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The South West Scotland Transport Study (SWSTS) was undertaken as an advance study to feed in to the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2) and published in March 2020. It considered the rationale for improvements to road, rail, public transport and active travel on the key strategic corridors including those served by the A77.

As part of the study, a specialist Heavy Goods Vehicle survey noted the range of goods being transported along the A77 between Ayr and Cairnryan from which it was estimated that the value of goods was approximately £10 million per day (2019 estimate).

The importance of the A77 to the economy is recognised by its inclusion in Recommendation 40 of STPR2 which recommends safety, resilience and reliability improvements are made on the A75 and A77 strategic road corridors. These improvements will support economic development in South West of Scotland to benefit the economy and local communities.

We are committed to improving safety across our network. Since 2007, over £146 million has already been invested on the A77 to ensure its safe and efficient operation.

Each year Transport Scotland, through its Operating Companies, undertakes a review of collisions on the trunk road network to identify cluster sites, or routes with recorded collisions that may be worthwhile of further investigation. The screening process, together with a detailed understanding of collision trends around the network, results in a prioritised programme of sites that will be investigated further. This evidence-led approach ensures that resources can be targeted at locations where the greatest potential for casualty reduction is available. This approach has been successful in reducing casualties across Scotland’s trunk road network.

In 2022, a Vehicle Activated Sign with legend ‘VEHICLES TURNING’ was implemented at the A751 junction on the A77 to warn approaching southbound drivers of potential vehicle conflicts with construction of markings and road studs completed in September 2024 and signs completed in April 2025. In Girvan, a speed management scheme, which included carriageway narrowing to improve speed compliance and walking routes for pedestrians, was constructed in March 2024. In July 2025, signalisation was introduced at A77 Doonholm Road staggered junction to reduce vehicle conflicts and personal injury collisions at the junction.

Maintenance schemes programmed from November 2025 to March 2026 include resurfacing at: Drummuckloch to Ferry Terminal, Burnside and Kilantringan to Smyrton. Drainage improvements planned during this timeframe include: A77 DBFO boundary to North of Coodham Estate, Kirkoswald, Girvan and South of Ballantrae Bridge.

The Scottish Government has committed to implement 20 mph speed limits on those roads where it is appropriate to do so as set out in the Programme for Government by 31 March 2026, making our streets feel safer and encouraging active travel. In 2025-2026, on the A77 trunk road, 20 mph speed limits are programmed to be introduced in Stranraer, Cairnryan, Ballantrae, Girvan and Minishant.

Regarding engagements, on 29 October 2025, I attended the second South West Roads Focus Group meeting alongside members of the A77 Campaign Group to hear their views on prioritised maintenance schemes for the A77. My officials are committed to working alongside the campaign group to develop recommendations for targeted improvements on the A77.

To improve road safety on the A77 ahead of winter, our South-West Unit Operating Company (Amey) has submitted their Winter Service Plan for the 2025-26 season and also circulated to key operational partners. The Performance Audit Group (PAG), who provide audit and monitoring services for Transport Scotland, has completed pre-winter depot visits and preparedness audits across all Units, including the South-West Unit. Transport Scotland is facilitating a “Severe Weather Media Launch” on Wednesday 12 November at the Shettleston Rail Depot, which I will be attending. This will provide the opportunity to raise awareness of the level of preparedness and collaboration that go into keeping Scotland moving during severe weather 365 days a year across modes. Collaboration with our operational partners is key to the co-ordinated communications process. Our Transport Scotland communications colleagues are working with our trunk road maintenance contractors (Operating Companies & DBFOs), Traffic Scotland, and relevant partners in the Scottish Government to deliver shared messaging across all channels to keep traffic moving safely.

The Scottish Government is clear that financial uncertainty should not be a barrier to women leaving an abusive partner.

We are investing £1.5 million in a national Fund to Leave, which aims to help reduce the financial burden of leaving an abusive partner by providing financial support to help to pay for the essentials women and children need.

Our £26.1 million a year Delivering Equally Safe Fund supports a range of services for survivors of gender-based violence. The Victim Centred Approach Fund provides £12 million to 23 organisations between 2025 and 2027 for advocacy support for survivors of gender-based violence. Additionally we have increased funds to Financially Included to establish an economic abuse helpline.

This year we have allocated £2.2 million to roll out a national Council Tax Debt project, delivered by Citizens Advice Scotland to increase the support available to those that need advice and support on any aspect of Council Tax including arrears.

The Circular Economy and Waste Route Map sets out the Scottish Government’s work to promote reuse and recycling initiatives.

Our reuse initiatives include a variety of actions aimed at increasing the uptake of reusable packaging, taking action on single-use cups, supporting the development of construction material reuse hubs and improving reuse services.

In partnership with the other governments in the UK, the Scottish Government recently introduced extended producer responsibility for packaging. The scheme transfers the net cost of providing an efficient and effective service for managing packaging waste from the taxpayer to producers. It is intended to incentivise a move towards more sustainable packaging and drive local authority recycling performance. Packaging that has been reused is also exempt from fees under the scheme to incentivise reuse. The Scottish Government are considering further measures to promote reuse, including the potential for alignment with measures within the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste

Zero Waste Scotland, as part of a consortium funded by the European Circular Construction Finance project, is developing a model for a regional reuse hub for construction materials and a national roll out plan to maximise coverage. The project will also include consideration of the role of these hubs in reprocessing and recertifying products and materials, addressing some of the barriers to availability of materials. The initiative has significant potential to help businesses navigate rising material costs, achieve net zero ambitions and develop more resilient supply chains.

Scottish Government action to improve local recycling is led by the co-design of the new statutory Code of Practice for household recycling. The Scottish Government held co-design events with local government stakeholders in June and July 2025. The findings from these sessions are being used to inform the planning of wider stakeholder engagement with business, the third sector and citizens in the coming months. The new Code of Practice will be completed by the end of 2026, after which it will be made available for public consultation.

We are also making one of the biggest investments in a generation to modernise recycling in Scotland through the Recycling Improvement Fund. A total of
£66.6 million has now been allocated to 27 local authorities for 48 projects to increase the quantity and quality of recycling across Scotland. We are funding a range of improvements, including more frequent recycling collections, the extension of food and garden waste collections, and boosting Scotland’s capacity to recycle problematic materials like plastic films, which must be collected from households and businesses by 31 March 2027. Local authorities in Scotland will also see around £150 million per year in funding to support collection for household packaging waste through extended producer responsibility (EPR) for packaging.

On 21 October 2025 we published our draft Circular Economy Strategy for consultation. The draft strategy sets out our vision and outcomes to move from a linear “take, make and dispose” economic model to a circular economy where materials and goods are valued and kept in use for as long as possible, including through reuse and recycling. The consultation will close on 13 January 2026.

Where individuals have left a coercive and abusive relationship, it is important that protections for their safety are available where needed. As such, there are a range of protective orders available to help ensure the safety of individuals.

Where a partner or ex-partner has been convicted of a domestic abuse criminal offence against their partner or ex-partner, when dealing with the offender the court is required to consider whether to impose a non-harassment order (NHO). If a NHO is not imposed, the court must explain the reasons why. The NHO can have a range of conditions included within it such as refraining from contacting the person against whom the offence has been committed. NHOs are also available for a wider range of offences upon application by the prosecutor. Changes made in the recently passed Victims, Witnesses, and Justice Reform (Scotland) Act 2025 will, when brought into force, require the court to consider NHOs upon conviction in sexual offence, stalking and intimate images cases.

In addition, a person can take action through the courts to protect themselves against abuse and harassment, and there are a number of civil court orders available. These include an interdict, which is a court order prohibiting someone from doing something. It can cover things such as contacting a particular person or coming within a certain distance of their home. In some cases, breach of an interdict is an offence. A civil NHO can prohibit conduct which causes alarm or distress and again breach is a criminal offence. An exclusion order can provide protection to a spouse or a civil partner (and, in certain circumstances, a cohabitant) where they or a child of the family is at risk of physical or mental injury because of the conduct of the other spouse, civil partner (or cohabitant). The order suspends an individual's rights to occupy the family home, and will come to an end if the court divorce or their civil partnership is dissolved.

Some data on the use of these various orders is available. Under the Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2018 and the requirement for the court to always consider imposition of an NHO following conviction for a domestic abuse offence came into force in April 2019, there has been a near quadrupling of the proportion of cases in which NHOs are made (from 10.8% of cases in 2018-19 to 41.8% of cases in 2024-25).

Separately from the availability of protective orders, the Caledonian System is an integrated approach to address the safety of women and children and to improve the lives of women, children and men. The system comprises of a programme for men who have been convicted of domestic abuse related offences with integrated support services for women and children. The men's programme is two years in duration, with a focus on helping men be accountable for their abusive behaviour and reduce the risk of continuing to be abusive. For 2025-26, the total ring-fenced budget allocation to 23 local authorities who operate the Caledonian System was £4,467,666.

These measures are intended to help protect victims of domestic abuse from further offending behaviour.

The Scottish Government supports and works closely with Food Standards Scotland, who have previously and will again repeat a winter campaign encouraging people to take a daily vitamin D supplement to maintain bone and muscle health.

The campaign primarily focuses on online advertising and social media posts. A campaign toolkit has also been developed and shared with a wide range of stakeholders to help support efforts to raise awareness of vitamin D, with graphics, web text, and social media posts available in nine languages (https://www.foodstandards.gov.scot/publications-and-research/publications/vitamin-d-campaign-toolkit).

Information on vitamin D is also available and promoted through a range of resources. Dedicated public advice on vitamin D is available on NHS Inform, including a general information leaflet highlighting the importance of vitamin D, which is available in a range of formats and languages (https://www.nhsinform.scot/healthy-living/food-and-nutrition/eating-well/vitamin-d).

Additional information can be accessed through our Parent Club (https://www.parentclub.scot/articles/eating-well-at-home) and Ready, Steady Baby! (https://www.nhsinform.scot/ready-steady-baby) resources, Food Standards Scotland (https://www.foodstandards.gov.scot/consumers/healthy-eating/nutrition/vitamins-minerals/vitamin-d) website and Eat Well, Your Way (https://www.eatwellyourway.scot/what-is-a-healthy-balanced-diet/vitamin-d/).

In the absence of powers over employment law, the Scottish Government is committed to using the levers we do have to embed Fair Work across the Scottish labour market.

The Scottish Government’s ‘A Fairer Scotland for Older People: framework for action’ contains a dedicated strand focused on activity we are undertaking to ensure people can access public and other services as they age.

We provide funding of £3.2 million over three years, through the Equality and Human Rights Fund, to older people's organisations and age equality projects. This funding is delivering a range of initiatives that tackle inequality, including among older people. A copy of the fund's progress report can be found here Equality & Human Rights Fund Impact Report Final_ Oct 21-Mar25 and provides details on initiatives we are delivering with this funding.

The Scottish Government recognises that an ageing population increases demand for accessible environments and services. Our Disability Equality Plan, supported by a £3 million investment, including a £1.5 million Improving Access Fund aims to improve access for disabled people, including older individuals with mobility or sensory impairments.

We also fund Access Panels across Scotland, which work locally to promote inclusive design and planning. These panels take a pan-disability approach, ensuring older people's needs are considered in accessibility improvements.

The Scottish Government promotes good practice in completing Equality Impact Assessments (EQIAs) by conducting them at the earliest stages of developing new policies or revising existing ones. This includes strategies, legislation, guidance, frameworks, training, funding, reviews, and any other activities that affect different groups of people, particularly those with protected characteristics as defined by the Equality Act 2010. This includes consideration of impact on different age groups.

We use the annual statistics published by Public Health Scotland for Infant Feeding to evidence our progress towards our stretch aim to reduce drop off in breastfeeding at 6-8 weeks by 10% by 2025. The last published statistics are for 2023-24 and show that drop-off at 6-8 weeks was at 27.3%. The commitment is for a relative drop-off in any breastfeeding, beginning with the baseline position in 2017-18 of 34.5%. We will formally update on our progress after the 2024-25 infant feeding statistics are published in November this year.

We have set out how we intend on delivering against the six strategic goals, over the next five years, in the road map within the Breastfeeding and infant feeding: strategic framework 2025-2030 and we will continue to work with Health Boards and partners to do so. Much of this work is already underway, including our commitment to Unicef UK Babyfriendly Achieving Sustainability across maternity, neonatal and community settings. A delivery plan for 2025-26 was also set out and we will report on progress of that and share our 2026-27 delivery plan by Summer 2026.