Chamber and committees

The Scottish Biodiversity Strategy (SBS) sets out Priority Actions which are urgently required to achieve the vision of halting biodiversity loss by 2030 and reversing the trend by 2045, whilst contributing to addressing climate change. Of particular relevance to forestry is the following priority action, which recognises the important role that can be played by all types of woodland, including commercial forests.

Ensure that productive forests and woodlands are designed and managed in ways that deliver increased biodiversity and habitat connectivity whilst sustaining timber production and carbon sequestration to meet the climate crisis and reduce their vulnerability to climate risks.

The action will be delivered through the Scottish Forestry Strategy (SFS), which is built on the principles of sustainable forest management (SFM), including commitments to biodiversity. A set of high-level indicators has been identified to track and report progress against the SFS including the Woodland Ecological Condition official statistic, Designated Site Condition Monitoring, abundance of terrestrial breeding birds, and the area of woodland independently certified by the UK Woodland Assurance Scheme (UKWAS). It is anticipated that achieving the goals of the SBS will increase the biodiversity value of productive woodlands without adversely affecting the sustainable production of timber in Scotland.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-19963 on 7 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 Scottish Government does not hold the information you have requested. The Scottish Government did publish information on the number of people who were discharged to interim care placements procured using the additional funding offer made to Health and Social Care Partnerships. This data showed almost 500 people were discharged to interim care placements using the funding offer between 10 January and 3 April.

Weekly breakdowns of this data can be accessed through this link: https://www.gov.scot/publications/interim-care-placements-uptake/

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-19984 on 7 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

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-19964 on 7 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

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-19985 on 7 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

It is not possible to compare the current proposal with the previous costs at this time. The Full Business Case for NTC-Lanarkshire is still under development and project cost estimates will be revised to reflect the impact of inflation, net zero carbon targets, plot change and updated clinical brief to align with national treatment targets.

I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

During the period April 2020 to June 2023 the total costs are assessed as £477K.

Permanent In Cell Telephony means individuals in prison can maintain purposeful family contact, including with children, which we know is important for good mental health and wellbeing, and for reducing the risk of reoffending upon return to communities. In Cell Telephony will also support SPS’ longer term ambitions for in-cell technology, with additional educational opportunities and giving those individuals in prison greater control over their own lives, again supporting reintegration into the community and reducing the risk of reoffending.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-19964 on 7 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

A) The starting salary for a Band 1 nurse in Scotland for 2023-24 is £30,229. This pay offer is a consolidated pay increase of 15.8% over the previous two years.

i) The starting salary for a Band 1 nurse in England is £28,407.
‎ii) The starting salary for a Band 1 nurse in Wales is £28,834.

B) The starting salary for NHS Scotland Junior Doctors in 2022-23 is £27,653.

i) The starting salary for a Junior Doctor in England during 2022-23 was £29,384.
‎ii) The starting salary for a Junior Doctor in Wales during 2022-23 was £27,115.

Junior Doctors in Scotland are on a different set of contractual arrangements to their counterparts in England and Wales and whilst their base salary is lower, they receive a higher banding supplement than their counterparts in England and Wales.

The BMA are considering a pay offer of 12.4% for 2023-24. If accepted, a doctor at the beginning of their career would see their salary increase to £31,082 in Scotland.