched in spring 2025, whereby if an email address is undeliverable, or the mobile number is no longer in use, a letter is sent to inform the individual and encourage them to log in or ring the helpline to update their details and book an appointment.

Public Health Scotland (PHS) has developed a new communications campaign (For some, flu hits harder) focused on raising awareness and encouraging uptake of the flu vaccine. Communications and marketing activity is running nationally across radio, social media, out of home, paid display and pay per click advertising from 15 September to 7 December. This activity is highly targeted at lower uptake groups including those aged 18-64 years of age with an eligible health condition, pregnant women and health and social care workers, as well as in areas with lower SIMD and with ethnic minority communities.

New resources including posters and social media toolkits have been shared with over 1,300 key stakeholders. The social media toolkit includes resources for both the flu and COVID-19 vaccines and includes a range of videos, statics, case studies, website, newsletter and intranet copy.

Updated information is available on NHS Inform and significant activity is being undertaken by PHS to reach particular people. PHS currently share health information resources such as leaflets, posters and social media toolkits with a wide range of partners who represent Scotland’s diverse population. As standard, core resources are produced in five primary languages (English, Arabic, Chinese Traditional (Cantonese), Chinese Simplified (Mandarin) and Polish) and four other formats: Audio, British Sign Language, Easy Read and Large Print, with additional formats and languages available on request.

PHS have also been working closely with a range of third sector partners to help design and disseminate programme materials for particular stakeholder groups. This includes members of the Alliance, the British Islamic Medical Association, Age Scotland and Asthma and Lung UK.

All those aged 75 years and over are eligible for both flu and COVID-19 vaccination, and will be offered both vaccines at the same appointment. Invitations for these cohorts will have been sent out by the start of November.

Additionally, in October, the Scottish Vaccination & Immunisation Programme runs a flu and COVID-19 mid-programme data refresh. This is designed to pick up those who may have become newly eligible due to developing a new clinical condition, or for those who have moved into Scotland, since the initial data was run in the late summer. These new invites are sent throughout November.