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As with all previous years, level 1 funding for each portfolio will be adjusted following the Autumn and Spring Budget Revision to reflect changes in funding and expenditure plans such as in-year transfers between portfolios.

The transfers identified in Table 4.12 of the 2025-26 Scottish Budget would reduce Education and Skills portfolio budget by £689.6 million, reduce the Justice and Home Affairs budget by £1.0 million, reduce the Health and Social Care portfolio budget by £593.0 million, reduce the Social Justice portfolio budget by £179.7 million and increase the Finance and Local Government portfolio budget by £1,463.3 million compared with the published 2025-26 budget position.

Any new funding commitments or changes to existing funding will also be adjusted at Autumn or Spring Budget Revision, following approval through the formal financial governance process which requires agreed recommendations from the joint Scottish Government and COSLA Officers’ Settlement and Distribution Group and political agreement from Scottish Ministers and COSLA political Leaders.

Table A.07 in the 2025-26 Scottish Budget shows an adjusted 2024-25 resource position removing the impact at portfolio level of the recurring transfers actioned at ABR, to allow a like-for-like comparison against the 2025-26 initial allocations. The table shows the year-on-year movement at portfolio level in cash and real terms on a comparable basis.

I meet with Trade Union representatives on a regular basis to discuss all matters pertaining to Scotland’s Railway, including investment plans.

“Ghost fishing” results from abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear and has a negative impact on our environment. Some loss is unavoidable because of weather, snagging or gear failure, and fishers make every effort to retrieve this gear where possible. Marine litter resulting from fishing gear is a shared global problem and we will continue our work in Scotland set out in our Marine Litter Strategy, and internationally through the Oslo Paris Convention (OSPAR) and the Global Ghost Gear Initiative to help tackle it.

The international and European relations budget principally comprises the International Development Fund, the budget lines for the international network offices, an advice and policy budget which includes operational costs for the Directorate for Culture and External Affairs, and funding in support of the Brand Scotland Partnership.

In terms of our international development work, we believe Scotland should play its part in tackling global challenges like climate change, pandemics, poverty, injustice and inequality, all of which remind us of our global interconnectedness and the need for the Global South and North to work together. Supporting international development and humanitarian action is one of the most important ways Scotland can be a good global citizen and our financial investment in our international development partner countries, and for humanitarian crises is a key part of this.

Other international activity, including the work of the international network offices, is directed according to priorities established in Scotland’s International Strategy. We will report on delivery of the actions identified in that strategy in an annual report for 2024-25 onwards, which we intend to publish by the end of 2025.

Evaluating Scotland’s nation brand is a multi-faceted process. Marketing and communications activity, policies, legislation, experiences of those who come to Scotland and marketing activity beyond Brand Scotland all play a critical role in enhancing Scotland’s reputation.

Since 2008, the Nations Brand Index (NBI) has been used to measure Scotland’s reputation internationally. In addition, we measure the effectiveness of communications and marketing campaigns against SMART communications objectives, to be delivered among our core target audience in priority markets (Germany, France, USA) against a specific timescale. This includes a bespoke brand tracker in key markets and a range of additional KPIs, partner conversions, social media metrics and website analytics tracked on a monthly and annual basis.

The National Flood Resilience Strategy will not replace the Flood Risk Management Planning Process which is the primary delivery vehicle for flood risk management actions in Scotland.

SEPA are responsible for identifying Potentially Vulnerable Areas and producing Flood Risk Management Plans in collaboration with other Responsible Authorities.

Local Flood Risk Management Plans set out how specific actions will be delivered and local authorities work in partnership with SEPA, Scottish Water and other responsible authorities to develop these. During severe flooding, local authorities will work with the emergency services and co-ordinate shelter for people evacuated from their homes.

The Scottish Flood Forum is funded by Scottish Government and aims to reduce the impact of flooding by providing immediate support to flooded communities and establishing a network of community resilience groups in flood risk areas to equip communities to cope with the impacts and threat of flooding.

I refer the member to the answer to the question S6W-32583 on 14 January 2025. 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

Consultation for railway electrification projects with affected communities is undertaken by Network Rail as the infrastructure owner and operator, and by ScotRail as the provider of services.

The Scottish Government welcomes IBD UK’s latest report, Crohn’s and Colitis Care in Scotland: A Vision for Change and is grateful for their work in this area.

We are committed to ensuring that all people living in Scotland with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) including Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis are able to access the best possible care and support, and benefit from healthcare services that are safe, effective and put people at the centre of their care.

Scottish Government workforce planning guidance requires NHS Boards to take a demand-led approach by determining future staffing requirements in line with healthcare needs within their locality.

We expect Boards to follow best practice and adhere to current guidelines and standards when providing psychological and nutritional support for people with IBD.

Driving testing is a fully reserved matter to the UK Government but it is clear the consequences of years of delays and backlogs have been acutely experienced in Scotland. The previous UK Government undertook a consultation in early 2023 proposing changes, which have taken until December 2024 to implement.

On 18 December 2024, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) announced a 7-point plan to reduce driving test waiting times, which includes recruiting 450 driving examiners in Great Britain. As this is a reserved matter, the Scottish Government has had no input into the development of this plan. The DVSA did agree to meet with Transport Scotland officials in November 2024 but then cancelled these meetings.

Transport Scotland officials are currently seeking a meeting with DVSA to discuss the plan and to understand what implications there may be for Scotland.

The Scottish Government has long recognised the importance of developing strong ties with Norway to fully realise our shared ambitions in devolved areas such as culture, education, energy and climate. The First Minister and the Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs, and Culture both met with the Norwegian Ambassador to the UK when he last visited Scotland for the Nordic Music Days festival. Additionally, the Minister for Climate Action recently visited Stavanger, where he led engagement with the Scottish and Norwegian port sectors. Scottish Government officials, both here in Scotland and overseas in our Nordic office, will continue to engage regularly with Norwegian partners.