Seòmar agus comataidhean

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-40762 on 9 October 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

The Scottish Government is working with partners, including the college and university sector, to deliver the ten-year Entrpreneurial Campus Blueprint. We continue to align this work with existing policies such as Techscaler, the Innovation Strategy and the Knowledge Exchange and Innovation Fund to drive change. This year, we are also investing £700k to accelerate the implementation of the recommendations by funding four key projects.

Each project includes evaluation metrics, and we are also making use of existing reporting tools such as the as the Knowledge Exchange and Innovation Fund reporting undertaken by the Scottish Funding Council. Outcomes from the funded projects will be reported through established channels, including the National Strategy for Economic Transformation annual report.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-40762 on 9 October 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 refer the member to the answer to question S6W-40762 on 9 October 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 refer the member to the answer to question S6W-40762 on 9 October 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 refer the member to the answer to question S6W-40762 on 9 October 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

The Government have held discussions with the Parole Board for Scotland (PBS) on the changes set out in section 29GD of the Bill. The Government will continue to engage with PBS, and other stakeholders, over the coming months to jointly develop robust operational plans to deliver upon this commitment.

The Government are taking forward work on the legislative requirements necessary to make changes to the Parole Board Rules, following the passing of the Victims, Witnesses and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill. The Government intend to lay the required instruments in early 2026 with a view to the changes from section 29I coming into force in spring 2026.

The Scottish Government recognises the importance of visible policing for public confidence. However, perceptions of community safety are shaped by a range of factors, including falling levels of crime, local police engagement, and broader community support.

Crime in Scotland has fallen significantly under this administration.

Scotland is a safer place since this government took office. Recorded crime remains below the position immediately prior to the pandemic (2019-20), and is down 39% since 2006-07.

The proportion of adults who were a victim of violent and property crime has also fallen from one-in-five (20.4%) in 2008-09 to one-in-eight (12.1%) in 2023-24 and the Scottish Crime & Justice Survey (2023-24) showed more people feel safe walking alone in their neighbourhood after dark increasing from 66% in 2008-09 to 75% in 2023-24. Over the same time period the proportion of adults who thought violence between groups of individuals or gangs was common in their area fell from 26% to 13%.

The Scottish Government have increased police funding year on year since 2016-17, investing more than £14.6bn since the creation of Police Scotland in 2013. In 2025-26, we will increase the police funding to £1.64 billion , an increase of £90 million on 2024-25, to support police capacity and capability.

Our investment in policing enabled Police Scotland to take on more recruits last financial year than at any time since 2013, with further intakes planned throughout 2025. The latest official statistics show there were 16,427 full time equivalent police officers at 30 June 2025.

Police Scotland also has a healthy recruitment pipeline having welcomed around 1,500 new officers since the beginning of 2024 including a further 136 new recruits on 1 September 2025.

Specific Police Scotland officer number statistics by division, can be found by following the link.

If a child or young person is diagnosed with cancer, the Scottish Government wants them to be treated as close to home as clinically appropriate. As treatments for cancer become more complex and expensive however, it is not possible to deliver them in every location. We know that the best outcomes are often associated with specialist centres and patients should be fully supported in accessing these.

Where travel is necessary, the Scottish Government expects NHS Boards to work collaboratively with each other and transport providers to make suitable arrangements to ensure that the necessary treatment can be provided in a patient-centred way.

The Young Patients Family Fund (YPFF) was established to support families visiting children receiving inpatient care in hospital, for any health condition, to meet some of the costs of hospital visits. This includes providing a contribution to costs relating to travel, subsistence and accommodation. The YPFF was not designed to provide financial support to patients themselves.

Further to this, the Scottish Government provides the overall guidance to NHS Boards for patient travel expenses reimbursement. Several schemes are in place offering financial reimbursement for travel costs for treatment.

The Patient Travel Expenses Scheme (PTES) is Scotland-wide and provides support to those in receipt of certain benefits.

The Highlands and Islands Travel Scheme (HITS) reimburses the travel costs of everyone in the Highlands and Islands area required to travel more than 30 miles to a hospital by road or 5 miles by air or land, less the first £10 (unless in receipt of certain benefits).

Under the discretionary scheme, NHS Boards may also choose to reimburse patient travel expenses to those not eligible under PTES or HITS where it is viewed to be an extension of treatment costs and deemed to be clinically necessary.