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The Permanent Secretary to the Scottish Government has responsibility for the operational running of the organisation, including the workforce related hybrid working policy.

A full Equality Impact Assessment (EQIA) was undertaken during the internal review of the hybrid working policy (June 2024–March 2025) to inform policy development for core Scottish Government staff in roles compatible with hybrid working. The EQIA was published on the Scottish Government’s intranet on 28 July 2025 and is maintained as a live document. Engagement with Staff Equality Networks helped ensure the needs and experiences of colleagues were reflected.

I would encourage the member to direct any further questions on this matter to the Permanent Secretary.

Reducing endometriosis diagnosis times continues to be a priority for the Scottish Government.

This year we have invested £13 million in additional funding to Health Boards to target long waits for gynaecology.

We are beginning to see the impact of that investment, with waits coming down. Gynaecology waits of more than a year were down 44.6% for new outpatients and down 21.8% for inpatient and day-case procedures between July 2025 and January 2026.

We have also funded free endometriosis training resources for healthcare professionals.

Phase Two of our Women’s Health Plan, launched this January, sets out the action we will take to respond to the concerns of women across Scotland. This includes a commitment to transform gynaecology services, ensuring the timely provision of high-quality gynaecological care. Phase Two also includes a set of actions which contribute to our overarching aim to reduce diagnosis times for all menstrual health conditions, including endometriosis.

The Permanent Secretary to the Scottish Government has responsibility for the operational running of the organisation, including the workforce related location and resourcing policies.

All internal Civil Service vacancies within the Scottish Government are advertised through the internal jobs portal and are open to all eligible staff on a lateral move or promotion basis. While posts may indicate a preferred location, there are no restrictions preventing employees from applying for any internal role, regardless of their current place of work.

Work to clarify a location policy for Scottish Government core staff will consider a range of relevant factors and benefit from consultation with trade unions and engagement with staff and diversity networks across the organisation. Until the location policy has been reviewed, interim arrangements are in place for people who live distant from their contractual work location.

In relation to redeployment, the Scottish Government applies a consistent, centrally managed approach to matching staff to suitable alternative roles. This includes assessing vacancies against employees’ skills, experience and circumstances, ensuring location does not disadvantage those affected by organisational change.

In relation to career development our learning offer is delivered primarily through our digital learning platform and Microsoft Teams, enabling colleagues in rural and island communities to participate fully in training and career development without the need for travel.

I would encourage the member to direct any further questions on this matter to the Permanent Secretary.

The Scottish Government keeps funding approaches for alcohol and drug services under regular review to ensure they are informed by evidence and local need. Work for the forthcoming Alcohol and Drugs Strategic Plan has included consideration of the challenges faced by remote, rural and island areas, drawing on engagement with local Alcohol and Drug Partnerships and service providers. We will continue to use this learning to support fair and effective distribution of resources across Scotland.

ADP funding is one of several means for investing and delivering services in remote, rural and island communities. National funding for third sector organisations and wider investment linked to the new Alcohol and Drugs Strategic Plan will continue to be available to support the activities being undertaken by local areas.

The Scottish Government provides Alcohol and Drug Partnership (ADP) funding on an annual basis in line with standard public finance arrangements. Any underspends are managed in accordance with the Scottish Public Finance Manual and local year-end financial processes, which provide an established mechanism for the treatment of funding across financial years.

Under these arrangements there are mechanisms for ADPs to carry forward underspends under specific circumstances where funding has been earmarked or legally committed for activity planned in future financial years.

Decisions on carry-forward rests with Integration Authorities, subject to the agreed governance and financial controls in place locally.

The Government continues to engage regularly with ADPs, Integration Authorities and finance leads to ensure that funding arrangements remain clear and support flexible delivery of Alcohol and Drug Services.

The Scottish Government is committed to sustaining the objectives of the Alcohol and Drugs Strategic Plan (the Plan) and associated funding commitments beyond 2026. The Plan sets out our long-term strategic direction for alcohol and drugs policy through to 2035.

The Plan is a key component of our broader health and social care reform frameworks including the Service Renewal Framework (SRF) and Population Health Framework (PHF), both of which also run until 2035.

Funding for Alcohol and Drug Partnerships is already provided on a multiyear basis to ensure long term delivery. Budget requirements to deliver on the commitments contained in the Plan have been considered in the Scottish Spending Review covering the period 2026-2029.

To ensure delivery and continuity across parliamentary sessions, governance and oversight – as set out in the Plan – will be aligned with the SRF and PHF.

We are disappointed to see the results of the Endometriosis UK survey and are clear action is needed to address endometriosis diagnosis times. That is why we have invested £13 million in additional funding to Health Boards this year to target long waits for gynaecology.

Reducing diagnosis times for endometriosis continues to be one of the key aims of the Women’s Health Plan. Phase Two of our Women’s Health Plan, launched this January, sets out the action we will take to respond to the concerns of women across Scotland. This includes a commitment to transform gynaecology services, ensuring the timely provision of high-quality gynaecological care. Phase Two also includes a set of actions which contribute to our overarching aim to reduce diagnosis times for all menstrual health conditions, including endometriosis.

In Scotland, onshore wind farms in excess of 50 MW, like the Sanquhar II Wind Farm, require consent from Scottish Ministers. Deemed planning permissions accompanying such consents contain conditions which require pollution prevention plans to be approved by planning authorities and to be adhered to by the developer.

SEPA has received notifications of potential pollution affecting the Scaur Water and is undertaking an active investigation. They continue to monitor the development closely to ensure that all appropriate pollution mitigation measures in place are robust.

The report on the Scottish Law Officers’ roles and functions was published today and is available on the Scottish Government's website: https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781806439737

We are grateful to Malcolm McMillan for the diligent and comprehensive research and engagement undertaken to produce this report. The report provides robust factual information, context and analysis on the Law Officers’ numerous roles and functions, including the history, development and safeguards in place which protect their independence.

The report clearly sets out how and why the current system works and its considerable strengths. Careful consideration would be required if there were to be any changes made to the ways in which the Law Officers’ various functions were allocated. As protected by the Scotland Act, the Law Officers operate with integrity and entirely independently of any other person as they undertake their prosecutorial functions. Separating the functions would require legislation by the UK Parliament.

The Scottish Government has published the analysis of our consultation on a potential Cruise Ship Levy.

The analysis report is now published here https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781806433315

It will be for the next Government to consider the range of evidence received, including views from local authorities, industry stakeholders, and the public.