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The Scottish Government has directed NHS Boards to move forward with detailed implementation planning led at a regional level, with a designated lead Chief Executive Officer to deliver this programme from planning to full implementation.

Accommodation is a key part of the model of neonatal care described in Best Start and we expect all Boards to provide emergency overnight accommodation on the unit for parents who need it, with other accommodation for neonatal parents nearby.

Initial plans were submitted to the Scottish Government in September 2024 for consideration. Feedback has been provided to the Regional Chief Executives and NHS Boards will continue to refine and develop plans as implementation proceeds.

The following table provides the details of how much has been paid to litigants from all concluded civil cases relating to prosecutions arising from the administration of Rangers FC, broken down by financial year.

Please note that the total sum to date which has been paid out in respect of all settlements and legal expenses for the Pursuers is £52.2m.

The action concerning Imran Ahmad v the Lord Advocate, settlement of £528,615 was paid out in 2024-25 however the matter of expenses to be awarded to Mr Ahmad is still pending. Accordingly, as this action is not deemed to be concluded, this payment has not been included in the table below. The final sum due to be paid is to Mr Ahmad in respect of expenses incurred as a result of the civil action. This matter is still currently being considered by Lord Harrower.

The final outstanding matter concerns expenses due to the Lord Advocate for the cost of defending the action raised by Mr Grier against the Lord Advocate. This matter is due to go to taxation to be considered by the Auditor in January 2025.

Provisions to introduce a licensing scheme for certain wildlife traps and provisions relating to glue traps have not yet been implemented. We will be commencing these provisions over the coming months, with stakeholders given sufficient time to make any necessary changes.

Provisions relating to the licensing of muirburn and the Muirburn Code are expected to be brought in ahead of the next muirburn season in autumn 2025.

The Marriage (Scotland) Act 1977 requires that for a marriage to take place, a completed Marriage Schedule must be available and both parties to the marriage must be present along with the registrar or celebrant and two witnesses aged 16 or over.

For couples cohabiting prior to 4 May 2006 it remains possible to seek a declarator from a court that they are married by cohabitation with habit and repute.

Some consideration was given to the possibility of remote marriage ceremonies in the progress of the Coronavirus (No 2) (Scotland) Bill in Parliament but no changes were made. There would be a risk of abuse, such as forced marriage, if the requirement for the parties the celebrant and the witnesses to be physically present were removed.

The Scottish Government has no plans to review or change the current arrangements.

Registration services fees are set by the Registrar General for Scotland with the approval of the Scottish Ministers. The fee for a civil marriage ceremony conducted by a registrar is £55. This fixed fee applies in all parts of Scotland and has been in place since 2010.

Local authorities may charge additional fees to cover extra costs for accommodating additional guests and the use of marriage rooms or the attendance of an authorised registrar at places other than their registration offices. These fees are set by each local authority.

Through the Peatland ACTION partnership we are funding the restoration of our peatlands. We are also working hard with our Peatland ACTION delivery partners to tackle the many barriers to upscaling peatland restoration in this relatively young sector.

The ability to undertake ear wax removal depends on an individual’s role, scope of practice and competence and this is dependent on workforce and requirements of services within their respective Health Boards and HSCPs. Whilst the Scottish Government set the strategic policy for the NHS in Scotland, it is the responsibility of Health Boards is to ensure that they plan and deliver services which best meet the needs of their local population.

Two peer review processes are overseen by the social research profession in Scottish Government.

Organisations working for Scottish Government and officials may be involved in an Ethics Peer Review. The Scottish Government Ethics Guidance for Social Research (https://www.gov.scot/publications/ethics-guidance-scottish-government-social-research/) sets out the criteria, expectations and process ensuring ethically highly sensitive projects receive this additional scrutiny.

The Scottish Government Social Research Contractor Handbook (https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-government-social-research-publication-protocol/) suggests peer reviews to assess the quality of completed reports. These are internal or external by independent researchers. Internal social research guidance advises external peer review may be useful at the start of complex projects.

In addition to making it possible for same sex couples to marry, the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Act 2014 made some changes to marriage procedures. These changes included putting belief celebrants on an equal footing with religious celebrants and making provision so that civil marriage ceremonies can take place anywhere, other than in religious premises, agreed by the couple and the registrar.

We have no plans to review the procedures for getting married but we plan to consult in the next few months on whether the minimum age of marriage and civil partnership should be raised to 18 from 16.

The member is welcome to raise any specific concerns regarding the legal process of getting married with me in writing.

The Scottish Government has not held any specific discussions with NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde and its respective HSCPs on home ear wax removal. The Scottish Government has regular engagement with all HSCPs areas on GP contract implementation progress.