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The Scottish Government undertook a range of consultation to develop the proposals in the Bill. Engagement with landowners and wider stakeholders is set out in the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill - Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment and the results of our public consultation is set out in our 5. Regulating the market in large-scale land transfers: a new Public Interest Test, and a requirement to notify an intention to sell - Land reform in a Net Zero nation: consultation analysis - gov.scot

As part of further development during Stage 1, consultation was undertaken with a range of stakeholders including the following bodies:

• UK Infrastructure Bank (now National Wealth Fund)
• Scottish National Investment Bank
• Scottish Futures Trust

This engagement highlighted the importance of clarity for both landowners and lenders on the timescales and decision process for the transfer test provisions in the Bill. Amendments have now been agreed by the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee at Stage 2 which will introduce timescales for Ministerial transfer test decisions and place a duty on Ministers to publish guidance on the process.

I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

The SPS Policy for the Management of Transgender People in Custody makes it clear that if a transgender woman presents a risk of harm against women and girls, that they will be accommodated in a male establishment.

Any suspected breaches of discipline such as inappropriate behaviours, will be managed in accordance with Schedule 1 of the Prison and Young Offenders Rules (Scotland) 2011. Breaches of discipline include, but are not limited to:

4 – uses threatening words or behaviour

5 – commits any indecent or obscene act

13 – disobeys or fails to comply with any rule, direction or regulation applying to a prisoner

31 – attempts to commit, incites another prisoner to commit, or assists another prisoner to commit or attempt to commit, any of the foregoing breaches.

Restrictions may then be applied to individuals such as removal from association or activities in order to provide a safe and secure environment for everyone living in prisons.

The following table provides a breakdown of homes delivered through the demand-led Rural and Islands Housing Fund, by financial year, between 1 April 2016 and end March 2025.

The number of full-time equivalent civil servants is broken down by policy area and condition as follows:

As outlined in the Policy Memorandum accessible for the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill, landowners will be entitled to apply to the Scottish Ministers for compensation for any loss or expense that is incurred in complying with procedural requirements, attributable to a potential transfer being prevented, or attributable to a lotting decision (including the requirement that lots be transferred to different purchasers). The amount of compensation will be determined by Scottish Ministers, or by the Lands Tribunal on an appeal against the Ministerial determination.

The Scottish Government is committed to the safe assessment of and remediation of buildings identified as at risk through the cladding remediation programme. However, it is important to clarify that fire safety remains the legal responsibility of the owner.

The Cladding Remediation Programme is being delivered through a distributed model, supporting owners to arrange Single Building Assessments (SBAs) to determine the scope and nature of risk for individual buildings.

Where remediation is required following an SBA, building owners are supported to develop appropriate design and remediation plans. However, the pace of delivery is influenced by a range of factors, including the specific outcome of each SBA, the complexity of the remediation that may be required, ownership and tenure arrangements, the involvement of original developers, and the need to obtain statutory consents such as planning permission and building warrants.

In the meantime, all buildings should have fire safety measures in place, such as up-to-date fire risk assessments and interim mitigation measures where needed. Building owners and managers are expected to take all necessary steps to ensure the safety of residents in accordance with their legal duties.

For these reasons, it is not currently possible to publish a national timeline for the completion of all necessary remedial works. The Scottish Government continues to work closely with delivery partners to progress buildings through each stage of the programme, and we publish regular updates on our website. Homeowners and residents are kept informed throughout this process, and every effort is being made to expedite the safe remediation of affected properties.

As outlined in the Policy Memorandum accessible for the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill, landowners will be entitled to apply to the Scottish Ministers for compensation for any loss or expense that is incurred in complying with procedural requirements, attributable to a potential transfer being prevented, or attributable to a lotting decision (including the requirement that lots be transferred to different purchasers). The amount of compensation will be determined by Scottish Ministers, or by the Lands Tribunal on an appeal against the Ministerial determination.

The Scottish Government is in discussions with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and NHS Lothian to confirm appropriate timescales for commencing emergency department opt-out testing for blood-borne viruses, however it is important that preparatory work is undertaken to ensure that the roll-out is robust and well-supported. This initial preparatory work has begun and we anticipate the commencement of testing within the current parliamentary session.

The Scottish Government has committed to rolling out Emergency Department opt-out testing for blood borne viruses in the areas of highest diagnosed prevalence and elsewhere as the evidence develops and supports this. As this is a roll out rather than a pilot, we have not set a fixed end-date but, as with all measures, we will continue to monitor and evaluate the programme to ensure that it is effective.

The Scottish Government is in discussions with NHS Boards to confirm the funding required to implement Emergency Department opt-out testing for blood-borne viruses. This includes necessary start-up costs, funding for tests and laboratory staff, other resources and support for patients.