Chamber and committees

In February 2021, we published a refresh of the Diabetes Improvement Plan (DIP). This sets out our priorities and commitments to improve prevention, treatment and care for everyone in Scotland affected by diabetes. The Scottish Diabetes Group (SDG) oversees implementation and governance of the DIP.

There are several sub-groups of the SDG, with responsibility for specific commitments within the Plan. The Type 1 Sub-Group is focused on improving access to diabetes technologies, including closed loop systems. Using real-time data from SCI-diabetes, the SDG and Scottish Government work with key stakeholders to regularly monitor the number of people accessing each specific technology.

This data also allows Managed Clinical Networks (MCNs) to self-assess where there are gaps and how they compare to other board areas. The SDG and Scottish Government work closely with MCNs to ensure sharing of good practice.

We recognise that there are still significant challenges for NHS Boards to provide technology to everyone who would benefit from it; and we are now working in partnership with the Centre for Sustainable Delivery in order to try to address these. The Accelerated National Innovation Adoption (ANIA) pathway team are currently assessing the suitability of a project which would support the roll out of diabetes technology, and in particular closed loop systems, as an innovation challenge. As part of this, there has been significant engagement with the diabetes community and people have shared their views on the benefits of closed-loop systems. As this project develops, we will adapt the process of measuring and evaluating to track where there are gaps across Scotland.

The Scottish Diabetes Group will continue to work with partners to assess the impact and outcomes of the roll-out for people living with diabetes.

The Programme for Government published in September notes that the Scottish Government will consider what further actions need to be taken to embed women’s rights to safe access to healthcare. In the first instance, the Scottish Government plans to focus on immediate priorities to improve access to abortion services, including providing full support to Gillian Mackay MSP’s members bill to protect women and staff accessing healthcare facilities providing abortion care from feeling harassed or intimated.

Further to this, the Scottish Government is continuing to improve access to early medical abortions at home, and working with Health Boards and NHS National Services Scotland (NSS) to allow women to access services between 20 to 24 weeks’ gestation within Scotland.

The Scottish Government is providing £11.6 million in grant funding to Energy Saving Trust (EST), an independent organisation working to administer the Scottish LEZ Support fund.

The LEZ Support Fund for households is a part of this LEZ Support Fund, and does not have separate admin costs. The following table therefore represents the whole LEZ Support Fund, this similarly applies to PQ S6W-14965 and PQ S6W-14963.

The administrative costs (which include EST staffing costs) are set out below alongside the value of funds that EST are distributing and the outputs achieved.

The Scottish Government’s funding for addressing loss and damage is supporting work in several countries including, although not exclusively, Malawi, Bangladesh and the Pacific. The majority of the initial £2 million committed to loss and damage has already been spent on the ground supporting communities or delivering important research to help close the knowledge gaps on loss and damage. Our funding is paid in quarterly arrears and some of the remaining funds will be spent on these programmes by the end of this financial year in March 2023, including projects in Malawi supported by the Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund and the Climate Justice Resilience Fund. However, some projects will continue until December 2023, including work by International Centre for Climate Change and Development on integrating loss and damage into national framework in Malawi and Zambia. The Scottish Government will aim to publish a report once the programmes supported by the initial £2 million have concluded, which will detail the outcomes and impact of the funding.

Details of the number of candidates awarded SCQF Level 5 National Progression Award in Beekeeping between 2018 and 2022, broken down by Education Authority are set out in the following table:

The loss of a baby, no matter at what stage of pregnancy, is a significant and traumatic event for women and their families. The Scottish Government is committed to delivering high-quality, sensitive bereavement care and support, and has provided funding to Sands UK to develop the National Bereavement Care Pathways in Scotland. The pathways are currently being piloted in 9 Health Boards in Scotland, and the remaining Boards will join later this year. A link to the National Bereavement Care Pathway can be found here: Home | SANDS (nbcpscotland.org.uk)

Scottish Government grant funding is also provided to a range of other third sector pregnancy and baby loss organisations who provide care, advice and support to women and families. Baby Loss Retreat, who offer 2 days respite for families who have experienced pregnancy or baby loss, has successfully applied for funding over the last 3 years.

The First Minister has announced that a Memorial Book of Pregnancy and Baby Loss Prior to 24 weeks will launch this Summer. Along with an entry in the book, there will also be a commemorative certificate, which is intended to give recognition and comfort to those who want to record their loss. The service is free of charge and will be entirely voluntary.

Scottish Ministers’ powers relating to inspection of educational establishments and services are set out in the Education (Scotland) Act 1980. Inspections of educational establishments are carried out by HM Inspectors.

HM Inspectors develop and maintain a set of specific inspection and review guidance which describes how HM Inspectors work in particular sectors or areas of provision. This is published on Education Scotland’s website.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-15129 on‎ 7 March 2023. 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

As set out in Section 8 of The Deposit and Return Scheme for Scotland Regulations 2020 , SEPA will publish a register of all producers who are registered ahead of the scheme launching.

The Scottish Government is aware of the importance of rural bus services and is committed, in conjunction with operators and local authorities, to looking at ways of improving services. I convened the Bus Taskforce to bring key players in the sector together to make bus travel a more attractive choice for passengers through joint commitments to reform and improve bus services.

The Scottish Government provided £223m in emergency funding to support bus services during the pandemic and the Scottish Budget for 2022-23 allocation of £410m in funding for bus services and concessionary fares. The COVID recovery support for the bus sector through the Network Support Grant Plus was extended from June 2022, and again in October 2022, and due to end on 31 March 2023. The Network Support Grant Plus was always a temporary fund and extending to 31 March was to freeze fares on participating services to help people with the cost of travel over the winter.

We are supporting bus use through the Young Persons Free Bus Scheme, which means that around half of Scotland's population are now eligible for free bus travel. We continue to provide financial support for bus services to keep services more extensive and fares more affordable than would otherwise be the case. Payments are based on the distance buses are operated, which is a particular advantage in rural areas where the routes are generally longer. Funding is also provided to local authorities in their annual settlement to support services they consider socially necessary and for community transport services, which can play an important role in rural transport networks. In 2021-22 they spent £55m in this way.

Since December 2020, the Scottish Government have supported operators through our Scottish Ultra-Low Emission Bus and Scottish Zero Emission Bus schemes, to acquire 548 new, zero emission buses and supporting infrastructure with awards totalling almost £113m. In addition, the Zero Emission Bus Market Transition Scheme, worth £500k, was announced on 10 August 2022 to help organisations to understand the steps required to replace their bus fleet with zero emission alternatives.