Seòmar agus comataidhean

The Bill will place legal responsibilities on owners of large landholdings to set out how they use their land and how that contributes to key public policy priorities, like addressing climate change and protecting and restoring nature.

Also, in addition to my answer to S6W-32938 on 17 January 2025 about the new land management tenancy, tenant farmers and small landholders will have more equality of opportunity to deliver net zero improvements to the land they farm and cultivate. This will enable them to become more sustainable and productive in their farming and be rewarded for their investment of time and resources.

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 Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that effective support is in place for all children and families experiencing problems with drugs and alcohol. Our framework to improve holistic whole family support sets out principles of how we will improve support for families affected by drugs and alcohol by taking a whole family approach and using family inclusive practice. The framework is supported by investment totalling £6.5 million per year over the life of the Parliament.

We are investing nearly £4 million to expand the successful Grow your Own Routes model for young people aged 12-26. This model supports young people with substance use in their families, by helping them meet their own goals and break inter-generational cycles of addiction.

To further ensure children and young people are protected from the harms associated with drug and alcohol use, in 2024-2025 the Scottish Government provided £475,000 of funding to the Corra Foundation to deliver the Way Forward for Families Partnership Fund (WFFPF). WFFPF is match funded by the Corra Foundation and delivers funding directly to Third Sector organisations to support families affected by drug and alcohol use. These organisations deliver vital work across Scotland, ensuring the right support is available.

The National Child Protection Guidance details the responsibilities and expectations for all involved in protecting children and young people. The guidance supports the care and protection of children by including detailed information on how concerns are identified and should be responded to. Children and families affected by drug and alcohol use is listed as a specific support need and concern in the guidance and there is information for practitioners on how to support families.

The Scottish Government will continue to work with partners to ensure that robust child protection measures are in place across Scotland, and continue to be followed at all times.

The Scottish Government does not hold this information. We are working with PHS to collate RCDS data with a view to publishing in the future.

In 2025-26 we are providing £37 million resource to support the expansion of free school meals to pupils in Primary 6 and 7 in receipt of the Scottish Child Payment. Agreement to the budget from parties across this Chamber will ensure this work continues.

The Scottish Government has prioritised this work to maximise the benefit to those in low-income households.

We are continuing work with local authorities to understand what a pilot proposal for provision in secondary schools might look like.

ScotRail Trains Limited is a train operating company that is publicly owned by Scottish Rail Holdings (a Non-Departmental Public Body) on behalf of the Scottish Government. ScotRail is not an Agency of the Scottish Government.

The guidance quoted by the Member relates to questions about Scottish Government Agencies. The relevant guidance has been correctly followed when preparing an answer to question S6W-32555.

SEPA has been preparing for implementation of the new regulatory framework for several years, investing in new systems, people, processes and support mechanisms to ensure a smooth transition in November 2025.

Implementing the Environmental Authorisations (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2025 and bringing the integrated authorisation framework into effect is identified as a key priority in its 2024-27 Corporate Plan.

A dedicated project implementation team has been working since 2023 to support the work that needs to be done before the draft Regulations come into force. This team comprised of technical, IT and legal expertise apply robust project management principles towards developing risk mitigations and contingencies that might arise.

Colleagues in the Centre for Sustainable Delivery continue to engage with Health Boards across NHS Scotland and regional cancer networks, such as the North Cancer Alliance, to extend Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Services. We are committed to achieving population based coverage by 2026.

A clinical refresh of the Scottish Referral Guidelines for Suspected Cancer is currently underway to help ensure the right person is on the right pathway at the right time. The guidelines are due to be published in Spring 2025. A new guideline will now be included for those patients presenting with symptoms that do not follow the specific tumour referral pathways, ensuring that patients across NHS Scotland who present with non-specific symptoms of cancer will have a clear Urgent Suspicion of Cancer referral route. This non-specific symptom guideline is closely aligned to the referral route for those who are referred to a Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Service (RCDS).

This is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise. I have asked their Chief Executive, Adrian Gillespie, to contact you directly with a response.

This is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise. I have asked their Chief Executive, Adrian Gillespie, to contact you directly with a response.

The Scottish Government does not currently plan to increase the availability of bicycles for use by staff. We do not have any plans to increase the availability of other sustainable transport options. 

Our staff already have access to cycle mileage expenses for official business journeys, a cycle to work scheme for commuting journeys, a season ticket scheme covering public transport operators, and discounted personal car hire and car club journeys through our staff benefits package.