Seòmar agus comataidhean

The Scottish Government does not currently have any plans in place to remember former patients of historic asylums who were buried in unmarked graves. Details of any burial carried out in a burial ground by a burial authority are recorded in the statutory burial register so that the deceased are not forgotten.

National Records of Scotland (NRS) collects, preserves and produces information about Scotland's people and history, and makes it available to inform current and future generations. The majority of NRS records are free to access for all. Most records are original and can only be viewed in the NRS Historical Search Room.

No specific financial assistance is available to volunteers and researchers who wish to access the records of patients who died while being treated at former psychiatric hospitals.

There is no centralised public record that provides the exact number of people buried in unmarked graves in Scotland. National Records Scotland (NRS) collects data on all deaths in Scotland, but it does not publish statistics specifically on unmarked graves.

The independent evaluation highlighted the enabling role of the Just Transition Fund (JTF) in supporting a just transition in the region and found that 230 jobs had been created and safeguarded in the first two years. Additionally, the JTF supported the provision of more than 750 training places and leveraged over £34 million in additional investment. The JTF supports a range of activity in the North East and Moray, alongside the creation and safeguarding of jobs. This includes enabling innovative technologies, improving environmental outcomes, investing in communities, and empowering communities with our participatory budgeting approach.

From 2022 to date, £50 million of the Just Transition Fund has been allocated as capital grants. In addition, £25 million was allocated in financial transactions to the Scottish National Investment Bank to be invested on a commercial basis in line with the Bank’s Investment Strategy and its mission, including support for a just transition. A further £1.5 million in financial transitions was allocated to Social Investment Scotland to deliver the Social Enterprise Just Transition Fund.

Clear and accessible information is included as a key priority within the National Transitions to Adulthood Strategy. One of the actions linked to this priority is a commitment to take forward a wider review of the information in Scottish Government’s Supporting disabled children, young people and their families: guidance resource, which was published in 2019. This review will explore in partnership with young disabled people, parents and carers and other relevant stakeholders what national information would be helpful in respect of transitions, and to explore how best any information should be made available to ensure that it is accessible to all.

The Scottish Government are also continuing to provide funding in 2025-26 to support the Health and Social Care Alliance (The Alliance) to maintain ALISS (A Local Information System for Scotland) – a national digital programme enabling people and professionals to find and share information on health and wellbeing resources, services, groups, and support in their local communities and online. The Scottish Government are also providing funding in 2025-26 to the Association for Real Change (ARC) Scotland to design and develop and promote the Principles into Practice website as the national transitions Knowledge Hub; hosting e-learning resources, Principles into Practice, the Principles of Good Transitions, Compass data, research and innovative practice relating to transitions.

In addition to this, Scottish Government officials are working with organisations such as Education Scotland, Young Scot and Coalition of Carers in Scotland (COCiS) to ensure that information provided is consistent so that parents and carers have the right information when they need it.

The Scottish Government commissioned a Scottish Expert Advisory Group (SEAG) to inform implementation considerations for a targeted Lung Cancer screening programme. The purpose of the SEAG was to support the work of the UK NSC Lung Task Group, and to consider outputs from the Task Group and their application in Scotland.

The Group has provided the Scottish Government with an evaluation of costs and considerations, and have estimated set up costs at approximately £36 million for a national programme. This cost accounts for the resources and equipment required. The estimated annual cost of the screening programme is between £29 million and £39 million, dependant on a number of factors including screening uptake, once the programme is fully implemented. This estimate includes the cost of staffing required across various components of the screening pathway.

The pilot announced in our Population Health Framework will support further refinement of these costs, as well as ensuring a dedicated focus on inequalities.

The Scottish Government has committed to a lung screening pilot in response to the outcomes from the Scottish Expert Advisory Group; this is expected to support the phased roll out of a national lung screening programme. A targeted lung screening programme will improve early detection, reduce health inequalities and support better outcomes for those at highest risk. The LungScot study generated valuable evidence and insights into identifying individuals at high risk of lung cancer, and its findings will help to guide the development of a national lung screening programme. A dedicated focus on some of the most deprived areas will be vital to inform the way a national programme is targeted and managed so that lung screening truly does tackle the unfair and unequal outcomes associated with lung cancer.

The Scottish Government has provided funding to Screening Oversight and Assurance Scotland (SOAS) to plan and oversee the pilot, and to begin preparations for a national roll out. A pilot will enable us to test a national delivery model, gain deeper insights into effective implementation strategies and explore alternative approaches to boost uptake and participation. It will also enable screening to begin earlier in areas experiencing the highest levels of socio-economic deprivation, as evidence shows these individuals are at higher risk of lung cancer and have higher mortality rates. We will continue collaborating with colleagues across the NHS and partner agencies to ensure the effective rollout of lung screening, while exploring ways to minimise the impact on services further along the treatment pathway. The details of the pilot are still under development and will be shared in due course.

The Scottish Government recognises the value of peer support and continues to be guided by the consensus views of the HIV Transmission Elimination Delivery Implementation group, alongside input from our third sector partners, as we consider opportunities to strengthen peer support provision in Scotland.

A mid-plan report is expected to be published by Public Health Scotland in late August, which will outline progress made against the goals set out in our HIV Transmission Elimination Delivery https://www.gov.scot/publications/ending-hiv-transmission-scotland-2030-hiv-transmission-elimination-delivery-plan-2023-26/, as well as proposing next steps and prioritisation of further actions as we move into the next phase of our HIV transmission elimination efforts.

The Scottish Government has not provided any funding to the International Commission of European Citizens over the past 10 years.