The pause on all health capital projects was lifted in last year’s draft budget and Programme for Government, which committed to the replacement projects for Monklands University Hospital, the Belford Hospital and the Edinburgh Eye Pavilion, as well as the Barra and Vatersay Community Campus.

As set out in the infrastructure delivery pipeline (13 January 2026), we are developing a revenue funding model to enable additional infrastructure investment across primary and community care, with a network of local care and wellbeing centres – starting with projects in Port Glasgow; East Calder and East Livingston; Cowdenbeath and Lochgelly and the range of sites further listed in the document.

We are also working with all boards to develop an NHS whole system infrastructure plan to inform future investment priorities across the estate and ensure available funding is directed to best effect.

The Landlord Registration regime is established under the Antisocial Behaviour etc. (Scotland) Act 2004, with statutory guidance issued by Scottish Ministers to support local authorities in exercising their functions.

Local authorities are responsible for delivering the regime and for determining how best to meet their statutory enforcement obligations using the powers available to them. A proportionate or risk-based approach can be compatible with these duties, provided that escalation powers are used where necessary to secure compliance.

Decisions on the appropriate use of enforcement powers in individual cases rest with the relevant authority. Where appropriate, concerns about unregistered letting may be referred to Police Scotland, and tenants may seek recourse through the First-tier Tribunal (Housing and Property Chamber) where relevant.

The Scottish Government does not publish internal working drafts of Budget spreadsheets or documents. These drafts are part of the routine preparation and quality-assurance process and are not maintained or updated beyond publication.

For the main Budget document, any post publication clarifications have always been issued through an errata. I wrote to the Finance and Public Administration Committee on 26 January to confirm that this same approach will now also apply to all supporting Budget related documents, so that any clarifications made after publication are visible across the full suite of materials. The relevant Parliamentary Committee will be notified of these changes to support transparency.

Local authorities have a statutory duty to administer and enforce the Landlord Registration regime in accordance with the Antisocial Behaviour etc. (Scotland) Act 2004, supported by statutory guidance issued by Scottish Ministers.

The Scottish Government has not received any evidence to suggest that local authorities are structurally bypassing their statutory enforcement responsibilities.

We continue to support local authorities in delivering the regime effectively by providing guidance, sharing best practice, and monitoring issues raised by stakeholders. We will keep the operation of the regime under review and consider further measures, where appropriate, to ensure it continues to function as intended.

I have recently spoken to senior management at the GFG Alliance, the parent organisation of Liberty Steel, about the restart of operations at Liberty Steel Dalzell. I have been advised that the restart is on track and that they have confidence that the contract will be fulfilled.

The Dalzell Plate Mill is privately owned and any decisions on its ownership are a commercial matter for the company.

The content of any legal advice is confidential. By long-standing convention, successive Scottish and Westminster Governments have not disclosed the source or content of legal advice other than in the most exceptional circumstances.

The Scottish Government’s position has been established for several years and reflected in submissions to the Scottish Parliament’s Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee. The sheep on St Kilda are regarded as an unowned and unmanaged population of wild animals. They are protected under the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006 when brought under human control, and at other times by the Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 1996.

PE2021 EnsureAnimal Health and Welfare Scotland Act 2006 applies to the sheep on St Kilda | Scottish Parliament Website

The Scottish Animal Welfare Commission have confirmed, at the request of the Chief Veterinary Officer for Scotland, that it will establish a working group to consider the moral and ethical issues for landowners in managing feral animals in Scotland, including the St Kilda sheep, and to develop an opinion on their welfare.

The National Trust for Scotland is undertaking a full review of the situation on St Kilda and as the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands confirmed in Parliament on 08 January 2026, the Scottish Government willingness to engage and work closely with the Trust on this matter.

The First Minister was briefed further in January 2026 on the proposed move of inpatient learning disability services from Strathmartine Centre in Dundee to Murray Royal Hospital in Perth. He asked that I wrote to all opposition parties to provide an update. This letter issued on 28 January 2026 and was also shared with all local MSPs.

Our 2026-27 draft Scottish Budget is published and awaiting Parliamentary approval. All indicative funding commitments are subject to the outcome of any spending review by the Scottish Government and approval of the annual Budget Bills by the Scottish Parliament during this period.

There is no specific funding allocated in the draft 2026-27 Scottish Budget for a national respiratory audit. However, broader work in this area is being progressed through the Health and Social Care Service Renewal Framework, which provides the basis for strengthening national data and supporting more robust performance and outcome measures, building on earlier work to address gaps and enhance quality.

The Scottish Government’s performance management policy and procedure provide a structured, supportive framework to help staff maintain effective performance. Under these arrangements, line managers are responsible for dealing with any concerns about performance at an early stage and on an informal basis initially. If concerns continue, formal processes can apply.

Currently, within the core Scottish Government Director-General business areas, there are 6 employees subject to formal performance management procedures for less than effective performance.

The core Director-General business areas are:

Director-General Communities

Director-General Corporate

Director-General Economy

Director-General Education and Justice

Director-General Health and Social Care

Director-General Net Zero, Director-General Scottish Exchequer

Director-General Exchequer Strategy & Performance.

The position of the Scottish Government has not changed: we support fully dualling the A96 and we are already starting the dualling process from Inverness to Nairn, including a Nairn Bypass.

The commitment to progressing A96 dualling is included in the Scottish Spending Review 2026 along with the Infrastructure Delivery Pipeline 2026, both of which were published on 13 January 2026.

Investment in the trunk road network over the four year Capital Spending Review period to 2029/30 will allow us 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, this 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 this scheme and further develop the Business Case.

As with all trunk road improvement projects, funding to progress this work will be managed within the Capital Land and Works budget line.

The Scottish Government’s preference would be to deliver the A96 Dualling Inverness to Nairn (including Nairn Bypass) as one project. However, due to the continued fiscal challenges, it is planned that we will take forward a phased approach to delivery, starting with the Nairn Bypass, followed by the remaining sections of the scheme, from Seafield, east of Inverness, to Balloch and then on from Balloch to the Nairn Bypass.

Completion of the preparatory work, including approval of the Business Case, 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 Nairn Bypass in 2029-30, subject to business case approval and confirmation of funding beyond the spending review period. We also expect to commence the delivery of advanced works for the Seafield to Balloch section of the scheme during this capital spending review period.

Despite the current fiscal position and following the A96 Dualling Inverness to Nairn (including Nairn Bypass) scheme, the Scottish Government will continue to progress improvements to the A96 eastwards, including an Elgin Bypass. Next steps in taking forward an Elgin bypass will include further route development and preparatory considerations.