Seòmar agus comataidhean

The Scottish Government does not expect to make any further announcements regarding the A9 Dualling Programme before the end of the current Parliamentary session. Regular progress updates and details of planned traffic management works are available on our dedicated A9 Dualling Programme website at the following link: www.a9dualling.scot.

Only last month I provided a substantive update to Parliament to reaffirm the Scottish Government’s commitment to dual the A96 and provide assurance we are pressing forward steps to make this happen. This update on 3 February 2026, followed the commitment to progressing A96 dualling included in the Scottish Spending Review 2026 along with the Infrastructure Delivery Pipeline 2026, both of which were published on Tuesday 13 January 2026.

Investment in the trunk road network over the four year Capital Spending Review period to 2029-30 will allow the Scottish Government to make further progress on dualling the A96 between Inverness and Nairn, including the Nairn Bypass. With the land acquired for the scheme in 2025, funding is included in the 2026-27 draft Budget to commence the delivery of advanced works. This will include vital archaeological investigation works and other key environmental and ecological measures, along with significant work to facilitate complex Public Utility diversions.

In parallel to the advanced works, investment in 2026-27 will also allow Transport Scotland to continue to take forward the work to determine the most suitable procurement option for delivering these schemes and further develop the Business Cases. Completion of the preparatory work, including approval of the Business Cases, will enable a firm timetable for delivery to be set as part of the annual budget setting process, with a view to commencing procurement of the main works contract for the Nairn Bypass within this Capital Spending Review period.

The Capital Spending Review allows for the commencement of the construction of the A9/A96 Inshes to Smithton link road in 2028-29 and the Nairn Bypass in 2029-30, subject to business case approval and confirmation of funding beyond the spending review period.

Given this recent and substantive update, no further announcements on the A96 are anticipated before the end of this parliamentary session.

The Scottish Government continues to engage with Home Office officials and the Minister for Border Security and Asylum to seek clarity on the projected timelines for arrivals at Cameron Barracks. It has also been repeatedly requested that sufficient notice be provided to local delivery partners, enabling them to plan effectively and mitigate any potential risks to both site occupants and the surrounding community. Despite this regular engagement, to date, substantive responses to the questions raised have not been provided.

The UK Government is solely responsible for decisions relating to the location of accommodation for people seeking asylum and for ensuring the suitability of these. The Scottish Government is clear that the UK Government’s asylum proposals will not deliver a controlled and humane asylum system but will undermine integration and push more people, including families with children, into poverty, destitution and homelessness; leaving our local authorities to pick up the pieces. The Scottish Government has raised our significant concerns with the UK Government.

An official-level Operational Working Group meeting chaired by the Home Office takes place regularly and is attended by Scottish Government officials and local delivery partners, most recently on 16 March. Notes of these meetings are held by the UK Government.

The UK Government retains sole responsibility for selecting asylum accommodation sites. However, we acknowledge there will be concerns as to the site being centrally located in the community and the impact that it may place on local services.

I have written to UK Government ministers on multiple occasions since September 2025 to request clarity on proposed use of Cameron Barracks, most recently on 13 February 2026.

NHS Highland remains committed to implementing the agreed hybrid vaccination model, with GP practices leading childhood vaccination delivery and the Board’s immunisation team supporting harder to reach families. This approach reflects the flexibility needed to ensure safe, local access to services.

This is not about shifting vaccination wholly to GPs, but adopting a model tailored to Highland’s specific challenges. I reassure Mr Ewing that I continue to encourage constructive collaboration to achieve the best outcomes for children and families.

The Scottish Government remains steadfast in our commitment to preventing and eradicating violence against women and girls and to supporting specialist services that provide vital support to victims and survivors of gender based violence.

The commissioning of domestic abuse services is a matter for local authorities. However the Scottish Government strongly encourages local authorities to utilise the joint COSLA and Scottish Women’s Aid’s guidance on good practice in commissioning specialist domestic abuse services.

I wrote to the Chief Executive of Highland Council on 11 February 2026, highlighting concerns raised in relation to funding proposals for women’s aid organisations in the area, including Inverness Women’s Aid, requesting Highland Council consider engaging with the organisations concerned and cross-party MSPs in the Highlands, to better understand the challenges and how they can be resolved.

Through the Scottish Budget we have provided a 5% increase to the Delivering Equally Safe Fund, bringing total investment in the fund to almost £46 million over 2026-2028. This will increase the support Inverness Women's Aid receives through the fund to around £230,000 each year over 2026-2028, subject to annual budget processes. Our fund managers, Inspiring Scotland, are actively engaging with Inverness Women’s Aid to offer support.

The Scottish Government acknowledges the Scottish Health Technologies Group recommendations regarding specialist interventions for managing chronic non-malignant pain in adults. NHS Scotland is required to consider SHTG recommendations and discussions are underway to understand how those recommendations can inform sustainable, consistent and effective service delivery across Scotland.

We continue to work with work with clinicians, third sector organisations and people with lived experience of chronic pain to deliver the actions in our Pain Management Service Delivery Framework.

We have set out the wider policy within which NHS Scotland is expected to deliver services and expect all NHS Boards, including NHS Highland, to provide high quality care that is safe, effective and person-centred. We expect that decisions about the appropriateness of treatment for chronic pain, or specific medications for pain management, will be made by the clinician in discussion with the patient to ensure the most suitable treatment is made available based on their medical history.