Chamber and committees

The details of the current fee codes can be found in the Statement of Dental Remuneration and the discretionary fee guide. Copies of these documents are available online at:

• Statement of Dental Remuneration (scottishdental.org)
• Discretionary fee guide | National Services Scotland (nhs.scot)

We intend to introduce the 45 new fee codes for general dentistry from 1 November. A copy of the revised Determination I can be found online at: PCA(2023)4 – Fees for Determination I | Scottish Dental.

Our priority with payment reform was to ensure that we have set the fee levels to encourage the dental sector to increase NHS provision, whilst ensuring that patients can access the full range of NHS care and treatment.

We have commissioned NHS Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) to undertake a review of the increase in neonatal mortality across Scotland in‎ 2021-22. The review will consider the systems, processes and governance for the delivery of neonatal care which are relevant to the review scope. The HIS report will be published later this year.

The Scottish Government expects NHS Boards and clinicians to adhere to current guidelines to ensure timely diagnosis and treatment of chronic kidney disease in accordance with authoritative sources such as the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and the UK Kidney Association (UKKA).

As of 1 August 2023, no businesses in the Edinburgh Southern constituency have applied for vouchers through the R100 Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme.

There is clear guidance in place on prescribing and administering prescription medicine for healthcare professionals working in prisons and police custody settings. Guidance for clinicians working in prisons can be found in The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) ‘Safer Prescribing in Prison Guidance for clinicians’. Guidance for clinicians working in police custody can be found in the Faculty of Forensic & Legal Medicine’s ‘ Safe and Secure Administration of Medication in Police Custody’.

Clinical guideline implementation is the responsibility of NHS Boards. The ultimate decision about a particular clinical procedure or treatment will always depend on each individual patient’s condition, circumstances and wishes, and the clinical judgement of the healthcare team.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-19548 on‎ 14 August 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

The Climate Change Plan Advisory Group has undergone 4 of 7 plenary meetings and has so far elicited wide ranging input from diverse stakeholders into the next draft Climate Change Plan. This input includes on topics such as our vision for the future of Scotland, just transition work and energy use, with a Sub- Group meeting on the topic of heat in buildings planned in September.

The Scottish Government will produce an Outcomes Report regarding the policy outputs from the Climate Change Plan Advisory Group after the final meeting in October 2023. Policy outcomes from the group will be used to inform development of the upcoming draft Climate Change Plan.

Our website at www.scotlandsuperfast.com is the main means of publicising the R100 programme, of which the R100 Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme (SBVS) is a key component. In addition, we publicise the R100 SBVS via the press, social media, and through continued stakeholder engagement activity across Scotland. We remain actively engaged with all 32 Local Authorities – including through a series of quarterly meetings with a network of Single Points of Contact – to ensure they are fully aware of any developments around the R100 SBVS, as well as other elements of the wider R100 programme. We also provide registered suppliers with a suite of SBVS promotional tools that they can use to conduct their own promotion of the scheme.

As of 1 August 2023, a total of 286 businesses have had connections delivered through utilisation of R100 SBVS vouchers, with a further 32 businesses in the pipeline.

On behalf of the Scottish Government, Skills Development Scotland (SDS) plays an active role in managing information relating to the performance of apprenticeships and regularly engages with training providers and employers to continue to adapt and improve apprenticeship provision and delivery in Scotland.

SDS’ Skills Investment Advisers provide support on an individual basis to training providers, working with them to ensure they can support learners and overcome any challenges they are facing. This support is also provided as part of ‘Community of Practice’ events which SDS host to provide valuable information and best practice for all training providers.

In relation to engagement with employers, SDS and the Scottish Funding Council (SFC), as members of the Scottish Apprenticeship Advisory Board , engage directly with the employers who are responsible for overseeing the end-to-end delivery of apprenticeships on behalf of employers, ensuring they are fit for purpose and reflect the needs of business, learners and the Scottish economy.

SDS regularly seeks out the views of employers on apprenticeship delivery and one of the key mechanisms for doing this is the Apprenticeship Employer Survey , with the most recent survey from 2020 highlighting 88% employer satisfaction with Modern Apprenticeships overall.