Seòmar agus comataidhean

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-44387 on 20 March 2026. 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.

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 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.

As clearly set out in the Lord Advocate’s letter to the Presiding Officer of 24 February 2026, the Lord Advocate was advised on two occasions that it was appropriate to provide limited factual information to the government in relation to the case against Peter Murrell. First, on his appearance in court on March 2025 and then again on the service of the indictment in January 2026.

On each occasion, given the extremely high level of publicity which the investigation had attracted, it was appropriate to provide the government with appropriate and limited confirmation of decisions taken by the independent prosecutor and the nature of the charges. This also served to protect proceedings where there is a strong likelihood that ministers will be asked about prosecution decisions. Each minute also provided reassurance that the Law Officers had no operational involvement in prosecutorial decision making in this case.

The Scottish Government fully funds Local Authorities to deliver 1,140 hours of funded ELC. Local authorities have a statutory duty to provide funded ELC to all entitled children in their area and are responsible for local admission policies.

The Scottish Government has issued Operating Guidance on Funding Follows the Child and the National Standard which sets out the Scottish Government’s expectations of local authorities in delivering funded ELC hours.

The Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 (Section 50) also requires local authorities to consult with families in their area about how they should make ELC available. This duty helps local authorities to take into consideration the views and needs of parents and carers they serve when making decisions on how to deliver funded ELC.

All aspects of the incident at Union Corner in Glasgow are being thoroughly investigated via a multi-agency investigation; this is currently underway and will establish the full circumstances when it is safe to do so. If there are lessons to be learnt from this fire, all levels of government will need to do so and, if it leads to the need for further regulation or policy guidance to ensure the safety of people and buildings, the Scottish Government is very open to that. However, it is important that the investigation is allowed to conclude so that the facts can be fully established, rather than speculated upon.

Planning applications are considered on a case-by-case basis, including an assessment of potential impacts.

The Scottish Government response to the independent Expert Group’s Roadmap, published in November 2025, sets out the associated actions we are already taking to transform the lives of people across Scotland.

However, the UK Government retains powers over a number of key policy levers, including the minimum wage, living hours and Universal Credit, needed to fully address the Group’s recommendations .

We are making progress towards the ambitions we share with the Expert Group by investing in policies which tackle poverty and address the cost of living, providing the strongest package of financial support for families anywhere in the UK.

The childhood assistance section of the Social Security (Amendment) (Scotland) Act 2025 provides powers to legislate for Scottish Child Payment as a standalone benefit. Any future developments would need to take into account finance availability, cost effectiveness and delivery and legal implications.

The cost of uprating Scottish Child Payment for 2026-27 will be around £17.7 million.

Estimated costings of the premium relating to children under the age of one were included in the Scottish Fiscal Commission’s report, Scotland’s Economic and Fiscal Forecasts – January 2026. It estimated that around 12,000 children will receive this increased support once the payment is delivered, with estimated costs of £3.5 million (part-year) in 2027-28 and around £7 million (full-year) in 2028-29.

The Scottish Government does not hold this information.

This data may be held by local authorities. It is the responsibility of each Local Authority to plan for, and manage, ELC placements in line with their statutory duties in relation to funded ELC delivery, including having regard to the statutory guidance on cross-boundary placements.