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GPs are responsible for providing patients with appropriate care whether they have been treated on the NHS or privately. This may include medication, depending on an individual patient’s need. GPs are not obliged to follow the recommendations of a private provider, but should always provide care based on their own judgement if patients are in need.

The Scottish Government funds the National Autism Implementation Team (NAIT), which published guidance on Prescribing ADHD medication to adults following private sector diagnosis in Scotland in April 2022. The guidance was drafted in consultation with practising Psychiatrists, the Royal Colleges of Psychiatry and General Practice and individuals with ADHD.

The guidance highlights that shared care arrangements may be put in place between private and NHS providers. For such arrangements to work properly, everyone involved must communicate effectively. Recommendations from specialists for ongoing prescribing on the NHS need to be made at an NHS consultation with an NHS specialist.

Some NHS Boards may have shared care policies, but it remains at the clinical discretion of each individual GP to decide the best course of action for their patients.

Scotland’s first International Education Strategy (IES), published in February last year, highlighted the positive impact that international students make to our colleges and sets out the actions that the Scottish Government will take with both colleges and universities, to promote Scotland as a study destination and to attract and diversity our international student population.

In 2024-25, we launched the Come to Study: Find Scotland campaign aimed at attracting prospective international students to institutions across the breadth of the country. We will continue to work with partners to enhance our marketing and promotional efforts in the year ahead.

We have worked closely with Colleges Scotland in the development of the Scottish Education Exchange Programme. To date, 8 colleges (11 projects) have benefited from SEEP funding which has enabled the delivery of projects that are helping build international partnerships across the globe.

Furthermore, the Scottish Government has appointed a new Trade Envoy for International Education who will promote Scotland’s colleges and universities to international students and organisations across the world.

The Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) Standards set out what people should expect from substance use services. MAT Standard 3 sets out that people at high risk of drug-related harm should be proactively identified and offered support, while MAT Standard 9 sets out that all people with co-occurring drug use and mental health issues should receive mental health care. Implementation of the MAT Standards is supported by multi-year funding of £10.3 million per year over the life of the Parliament. Implementation of the MAT Standards is assessed by Public Health Scotland (PHS) via annual Benchmarking Reports.

I refer the member to the answer to the question S6W-36412 on 29 April 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

I have undertaken an extensive programme of visits to Scotland’s prisons where I have met with Governors and/or Deputy Governors and other members of prison staff. Details of these visits are shown in the following table.

The Scottish Government recognises the concerns of students, parents of students and staff affected by the proposed cuts to Animal Care provision and appreciates that this is a very worrying time for everyone at the Scotland's Rural College's (SRUC)Elmwood Campus.

Following the debate in Parliament on 26 February on Scottish Enterprise Funding to Arms Companies, a Parliamentary motion was passed calling on Scottish Enterprise to “review its human rights due diligence checks to ensure that they take account of where products’ end use is, and that they fully comply with legal obligations under the Export Control Act 2002 and international law”.

In line with the motion, Scottish Enterprise immediately began work on its review. The Scottish Government continues to stay in close contact with Scottish Enterprise on this work, and I will update Parliament and wider stakeholders once the review has concluded.

I refer the member to the answer provided in S6W-36463 on 29 April 2025 with reference to this question.

NHS Forth Valley is responsible for assessing patient safety risks in its mental health facilities, including those posed by ligature anchor points, and for taking appropriate local action. Local governance arrangements within each Health Board should include clear oversight, regular reporting, and continuous improvement in line with national guidance and patient safety standards.

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

Patient safety is of the utmost importance and everyone in Scotland has the right to expect high quality, safe, and appropriate healthcare. NHS Forth Valley is responsible for assessing patient safety risks in its mental health facilities, including those posed by ligature anchor points, and for taking appropriate local action.

Oversight of the safety and quality of mental health inpatient services, including aspects of the built environment, is supported by intelligence-led, risk-based inspections carried out by Healthcare Improvement Scotland. Where concerns are identified, Healthcare Improvement Scotland will consider whether these should be escalated to the Scottish Government or Ministers.

Relevant issues may also be considered through cross-agency forums involving mental health scrutiny bodies and the Health and Safety Executive, depending on the nature of the concern.

Power of Attorney (PoA) applications in Scotland are registered with the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG), which is a part of the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS). The SCTS is an independent body corporate and was established by the Judiciary and Courts (Scotland) Act 2008. The SCTS is not directly answerable to the Scottish Government, but rather has its own board, chaired by the Lord President.

Once a PoA is registered with the OPG, concerns about its use are generally addressed through investigation or civil court action, such as seeking removal of the attorney or appointment of a guardian. The OPG does not hold data on the number of civil court action cases brought to contest in the last three years, as it is not formally notified of them.