Chamber and committees

Our framework Drug and alcohol services - improving holistic family support - gov.scot (www.gov.scot), which was published on 8 December 2021, sets out principles of how we will improve holistic support for families affected by drugs and alcohol by taking a whole family approach and using family inclusive practice.

The framework is supported by investing totalling £6.5 million per year over the life of the Parliament.

We are working with local areas to improve their family support and implement family inclusive practice across alcohol and drug services. This is supported by a national working group.

Young people can be referred to Routes from anywhere but are mainly referred to Routes by schools. Referrals are also made by addiction services, GPs, local authorities, social workers and family members. Young people often refer friends and they can self-refer.

The Scottish Government do not hold any data on the number of children that currently have at least one parent or parental figure with a drug addiction, nor do we collect data that could make an informed assessment of this or provide a proxy.

The Scottish Government has committed to funding this facility for £2 million annually until March 2026. To date, the only Scottish Government spend on this facility is the first tranche of funding for 2024-25 which was £760,000, provided to the HSCP in August. The second tranche of funding for 2024-25 is due to be provided in December.

All family members, including children and young people, need support in their own right when their family is affected by substance use.

The ‘Whole Family Approach’, supported by the ‘Family Inclusive Practice Framework’, is being implemented locally to ensure tailored support and access to resources for everyone in need. Local services will receive a £6.5 million investment per year over the life of the Parliament.

In addition to this, we provide annual funding to national organisation Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol and Drugs, which offers free resources, helplines, peer support groups, and counselling specifically designed for families using substances.

In 2023, Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol and Drugs received government funding to expand their ‘Routes’ initiative nationally for young people impacted by parental substance use.

Through the Routes initiative, young people can access counselling services and attend peer support groups to help reduce isolation, as well taking part in group experiences and developing practical skills to increase their chance of a happy and fulfilling future.

We are investing nearly £4 million to expand the successful Routes model in to Falkirk, Aberdeenshire, Renfrewshire, North Lanarkshire, East Lothian and Orkney.

The Scottish Government does not hold any data on the number of households that currently have at least one person with an alcohol addiction.

The Scottish Government recognises how vital Tourism is to both our national economy and to that of Glasgow as well.

Through our national tourism agency, VisitScotland, the Scottish Government is committed to helping grow the value of tourism across Scotland, including in our cities. VisitScotland promote Glasgow throughout the year across all of their channels and activity, focusing on driving visits at times of the year where there is capacity for growth. A live example is Glasgow being featured in current VisitScotland Expedia activity in the US and UK. Partnership working is a core part of VisitScotland’s approach, and they are guided by their Glasgow city partners and work with them on content planning and development.

VisitScotland also provide specialist support for tourism businesses in Glasgow – to help them develop quality experiences, build digital capability, reach new markets and move towards more sustainable practices. They work closely with partners to support delivery of the Glasgow 2030 Tourism Strategy, which is aligned with the national tourism strategy Scotland Outlook 2030, a key component of the National Strategy for Economic Transformation. In addition, VisitScotland will be a supporting partner in the delivery of the forthcoming Glasgow Events Strategy 2035 to maintain the city’s position as a leading global event destination.

Scotland, and in particular Glasgow, is a world-leading events destination with an annual portfolio of major events, These events contribute to a range of outcomes, including the Scottish Government’s ambition to grow the economy and showcase Scotland on the world stage.

The refreshed National Events Strategy Scotland the Perfect Stage 2024 – 2035, sets a clear vision for the events sector as a whole, reaffirming Scotland’s ambition for the events sector. The Scottish Government will continue to work with partners across the events sector to attract major events to Glasgow and Scotland.

Hosting the 2026 Commonwealth Games will deliver economic and sporting opportunity for Scotland and support a new future for the Games movement. The Scottish Government is pleased to be working alongside partners to once again welcome athletes, official and visitors to Glasgow and showcase all that Scotland has to offer. Commonwealth Games Scotland estimate the Gross Value Added from the 2026 Commonwealth Games to be in excess of £100 million. The capital investment funding will provide direct economic benefit for the Scottish supply chain and visitors to the event would be expected to provide further direct spending into the Scottish visitor economy.

In addition, Scotland will co-host EURO 2028 after UEFA confirmed the success of the joint UK and Ireland bid in October, 2023. Building on successfully hosting games at EURO 2020, matches in Scotland will be played at Hampden Park in Glasgow.

Although the Glasgow City Region Deal supports infrastructure projects and does not include any tourism projects in Glasgow itself, the £14.1m City Deal funded Ocean Terminal Project in Inverclyde, aims to provide a new Cruise Line Terminal including a berthing facility, state of the art visitor centre, gallery, and restaurant to boost the number of cruise ship passengers welcomed to Scotland through the facility operated by Peel Ports. It is estimated that over 150,000 passengers could pass through Greenock Ocean Terminal delivering £26 million in annual visitor and crew spend to the Scottish economy.

From 2026, the Visitor levy will have the potential to make a positive impact on Tourism in Glasgow. While it is up to Glasgow City Council to decide on whether to have a levy or not, the Act requires that funds raised by a visitor levy must be used to support the visitor economy. Funding raised by a visitor levy (net of local authority administrative costs) must be used for purposes related to developing, supporting or sustaining facilities or services substantially for, or used by, those visiting the scheme area for leisure and/or business purposes.

Glasgow’s rich heritage is also vital for promoting tourism. The Scottish Government delivers support for the Historic Environment through sponsorship of Historic Environment Scotland, who deliver over £13 million in grants each year for projects which conserve and enhance the sustainability of our historic environment. Amongst other grants awarded in the Glasgow area, Historic Environment Scotland issued over £2.5 million in grant funding to the Glasgow City Heritage Trust in the financial years 2023-24 and 2025-26. Historic Environment Scotland welcomed over 450,000 visitors to Glasgow Cathedral last year, demonstrating a 65% increase on last year, and is working alongside Glasgow Life on the retail offer in St Mungo's Museum of Religious Life and Art, sourcing from new Glasgow-based designers and suppliers to benefit locals and visitors alike.

By supporting the tourism industry both in Glasgow and nationally, the Scottish Government is investing in the livelihoods of countless individuals and the prosperity of the entire country. The money spent by tourists goes into our schools, healthcare, and infrastructure. Therefore, supporting the tourism industry is not just about spending; it's an investment that brings returns to our society as a whole.

The Scottish Government will continue to work with the culture sector to do everything within our powers and resources to help those most affected by current economic challenges.

Creative Scotland (CS), the public body that supports the arts, screen and creative industries in Scotland, continues to have regular discussions with Glasgow Life and the Centre for Contemporary Arts Board members and staff. CS have offered them flexibility in the use of existing regular funding they receive, together with support for external expertise to inform their future operating model when they reopen.

The anticipated full year spend (12 months from opening, not the financial year) is £2.3 million. This funding is largely to cover the staffing of the facility. Glasgow Health and Social Care Partnership have funded the building works and furnishings.