Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government regularly engages with the UK Government and Petroineos. Most recently the Cabinet Secretary for Energy and Net Zero convened a trilateral discussion with the UK Government and Petroineos on 2 September. The Scottish Government has used these engagements to consistently convey to the business that refining must continue at Grangemouth for as long as practicable.

The Scottish Government funds the Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme (SMASS) at the University of Glasgow to provide a coordinated approach to the surveillance of marine species (e.g., cetaceans, seals and basking sharks) stranded around the Scottish coast. As well as investigating major causes of death, the scheme also helps identify any substantial new threats to the conservation status of these species as well as assisting in the identification of other pressures and threats.

This information is used by the Scottish Government and NatureScot to take forward action that can help to prevent strandings in the future and to meet its commitment to achieve and maintain Good Environmental Status for cetaceans. This includes delivering action to minimise, and where possible eliminate, bycatch of sensitive marine species, including cetaceans, to ensure the sustainability of our fisheries, as well as supporting ongoing work to ensure the coherence of our marine protected areas network.

Much of this work is supported by the Scottish Marine Environmental Enhancement Fund and Scottish Government's Nature Restoration Fund which is managed by NatureScot.

No discussions have taken place between ministers and Local Authorities regarding the wearing of safety helmets by delivery drivers.

As outlined in the Highway Code (a matter reserved to the UK Government), riders are recommended to wear a correctly fitted cycle helmet. However, this is not a legal requirement and remains a matter of personal choice.

However, the Scottish Government takes road safety seriously. Scotland’s Road Safety Framework to 2030 (RSF2030) was published in February 2021, with the goal of Scotland having the best road safety performance in the world. It adopts the ‘Safe System’ approach to road safety which is recognised internationally as best practice in road safety delivery. It sets challenging targets for the years ahead, with a 50 per cent reduction in fatal and serious injuries and a 60 per cent reduction in child fatal and serious injuries by 2030.

We fully support local authorities, and Police Scotland, who lead on preventing and tackling antisocial behaviour and are best placed to work with their local communities using the powers available to them. I have regular direct engagement with COSLA’s Spokesperson for Community Wellbeing discussing a range of issues, including on developing a strategic and sustainable long-term approach to antisocial behaviour and fireworks safety. Officials regularly engage with Local Authorities and COSLA on community safety matters, including antisocial behaviour. Since April 2024, this has included discussion on sharing best practice on local partnership working to prevent and tackle antisocial behaviour.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-29112 on 5 September 2024. 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.

Officials are working together with internal and external stakeholders to ensure that the work on advancing human rights, including the proposals around extending rights protections in law, is compatible and aligned with the public sector equality duty and other existing requirements on bodies exercising public functions.

The Scottish Stroke Improvement Programme team works closely with stroke services in all NHS boards to use learning from the Scottish Stroke Care Audit to support improvement across the whole stroke pathway, including timely access to thrombolysis.

We have established a National Stroke Engagement Forum, with representation from every NHS Board, with the aim of tackling common challenges in the delivery of stroke care and sharing best practice and novel approaches to care delivery. Improving thrombolysis times will be a focus of the National Stroke Engagement Forum.

Officials met with the Cabinet Secretary for Transport on 26 June, where Places for Everyone was included as part of the discussion.

Transport Scotland has already provided £46.7 million of funding to Sustrans for Places for Everyone for 2024-25 which will deliver a range of active travel infrastructure this year. More broadly in 2024-25 more than £145 million has been provided for Active Travel.

The utmost importance is placed on balancing the Scottish Government’s budget each financial year. The Scottish Government and the whole of the public sector faces a financial position that is extremely challenging. It is always necessary to ensure resources are used economically, efficiently and effectively, and increased scrutiny and spending controls are in place across all expenditure. As with all programmes across Scottish Government, further funding for Places for Everyone will need to be considered in this context for 2024-25. This consideration is currently on-going and once concluded will enable further decisions to be made.

The Scottish Stroke Improvement Programme Board review process allows for an evaluation of stroke service performance, identification of areas for improvement and agreement of steps to implement local action plans to improve the delivery of stroke care in every Board.

Many of the areas on the RAG chart, especially those around rehabilitation pathways, were new requirements in the last reporting year to reflect the commitments in the Stroke Improvement Plan. The expectation is that boards will progress and improve in their status as they implement the guidance.

Where areas of stroke care have been identified as not fully meeting criteria, Boards are asked to agree action plans to drive service improvement.

A) Armed forces personnel receive dental care through the Defence Dental Service – a tri-service dental services to the UK Armed Forces - and is therefore not within the locus of the Scottish Government.