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Thriving businesses are key to Scotland’s prosperity, and their success is critical to delivering the First Minister’s priorities.

Decisions concerning future Scottish Government funding programmes will be considered and addressed through the Scottish Budget and Scottish Spending Review processes.

The Scottish Government, through NHS Research Scotland (NRS) provides core funding to promote and support excellence in clinical and translational research.

Within NRS, the Scottish Cancer Research Network works to increase, support and sustain cancer clinical trial activity across the NHS in Scotland. This work is underpinned by core funding from the Scottish Government.

The Scottish Cancer Research Network employs Clinical Research Nurses and Data Managers based on operational needs. The Network currently employs 2 dedicated Neuro-oncology Research Nurses and 2 specialist Data Managers.

In March 2025 the Scottish Government Chief Scientist Office and the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission (TJBCM) announced a partnership to advance brain tumour treatment, care and research through Scotland's first dedicated neuro-oncology fellowships.

Two TJBCM fellowships have to date been funded via this collaboration: a neuro-oncology fellowship hosted jointly in Glasgow and Edinburgh, and a brain tumour neurology fellowship hosted in Glasgow.

Our social security policies have been designed to provide much needed support for the most vulnerable in our society and people can be entitled to support whether they are in work or not.

For example, our Job Start Payment helps young people who are returning to work with the costs of starting a new job, support that is only available in Scotland. The Adult Disability Payment can help to reduce the barriers that prevent some disabled people from working and we recognise that it supports many disabled people to stay in employment. Additionally, findings from the evaluation of our Five Family Payments, published earlier this month, showed that for some recipients, the Scottish Child Payment is easing work costs related to travel and childcare and giving some families greater choice and flexibility to balance work, education, and caring responsibilities.

Through the Scottish Government’s No One Left Behind approach, person-centred employability services are available in every local authority area for people of all ages who experience structural barriers to participating in the labour market. Over 156,000 people have accessed these services since powers were devolved around aspects of employability support.

The Scottish Government believes that it is crucially important that young people have access to accurate education on British and Scottish history, including on the British Empire and the UK's involvement in slavery. Scotland’s history curriculum, including the senior phase courses “The Trade in Enslaved African People 1770–1807” and “Migration and Empire 1830–1939”, present a range of opportunities for young people to learn about these significant histories.

The Breaking the Mould anti-racism curriculum principles include a principle on 'understanding and enquiring into Scotland’s role in historical world events, including trans-Atlantic enslavement and colonial histories, and their continuing impact today'. There are a range of further national actions underway including the following:

• The Scottish Government has supported academic-led programmes with the universities of Edinburgh, Glasgow and Stirling for teachers on Teaching Slavery in Scotland and on the Impact of Scots Settlers in Migration and Empire, with resources developed published on the Scottish Association of Teachers of History website.
• Education Scotland has published teaching resources on the Transatlantic Slave Trade supported by the University of Glasgow, and a publication on Sugar Histories aimed at Primary 7 learners in transition to S1 in both expressive arts and social studies.
• The Scottish Government is currently working in partnership with the SQA and Education Scotland to consider appropriate updates to the history qualifications to embed an anti-racist and decolonised approach. The Curriculum Improvement Cycle will consider further relevant updates to the social studies curriculum.
• Museums Galleries Scotland is working with museums who are decolonising their collections and learning resources to reflect the recommendations of the Empire, Slavery and Scotland’s Museums report. National Museums Scotland has developed a specific resource associated with the National 5 qualification on the Trade in Enslaved African People.

Following a recommendation from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, the chickenpox (varicella) vaccine will be introduced into Scotland’s routine childhood immunisation programme from January 2026.

Introduction of this vaccine offer in Scotland is in alignment with the rest of the UK, ensuring a consistent approach to protecting children from chickenpox.

The were nine prosecutions under the 2010 Act reported to the Crown Office Procurator Fiscal Service of which seven resulted in a conviction. These were by year, 2019 X2, 2020 X0, 2021 X2 plus 1 not guilty, 2022 X1, 2023 X2, 2024 X 1 case dropped by PF.

Additionally, there were five Fixed Penalty Notices and one warning letter issued under Marine Conservation Orders enabled under the 2010 Act. These were by year 2019 3 x FPN, 2020 1 x FPN, 2023 1 x FPN, 2024 1 x Warning Letter.

All vessels were UK vessels because the Marine Scotland Act and associated orders apply to Territorial and Inshore waters where generally only UK vessels are permitted to fish.

The Scottish Government understands the importance of Scotland’s hills and mountains and provides investment to help Scots and visitors to Scotland to enjoy them safely.

In addition to the Scottish Government’s annual grant of £300,000 to Scottish Mountain Rescue, sportscotland annually invests around £2million of Scottish Government and National Lottery funding to help ensure the safety of mountain users. This includes investment into Glenmore Lodge, sportscotland’s Avalanche Information Service (SAIS), and the Mountain Weather Information Service.

In 2025-26, sportscotland is investing up to £274,446 into Mountaineering Scotland, the sport’s governing body, which helps to support work on mountain safety. Mountaineering Scotland offer training and information to mountain users to promote safety, self-reliance, and the enjoyment of our mountain environment. They also chair the Mountain Safety Group, which was established to monitor and review mountain safety strategy, collaborate with partners, and provide leadership across mountain safety.

Sportscotland investment in Mountaineering Scotland over the previous five years is as follows:

2020 – 2021- £268,850

2021 – 2022 - £226,260

2022 – 2023 - £244,300

2023 – 2024 - £254,260

2024 – 2025 - £252,050

Electric scooters are covered by the same UK-wide laws and regulations that apply to all motor vehicles. As such, e-scooters need to meet the legal requirements of the 1988 Act – including valid motor insurance; technical standards; payment of vehicle tax; licensing and registration and the use of relevant safety equipment – to use public roads lawfully. In Scotland it is illegal to ride an electric scooter on a public road, pavement, cycle paths, shared paths or any public place.

For electric scooters to be used legally, we await the necessary changes to be made to reserved legislation. Amendments would also be needed to devolved legislation such as the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions, with Local Authorities required to amend their Traffic Regulation Orders that apply to cycle lanes. In anticipation, the Scottish Government is engaging with the Department of Transport and closely monitoring the outcomes of their shared e-scooter trials. While investigating the necessary devolved legislative changes, we are preparing a programme of consultation and engagement to enable Scottish Local Authorities to participate in future shared e-scooter trials.