Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government is committed to acting in the best interests of Scotland. This includes working constructively with the UK Government and Westminster in order to benefit the people of Scotland.

The Prime Minister has made clear his commitment to rebuild trust and foster respect with Devolved Governments, which the Scottish Government welcomes. The Scottish Government is keen to work together in areas of shared ambition and responsibility, and where the most effective change can be delivered through joint or coordinated action, in a way that is mutually respectful and co-operative.

The Scottish Government meets with NHS Board Digital leads on a monthly basis to discuss key issues including the integration of systems and new technologies. The Digital Health & Care Strategy and associated delivery plan set out our plans to integrate and build on our existing health and care infrastructure to improve patient outcomes. Care in the Digital Age: delivery plan 2024 to 2025 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-28494 on 19 July 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 .

NHS Scotland has not registered with the Apple Health platform and has no plan to do so. Our strategic focus is on delivering the Digital Front Door as outlined in our Digital Health & Care Strategy and associated delivery plan. This will support our ambition; to ensure people have greater access to their data and personal information securely online.

Research on the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) programme was carried out in 2007. The aim of the research was to gather evidence of young people's awareness and experience of EMA, to assess the impact on young people's choices and pathways, and to assess if EMA helped to prevent young people from becoming 'Not in Education Employment and Training' (NEET).

The final report and associated research findings can be found here:

https://webarchive.nrscotland.gov.uk/20170831082324/http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2007/07/30113243/0

https://webarchive.nrscotland.gov.uk/20170831082335/http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2007/07/30113318/0

Further to our previous response Ministers and officials will engage with a range of stakeholders ahead of Stage 2.

In May 2023, information on Primary Care Improvement Fund (PCIF) spend during 2023-24 was collected by Scottish Government alongside workforce numbers and access to NHS board provided services, which was published in June. Data is provided directly by Integrated Authorities and may be revised. Primary care improvement plans: implementation progress summary - March 2024 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) .

Table one provides a breakdown of the PCIF allocation and spend in 2023-24. Where spend is higher than allocation, Integration Authorities and Health Boards have used additional resources to support Primary Care Improvement Plan implementation. To note, for the purposes of reporting, some Integration Authority areas provide combined returns.

Table 1 - PCIF allocation and spend by Integration Authority 2023-24

As set out in answer to question S6W-28317 on 19 July 2024, any unnecessary delay in hospital is unacceptable and below the standard we would expect. The Scottish Government recognises the relationship between crowding in A&E and increased risk of harm which is why we remain committed to delivering improved A&E performance.

Action is being taken to improve patient flow through our acute sites which will in turn reduce congestion within A&E and bring down waiting times. Through our Urgent and Unscheduled Care Collaborative Programme, we are working with Boards across Scotland to implement a range of initiatives such as improved escalation process and increased clinical support for care home and ambulance crews to avoid unnecessary admission to hospital.

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 .

The Scottish Government works closely with local teams and expert groups to develop appropriate alternatives to attendance at A&E, minimise the need for admission, reduce length of stay and increase options and processes for timely and appropriate discharge which would in turn improve occupancy levels.

Decisions on capacity levels are ultimately for local health boards and their planning partners to make however, the Delayed Discharge and Hospital Occupancy Action Plan has been put in place to support systems to create the necessary capacity to deal with emerging pressures.

Fairer Deliveries For All: An Action Plan was launched in November 2018, with a focus on tackling unfair parcel delivery practices, and understanding the root causes of over-charging for these services.

The plan identified eight action points to be taken forward by the Scottish Government and its partners:

1. We will develop an interactive data hub to allow users to measure the fairness of delivery pricing to improve transparency and drive behaviour change.

2. We will develop the Scottish Parcel Delivery Map to understand consumer experiences and target interventions.

3. We will celebrate best practice by retailers and parcel delivery companies.

4. We will work with industry to explore how to increase the impact and reach of the Statement of Principles.

5. We will make it easier for consumers to know and exercise their rights.

6. We will improve the accuracy of postcode classification tools.

7. We will establish the Improving Consumer Outcomes Fund to explore new approaches to tackling long-standing consumer issues, including misleading and unfair delivery charges in rural and remote areas of Scotland.

8. We will shape UK Government action to further strengthen consumer protection.

In August 2020, the Scottish Government published a progress update on the eight action points, which can be found here: Fairer deliveries action plan: progress statement - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) .

At the time of the publication, the Scottish Government launched a consultation on the creation of a new public body to tackle the causes of consumer harm in Scotland. As a result, Consumer Scotland came into existence in April 2022, impacting on the role and remit of the Scottish Government in relation to consumer issues.

Work on the Action Plan concluded in 2022 in response to the establishment of Consumer Scotland and its role considering consumer detriment in Scotland. Post and delivery services are key priorities for the organisation as set out in its work programme, which can be found here: Work Programme 2024-2025 (HTML) | Consumer Scotland . As part of this, Consumer Scotland works with UK Regulators, governments and partner organisations to ensure that the parcel delivery market is meeting the needs of current and future consumers living in Scotland.

Postal services is a reserved policy which places a limit upon actions that the Scottish Government and Consumer Scotland can take.