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The Scottish Government Urban Rural Classification will be updated following the release of the next Population Estimates for Settlements and Localities in Scotland publication by National Records of Scotland. This is currently planned to be released in 2028, based on the 2026 mid-year population estimates. A revised version of the Scottish Government Urban Rural Classification will then be produced using the new settlement population figures.

The Scottish Government Urban Rural Classification 2022, based on the 2022 Census settlement population figures, was published in December 2024:

We have recently published a sexual harassment guide to supplement the refreshed Gender Based Violence policy for NHSScotland. The guide has been developed to support employees who are currently experiencing or have experienced sexual harassment in the workplace. This includes information on how to report incidents.

As outlined in my letter to the Criminal Justice Committee on 22 July 2025, I remain committed to giving the proposal to introduce a standalone offence of non-fatal strangulation serious consideration. As part of that process our Programme for Government detailed that we will carry out a comprehensive assessment of the relevant law in order to determine next steps. I will keep Parliament updated as this work progresses.

The Central Legal Office is a department within NHS National Services Scotland (NSS). As a sponsored statutory body, NSS is subject to Annual Reviews from Scottish Government. This forms part of the overall monitoring of operational performance, governance and delivery of National Priorities. Since 2020-21, NSS has had ministerial-led annual reviews, with their Annual Review letters made publicly available on their website.

The Central Legal Office (CLO) within NHS National Services Scotland provides in-house legal services to NHSScotland Boards and wider public sector organisations. They provide cost effective advice by having fees that are competitive, flexible and compliant with the requirements for the proper handling and reporting of public funds as laid out in the Scottish Public Finance Manual.

Furthermore, their specialist legal advice and representation supports clients make legally informed decisions to promote cost-efficient practice in litigation matters.

Published figures from Healthcare Improvement Scotland estimate that in March 2025, acute and older people’s Hospital at Home services provided care equivalent to approximately 575 beds with an assumed occupancy rate of 80%. This is similar to the size of Western General Hospital and larger than University Hospital Wishaw.

In 2024-25, it is estimated that Hospital at Home services prevented 15,470 people being admitted to hospital, reducing pressure on unscheduled care and delayed discharges.

Officials are working with PHS Scotland to develop a new national data set for Hospital at Home activity and related admission alternative services. Data collection is due to commence later this year and will be expanded to include other Hospital at Home pathways such as heart failure, respiratory, paediatrics and Outpatient Parenteral Antibiotic Therapy (OPAT). Public Health Scotland plan to publish figures as this develops during 2026.

The Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009 allocates clear roles and responsibilities for managing flood risk in Scotland.

Local authorities are responsible for implementing and maintaining flood protection schemes. It is up to the local authority to determine what defence measures are appropriate as part of implementing any scheme and to consider the most appropriate arrangement for inspecting and carrying out any required work on their flood protection schemes.

Scottish Government regularly works in collaboration with local authorities, and other responsible bodies, to improve flood resilience in communities across Scotland, a significant and growing challenge, especially as climate change brings more severe and frequent flood events.

Last year we invested £3.6m into H@H for Older People, this funding was awarded through an application process in partnership with Healthcare Improvement Scotland. Aberdeen City requested and received £7,529.48 for 2024-25 to support the expansion of their Hospital at Home service for older people and acute adults.

This funding enabled the team to focus on improving and standardising processes, and efficiency of their service. This included additional GP input to enable further engagement with primary care and increase direct referrals into their service which now operates 7 days a week. Ensuring those experiencing frailty can be managed at home is the core focus of the service, however further pathways have been developed in respiratory, acute medicine and Outpatient Parenteral Antibiotic Therapy (OPAT).

The letter of 11 July sets out that the Scottish Government internal Trans and Non Binary Equality employment policy is under active review in light of the ruling in For Women Scotland V The Scottish Ministers.

This is an internal employer policy that covers Scottish Government staff. Changes to our workplace policies and procedures will be consulted on in line with normal practice, including: internal staff engagement in line with our organisational vision and values; engagement with relevant corporate and policy teams; and partnership working with the Council of Scottish Government Unions.

The timing and approach will be shaped by the emerging advice. This is a complex area of law involving the interaction between different pieces of legislation, and we want to ensure we get it right for all our staff.

Scottish Government does not provide legal advice to external parties and any questions about reported comments by Scottish Trans should be re-directed to that organisation.

The Scottish Government has invested an additional £11m in the past seven years to support new mothers to achieve their breastfeeding goals, with babies in Scotland now being breastfed for longer than ever before.

The Equality Act 2010 provides protection for breastfeeding mothers in public. In Scotland, section 1 of the Breastfeeding etc (Scotland) Act 2005 provides that it is a offence deliberately to prevent or stop a person in charge of a child from feeding milk to that child in a public place or on licensed premises, unless the child, at the material time is not lawfully permitted to be in the public place or on the licenced premises otherwise than for the purposes of being fed milk.

In addition, we are providing funding of over £1.1m to organisations working to promote LGBTQI+ equality in Scotland in 2025-26 demonstrating our commitment to protecting the rights of every LGBTQI+ person in Scotland.