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The Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal includes a commitment of up to £5m from both the Scottish Government and the UK Government to assess the benefits and challenges of extending the Borders Railway to Carlisle. This includes the undertaking of associated detailed feasibility work to fully understand the factors associated with re-instatement of the railway. Whilst the project is still going through the business case development phase, no funding has yet been drawn down to date, however the Scottish Government remains committed to enabling Growth Deal Partners to progress this project.

We recognise that there are a number of complexities within this project and we need to make sure that the extensive feasibility work undertaken is fit for purpose from both a transport appraisal perspective as well as meeting Growth Deal criteria. The cross-border nature of this particular project also means that input and agreement from both Governments is needed for this to advance. The Scottish Government recently approved its contribution for the recruitment of a Project Manager to progress the feasibility work necessary to support the project business case and we hope similar approval is obtained from UK Government post October Spending Review to allow this element of the project to commence .

The Scottish Government continues to work with UK Government and Scottish Borders Council, the lead delivery partner, in an effort to move this project forward.

Operational decisions on matters such as staffing are the responsibility of individual colleges.

The Scottish Government expects every effort to be made by Scotland’s colleges, in consultation with trade unions, to protect jobs, while continuing to deliver provision to meet regional needs.

The Scottish Government is committed to providing financial support for bereaved people on a low-income.

Funeral Support Payment has provided £51.1 million of support to over 26,000 people since launching in September 2019. The average award for 2024-25, up to 30 June 2024, is £2,065. There is a statutory duty to uprate the payment and in 2024/25 we increased the flat rate payment by 6.7%.

We are committed to continually reviewing and improving Funeral Support Payment; we substantially widened eligibility compared to the UK Government’s Funeral Expenses Payment at launch and have recently introduced legislation to make further improvements.

We need to fundamentally transform the way social care is delivered in Scotland, and we have listened to thousands of people, including the social care workforce, who have told us this.

People who receive support through social care, their families and communities, and the workforce must be involved in planning and delivery at local level. But the system needs to work and people have told us, clearly, that it does not provide the high standard of care that people should rightfully expect. We are committed to establishing a National Care Service that delivers clear, consistent national care standards by the end of this Parliamentary term.

The Scottish Government will continue to engage with GMB and other Trade Unions as we co-design the National Care Service.

Under the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Act VisitScotland have a duty to prepare and publish guidance for local authorities on the introduction and administration of a visitor levy. Whilst that guidance is for local authorities, it will be of interest to businesses and other organisations. Scottish Ministers are currently considering that guidance, as required under section 23 of the Act. Local authorities are best placed to provide guidance to businesses in their area on the specific visitor levy schemes they decide to put in place.

Through the 2024-25 budget, NHS Boards and the Scottish Government continue to support spend in excess of £1.3 billion on mental health.

The recent reduction in the Scottish Government’s direct programme funding has been identified through programmes being adapted, or which have come to an end. In some cases work has been re-profiled where this has been possible.

Whilst any reduction is regrettable, it is only right that we make a contribution to the overall savings required to enable a balanced budget for Scottish Government in 2024-25; ensuring a stable base for future years.

We remain committed to taking forward our work across mental health, working closely with key partners. Our collective focus has to be on making as much difference as possible with our funding.

The Scottish Hospitals Inquiry is a public inquiry established in accordance with the Inquiries Act 2005 and is entirely independent of the Scottish Government. It would not be appropriate for the Scottish Government or Ministers to comment on the Inquiry’s proceedings while the Inquiry is ongoing.

Bullying and harassment is unacceptable in any circumstance. We expect all staff, regardless of position, to act in line with the values and behaviours expected of everyone in NHSScotland.

Staff must be confident in raising any concerns they may have, and when they do, that these concerns are fully investigated. The NHSScotland Bullying and Harassment Workforce Policy provides a supportive environment for employees seeking an early resolution to bullying or harassment concerns. It is also a formal mechanism to address unresolved, significant or persistent bullying or harassment, or both.

We emphasised the importance of good workplace cultures with the publication of Improving Wellbeing and Working Cultures (IWWC) in July 2024. IWWC sets out our ambition to enhance working cultures across our health, social work and social care workforce, through programmes of work at a national level that focus on the pillars of: wellbeing, leadership and equality.

Within the Women’s Health Plan we committed to develop a menopause and menstrual health workplace policy for NHSScotland, and to promote best practice across the public, private and third sector.

The NHSScotland Menopause and Menstrual Health Policy was launched on 31 October 2023 and supports employees to experience good menstrual health and menopause at work.

Supporting resources, including line managers, workplace adjustment guides, and signposting to more information on symptoms and conditions including endometriosis, are intended for use more widely across a variety of employment sectors and are available on the National Wellbeing Hub, which is accessible to the public.

The Scottish Government does not hold the information requested on passenger compensation by route.

The responsibility for development and delivery of flood protection schemes rests with individual local authorities, who are best placed to respond to local resilience needs.

Proposals to improve flood resilience in potentially vulnerable areas, including flood protection schemes, are set out in Flood Risk Management Plans published on SEPA’s website, and Local Flood Risk Management Plans, published by local authorities.

These plans are renewed every 6 years. The current plans are valid until 2028.