Seòmar agus comataidhean

The Scottish Government supports music venues through Creative Scotland’s Multi-Year Funding which has increased by £20 million, providing a major boost to Scotland’s cultural sector. This investment provides stability for organisations to plan and deliver high-quality programmes in theatre, visual arts, literature, and music.

Forty-six music organisations now receive multi-year support which is more than double the previous number – with potentially three more in development for
2026-27. The Scottish Government has also put in place 40% non-domestic rates relief for Music Venues with capacity up to 1,500 for 2025-26.

The Scottish Government maintains regular communication with the United Kingdom Government regarding the Dunard Centre, as joint funders of the project through the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal. On the additional capital costs for the project, we have engaged regularly with the UK Government and regional partners through a range of interactions over a number of months.

We expect Health Boards to plan for their workforce in conjunction with their responsibilities under the Health and Care (Staffing) (Scotland) Act 2019. The Act places duties on Health Boards to ensure that at all times suitably qualified and competent individuals are working in such numbers as are appropriate for the health, wellbeing and safety of patients, the provision of high-quality care and the wellbeing of staff.

On the 29 October I announced the establishment of the Scottish Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce. The Taskforce will complement the existing audit and inspection system in place in Scotland, and provide support and expertise on implementation of policy, service standards, and improvement activity across NHS Boards. It will be chaired by the Minister for Public Health and Women’s Health.

The Scottish Government is also taking action as part of the Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce (NMT) to drive lasting change to improve retention and attraction into these professions. The NMT recommended actions are designed to have a meaningful and lasting impact on workforce wellbeing. They aim to address key issues such as workload, professional development, and workplace culture to create a more supportive and sustainable environment for Nurses and Midwives to work.

The Inverness Gull Management Plan Pilot is currently being developed by NatureScot in partnership with Highland Council. The first version of the plan is expected to be in place ahead of the 2026 breeding season. It is being designed as an adaptive framework—flexible, evidence-based, and subject to ongoing refinement through regular review.

The Scottish Government was unable to provide a definitive response to question S6W-41921, as the pilot plan will require continuous updates and adjustments. Consequently, it is not possible to confirm a date for when the plan will be fully finalised.

Given the ongoing Harbour Revision Order application process regarding establishing a new harbour authority for Oban Harbour, it would not be appropriate for Ministers or Transport Scotland officials to discuss specific details of the application with interested parties at this time. The Harbour Revision Order application process has included a formal consultation and subsequent Written Representation period, allowing all interested parties to submit their views on the proposal. Those views are currently being considered before a formal decision is made by Ministers.

It is the responsibility of local authorities to have in place clear arrangements for the management and monitoring of care packages. Decisions about individual cases are for local authorities to make, within the requirements of the law.

Officials across a range of business areas contributed to the production of the publication referred to in question S6W-42127 as part of their normal duties supporting the Scottish Government. In line with usual practice, details of individual tasks carried out by civil servants, including the number of hours spent on them, are not routinely recorded as there is no business need to do this.

The Onshore Wind Sector Deal includes the commitment that from 2025, we will aim to determine Section 36 applications for new sites, and for the re-powering of existing operational sites, within 12 months where there is no public inquiry, or 24 months if there is a public inquiry.

This year, in most circumstances, it has not been possible to determine applications made prior to 2025 within these timeframes. This is due to legacy issues within the applications themselves, which must be resolved to ensure that we can achieve positive outcomes in the public interest, for all relevant stakeholders.

Accordingly, it is too early to assess whether the sector deal actions have achieved the intended impact on determination timescales. We remain committed to meeting these timeframes for applications submitted from 2025 onwards.

The Energy Consents Unit has committed to publishing an Annual Report in 2026, which will set out the progress made against this commitment in more detail.

The Scottish Government does not hold a breakdown of referrals from the Thistle drug consumption facility by service type, nor does it hold data on the number of referrals made to addiction recovery services from 17 March 2025 to current date. Such information may be available from Glasgow Health and Social Care Partnership who are responsible for operation of the Thistle facility.

The Scottish Government does not hold a breakdown of referrals from the Thistle drug consumption facility by service type, nor does it hold data on the number of referrals made to addiction recovery services from 17 March 2025 to current date. Such information may be available from Glasgow Health and Social Care Partnership who are responsible for operation of the Thistle facility.