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All applications for planning permission are decided on their own merits and, by law, must be determined in accordance with the development plan, unless material considerations indicate otherwise. The development plan consists of both National Planning Framework 4 and the local development plan for the area. It would not be appropriate for the Scottish Government to make comment about decisions made by a planning authority.

Through the Planning (Scotland) Act 2019, the Scottish Parliament legislated to allow planning authorities to designate short term let control areas (‘control areas’). Under these provisions, City of Edinburgh Council has designated the entirety of its administrative area as a control area. Within control areas, certain changes of use from a dwellinghouse to short-term letting are automatically deemed to be material changes of use requiring planning permission. It is for the planning authority to consider on a case-by-case basis whether changes of use that occurred before the designation of a control area constitute material changes of use requiring planning permission.

The planning system and the licensing system have different and distinct regulatory purposes. The purpose of planning is to manage the development and use of land in the long term public interest, whereas the purpose of short-term let licensing is to ensure the safety of guests and safeguard Scotland's reputation as a high quality tourist destination. Scottish Government guidance encourages anyone who is considering using a house or flat as a short term let to check with the relevant planning authority whether planning permission is required.

In 2023, the Scottish Government consulted to inform the development of proposals for a Scottish tax to replace the UK Aggregates Levy. The consultation included questions on alignment with the UK Aggregate Levy and the tax rate.

Separately, in 2025, Scottish Government commissioned research on the role of alternatives to primary aggregates in reducing construction sector emissions examined how the tax rate could incentivise the use of such alternatives.

The Scottish Aggregates Tax will initially mirror key aspects of the UK Aggregates Levy, with flexibility to evolve in line with Scottish Government policy objectives.

The Scottish Government regularly meet with the Coalition of Care and Support Providers in Scotland (CCPS) and the Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland (The ALLIANCE) at both official and ministerial level. Both organisations are key stakeholders who have been heavily involved in the work on the National Care Service, social care workforce and our reform and renewal programme through their membership of the Key Stakeholder Steering Group (KSSG) as well as through other regular policy engagement.

The First Minister met with the CCPS and others at a round table event on 20 May 2025 and with the ALLIANCE, the CCPS and others at an event on 16 June 2025.

The Scottish Government regularly meet with the Coalition of Care and Support Providers in Scotland (CCPS) and the Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland (The ALLIANCE) at both official and ministerial level. Both organisations are key stakeholders who have been heavily involved in the work on the National Care Service, social care workforce and our reform and renewal programme through their membership of the Key Stakeholder Steering Group (KSSG) as well as through other regular policy engagement.

The most recent ministerial meeting with the CCPS was with the Minister for Public Finance, Mr Ivan McKee, who met with Rachel Cackett, CCPS CEO, on 25 August 2025.

I chaired the most recent meeting of the KSSG on 8 July 2025, which was attended by Sara Redmond, Chief Officer at the ALLIANCE.

The spend achieved on the Sustainable and Active Travel budget for 2024-25 was £147,700,000. This equates to 85% of the value allocated for investment at the start of the 2024-25 financial year.

The Scottish Government is transparent on all investments that are made to delivery Partners. On an annual basis this information is publish via the Transport Scotland section 70 returns, these are available for all to view on the Transport Scotland Website. For the years mentioned in question S6W-36360 (2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24), the funding distributed from the Sustainable and Active Travel budget to delivery partners has been placed with SPICE under bib number 66035.

The Scottish Government can confirm there is no transport service, including taxi provision, available to support individuals who use drugs, in travelling to and from the Glasgow Safer Drug Consumption Facility (The Thistle).

Under the North East Operating Company contract, there are no Payment Adjustment Factors applicable to delays to completion of work for unforeseen events outwith the control of the contractor, such as un-charted services and environmental/ecological issues. As such no contractual penalties have been applied for the completion of the repair and refurbishment work at the A96 Union Bridge in Keith.

The Scottish Government currently provides funding to Upside, the national voluntary throughcare service. Upside launched on 1 April 2025, replacing the previous Public Social Partnerships ‘New Routes’ and ‘Shine’, which had been in place for 12 years and 10 years respectively prior to Upside launching. Upside supports men and women leaving a period of remand or a short-term prison sentence (less than 4 years) without statutory supervision requirements. It is a partnership of third sector organisations, which provides person-centered support including help to access sustainable housing, healthcare, social security and employment opportunities.

The Scottish Government also provides funding to Justice Social Work, through payments to Local Authorities, to deliver both statutory and voluntary throughcare. Local Authorities have autonomy to direct this funding to meet statutory justice services and local priorities which are aimed at reducing reoffending. This funding covers long term prisoners, short term prisoners released on a statutory supervision order, and community payback orders.

Table 1 details the amount of funding which has been provided to each programme to support people leaving prison to reintegrate into the community in each of the last five financial years.

Table 1: Funding for throughcare services 2021-22 to 2025-26. To note, all figures in the table have been rounded off.

Data on Land and Buildings Transaction Tax Additional Dwelling Supplement transactions, revenues and repayments is collected and published monthly by Revenue Scotland.

There is however no specific and attributable data available on the impact of the Additional Dwelling Supplement increase to 8%. As a range of other tax and non-tax factors may impact on Scotland’s property market, it is not possible to attribute any specific impact of the increase in the rate without a detailed analysis over a longer period.

The Scottish Government is committed to developing a sustainable health and social care system that ensures people get the right care, at the right time, in the right place. In support of this, the Budget provides almost £2.2 billion investment for social care and integration – delivering on our Programme for Government commitment to increase social care spending by 25% over this Parliament, two years ahead of our original target. This includes an additional £125 million to support delivery of the pay uplift to a minimum of £12.60 per hour for adult social care workers in 2025-26.

Despite this substantial funding increase, we are aware that significant challenge for social care service provision remains. We are therefore working with partners on a programme of work to understand the current financial viability picture in the social care sector. This has included engaging with local leaders through the Collaborative Response and Assurance Group, as well as Ministerial roundtables with partners.