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The Scottish Government supports the use of crumb waste as a fuel for electricity generation, where it adheres to the guiding principles for bioenergy as set out in our draft Bioenergy Policy Statement (BPS).

These include prioritising the use of available waste feedstocks so that the use of biomass complies with the principles of a circular economy and a cascading use of biomass, which means wood being first used where it can deliver the highest economic and environmental benefit (for example in construction), then life extension, reuse and recycling of the wood should be sought before use in bioenergy applications. We want to ensure that any feedstock utilised for electricity generation has no wider residual value within society.

The Scottish Government published a further update to the work on Scottish Government bonds alongside the 2025-26 Scottish Budget https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781836910558.

This explains the outcome of the initial phase of due diligence and the work required in the next stage in the due diligence process. This phase will include timing considerations for an inaugural issuance given market conditions and related events.

The Scottish Government remains committed to ensuring Parliament is updated on this work as it progresses.

The SPCB’s approach to partnerships and accreditations is governed by our Diversity and Inclusion commitments and aims. The SPCB assesses accreditations having regard to issues such as budget and resource implications (including staff time to achieve the accreditation), alignment with the SPCB’s purpose and values, and the extent to which the accreditation supports the delivery of strategic aims and alignment with our policies, practices and procedures. While the SPCB does not intend to apply for Period Positive Workplace certification at this time, the SPCB is confident, having reviewed the Period Positive Workplace implementation plan, that it already has arrangements in place which are recognised as best practice for an inclusive, period positive workplace. This includes providing free period products in all toilets within Holyrood, a Period and Menopause policy and guidance for managers in supporting their staff. In order to ensure that this continues to be the case, the SPCB is committed to reviewing its Period and Menopause Policy so that it continues to meet the needs of its staff.

Progress with investment plans is included in my regular discussions with the Scottish Rail Holdings Group of companies and I met with ScotRail representatives on 27 February 2025. Transport Scotland officials meet regularly with ScotRail, Caledonian Sleeper and Scottish Rail Holdings to discuss any plans to replace existing rolling stock.

As set out in my answer to question S6W-32625 on 8 January 2025, Tier 3 and Tier 4 services are those secondary and specialist mental health services - including Community Mental Health Teams, Adult Acute Psychiatry, and specialist Perinatal Mental Health care, that usually require a referral from a GP or other health care professional. Data on this is not collected centrally by government. Decisions on access to those services are determined locally by NHS Boards.

To ensure access, we have directly allocated £123 million to NHS Boards and IJBs for a new Enhanced Mental Health Outcomes Framework in 2024-25. The Framework focuses on embedding increased capacity around CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services), the delivery of psychological therapies, eating disorder care, primary care and neurodevelopmental services, as well as ongoing innovation and service reform - but also brings together a number of other funding streams which includes Perinatal and Infant Mental Health.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

The Scottish Government committed through the Programme for Government 2023 – 24, published on 5 September 2023, to improving miscarriage care, including the provision of separate private spaces in hospitals with maternity wards for women experiencing pregnancy and baby loss.

The Delivery Framework for Miscarriage Care, published on 6 February 2025, sets out that those experiencing miscarriage at any stage of pregnancy should be seen in a separate private space appropriate for bereavement. This action carries a priority category of “N” which means this should be implemented within 6 months from 1 April 2025.

The Scottish Government has not had specific discussions with North Lanarkshire, South Lanarkshire or Falkirk Council about underage vaping, including the sale of vapes to young people.

We work closely with the Society of Chief Officers of Trading Standards in Scotland (SCOTSS) on underage sales of vapes. SCOTSS provides an overview of the action taken at a local level on underage sales of vapes and provides an opportunity for concerns to be raised.

As members of the COSLA Trading Standards Policy and Co-ordination Group we are able to work with a range of stakeholders at national and local level on the topic of youth vaping.

The Scottish Government encourages anyone to contact their GP or diabetes clinical team to discuss the use of Ozempic or any other medication as part of their treatment for type 2 diabetes. They will be best placed to recommend any medicines or treatments based on their own individual circumstances.

The Chief Pharmaceutical Officer is taking the issue of illegal online medicines seriously. She has met with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS), Police Scotland and the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) to discuss this.

The GPhC published updated guidance on 4 February 2025 regarding buying medicines safely online and Healthcare Improvement Scotland is considering how to improve the general awareness of these medicines, as well as establishing clear expectations for their safe and appropriate use within the independent healthcare sector.

The Chief Pharmaceutical Officer is also considering communications for healthcare professionals in Scotland on how to report known or suspected illicit prescribing of Ozempic.

We are carefully considering the recommendations in the UK Farm Animal Welfare Committee report from 2014 and its updated opinion of February 2023, in conjunction with the Scottish Parliament’s Rural Affairs and Islands Committee’s follow-up inquiry report into fish farming that was published on
17 January 2025.

The welfare of farmed fish at the time of slaughter is assured by Article 3.1 of retained Council Regulation (EC) 1099/2009 and as such we have no immediate plans to introduce further legislation. However, once engagement with the industry and other stakeholders is complete, the guidance we intend to publish will provide flexibility for the industry to quickly adopt new technology and management techniques to improve fish welfare at time of slaughter.

The data for the number of people being prescribed Ozempic by year in Scotland can be found in the following table.

To note: the table contains prescribing data for Ozempic only and does not include data for those being prescribed other branded semaglutide medicines.