Chamber and committees

Food Standards Scotland (FSS) meet on a quarterly basis with the representatives of the Society of Chief Officers in Environmental Health who work in local authorities to discuss issues in relation to food safety, food standards and nutrition in Scotland. The last time they met was on 17 July. They also attend and present at the Society’s annual congress.

FSS are members of the Environmental Health Policy Co-ordination Group, who meet monthly and have the Environmental Health Officer (EHO) vacancies and workforce shortages as standing agenda item for each meeting

.Since vesting, FSS has provided an annual grant to the Society which it disperses to local authorities who apply for funding assistance in training and recruitment of trainee Environmental Health and Food Safety Officers. The amount has averaged at between £20,000 - £60,000 per annum and a one-off payment of £300,000 was provided in 2022 – 23 to assist with the acute shortage in student and EHO numbers.

FSS also provide a number of speciality training packages to local authorities to ensure EHOs are trained on numerous technical subjects. These courses are reviewed and updated regularly.

I, in my capacity as Minister for Public Health and Women’s Health, met with Geoff Ogle, CEO of FSS on 20 June to discuss the current state of local delivery in relation to food law and the proposed reform programme that would introduce digital capabilities, as well as an overhaul of the food law delivery system.

I have asked Janet Egdell, Chief Executive of NRS to respond. Her response is that the National Records of Scotland (NRS) are responsible for the Scottish Register of Tartans website.

NRS remains committed to maintaining a website to support the Scottish Register of Tartans. There are no current plans to update the user interface of the Scottish Register of Tartans website.

NRS are focused on the launch of the refreshed Scotland’s People website during September 2024 and work will then follow to consider all website provision.

There are currently no vacancies.

The list of current Whistleblowing Champions for each board can be accessed via this link: Public appointments - gov.scot (www.gov.scot).

Jenni Minto: The Scottish Government recognises certain groups of patients for whom the use of dental amalgam has been specifically contra-indicated in the European Union’s 2018 Minimata Convention on Mercury. As a result, resin composite fillings are available for the restoration of molar teeth in patients under 15 years of age, pregnant or breast-feeding women and those who have specific medical conditions that contraindicate the use of dental amalgam.

For all other patient groups, where there are no contra-indications, dental amalgam remains the first line treatment material for fillings in molar teeth. As the primary focus of NHS General Dental Services in Scotland is to provide care to maintain the oral health of patients, it is essential that the service is able to provide an evidence-based package of care which meets clinical requirements while also providing value for money, and the continued use of dental amalgam remains an essential element to meeting these goals.

We are committed to ensuring those living with endometriosis symptoms can access the best possible care and support and that they benefit from healthcare services that are safe and effective.

The Centre for Sustainable Delivery (CfSD) has developed and published the Endometriosis Referral Care Pathway for Scotland, which has been adapted from NICE guidelines. The pathway aims to support healthcare professionals to provide a holistic approach and timely care for those with endometriosis and endometriosis-like symptoms. All NHS Boards should be taking steps to implement the pathway.

The next Social Housing Net Zero Heat Quarterly Report will be published in October and will update on the fund’s progress over Quarter 1 and Quarter 2 of this financial year.

Alasdair Allan: Currently, there is no date set for the next funding checkpoint of the Social Housing Net Zero Heat Fund. When a date has been set it will be communicated to stakeholders through the fund website and stakeholder channels.

There are no current plans to update the publication ‘Scotland’s Long COVID Service’.

The guideline ‘Managing the long-term effects of COVID-19' was first issued by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) and the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) in December 2020 and updated in November 2021. NICE continues to check for the publication of new evidence and consider whether it would change any recommendations in the guideline. No evidence to update the recommendations has been found since the last update in November 2021.

NHS Inform has a dedicated microsite (https://www.nhsinform.scot/long-covid) which provides information for people living with long COVID .This was reviewed and where necessary updated in 2023 following user research with people living with long COVID.

Matters of parliamentary reform, including changes in relation to the position on parliamentary privilege, are primarily for Parliament to develop and consider.

The Scottish Government would consider proposals put before Parliament.

The Scottish Government has not provided any funding to the Stroke Association in the last five years.