Seòmar agus comataidhean

The Scottish Government is committed to delivering a more equitable and accessible approach to the provision of equipment and adaptations. Our revised guidance on the Provision of Equipment and Adaptations is statutory guidance issued under Section 53 of the Public Bodies (Joint Working) (Scotland) Act 2014. This means that responsibility for delivering it and assessing its impact rests with Integration Authorities.

This includes capturing data which evidences the value that effective and efficient community equipment and adaptation provision makes to the delivery of key service goals. However, to support national implementation of this guidance, the Scottish Government works closely with our national Equipment and Adaptations Network to support good practice and aid a more consistent approach to implementation.

A Lesson’s Learned report for winter 2024-25 was considered at the Scottish Government and COSLA’s joint Collaborative Response and Assurance Group meeting on 6 May 2025. This meeting agreed the approach for 2025-26 winter preparedness, marking the start of winter preparedness planning for 2025-26.

Today, the Culture Fair Work Task Force published its independent recommendations report. The report can be found here: www.gov.scot/isbn/9781806435074.

The Scottish Government is aware of how critical equipment is to allow individuals to participate fully in daily life and to support the person being cared for to live safely within their home environment. Anyone requiring equipment should experience a seamless journey through the pathway of care, which ensures they receive the right intervention at the right time.

That is why the Scottish Government engaged robustly with Health and Social Care Partnerships (HSCP) to establish the impact of the collapse of NRS Healthcare Limited. This engagement concluded that there was little to no immediate impact on services providing community equipment. Where required, HSCPs have taken appropriate steps to mitigate any immediate disruption to services. This includes; purchasing stock in bulk, purchasing from other suppliers, and utilising off-contract purchases. HSCPs have also confirmed that they have been taking the necessary steps to mitigate any disruption to the supply chain in the medium to longer term.

The National Equipment and Adaptions Network is available for HSCPs to collectively discuss local impact and mitigating actions. The Scottish Government will continue to monitor this matter.

The information requested is not held centrally.

Expanding the role of firefighters so that they can do more to keep communities safe is a priority in the Fire and Rescue Framework for Scotland. The Scottish Government has been in close contact with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service over these proposals, which are included in discussions as part of the process of setting the annual budget for SFRS.

The Single Procurement Document was published on the Public Contracts Scotland platform which is designed to facilitate the procurement process for public sector procurement contracts in Scotland for both domestic and international suppliers. The Portal provides access to contract opportunities, guidance for suppliers and information on the procurement process.

A Transport Scotland press release was issued on 04 June 2025 to note the start of the procurement process. NIFS Freight Flex Project updates and information on the procurement process and timelines are also available on the CMAL website.

Provisions for changing the basis for uprating mobile home pitch fees, from the Retail Prices Index to the Consumer Prices Index, were included at section 61 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2025 (the Act), which received Royal Assent on 6 November 2025. We are now working on the secondary legislation required to commence provisions within the Act and will provide updates on the Scottish Government website (https://consult.gov.scot/local-government-and-communities/change-to-basis-of-pitch-uprating-consultation/) as we progress to implement the mobile home pitch fee provisions.

The substantial additional cost in terms of a significant uplift on salary for all firefighters in Scotland has been unaffordable over the last 2 financial years due to the difficult decisions needed on the allocation of resources within the Justice portfolio budget.

The Scottish Government has carried out analysis of the potential costs and economic benefits of a potential role expansion for firefighters. Analysis of the potentially expanded role for firefighters could deliver net economic benefits but these would be unlikely to deliver cashable savings in the delivery of public services.