Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government has allocated budget of £1,345,000 for the prevention of the destruction of the marine environment and allocated budget of £26,228,000 for efforts to police marine protection, including by vessels operated by (i) Marine Scotland and (ii) any other authorities.

Education Scotland are currently learning more about the evidence-based Nuffield Early Language Intervention (NELI) programme and a related screening tool, Language Screen, which assesses four components of oral language skills. However, it is for individual schools and local authorities to decide if specific literacy screening tools and interventions such as NELI and Language Screen meet their strategic aims.

The Scottish Government partially funded the creation of a Priority Setting Partnership to agree the top 10 priorities for future research on ME/ Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and we are considering, with partners, how best we can progress these priority areas in Scotland. To help facilitate this, the Scottish Government’s Chief Scientist Office is currently inputting to a newly-formed UK-wide working group on research into ME/ Chronic Fatigue Syndrome through the UK Clinical Research Collaborative.

The Chief Scientist Office operates open competitive funding schemes for applied health research projects and fellowships across the wide range of NHS and health challenges in Scotland. These schemes are open to consideration of applications addressing priorities for research on ME/CFS that have been identified by the recent Priority Setting Partnership. Applications to these schemes are assessed through independent expert peer-review with funding recommendations made by independent expert committees.

Scotland’s Redress Scheme has been developed to ensure that survivors of abuse in relevant care settings are at the heart of the process at all times, and can maintain decision making responsibilities regarding their application and the content of that application.

The kind of information needed to accompany an application may come from diverse sources. In some cases it may already be in the applicant’s possession, or in the possession of others who were in the same establishment that they have kept in touch with. It is important that we acknowledge that personal data belongs to an individual and that when accessing information this is done in line with data protection law to ensure data is used properly and legally.

In line with the response issued to question S6W-10847 on 21 September 2022, it is an important aspect of the Scotland’s Redress Scheme that applicants have support available to them at all stages of the process, including to support accessing of records and other information relevant to their application.

When additional support is required, case workers refer applicants to the Redress Support Service provided by the In-Care Survivors Alliance. The In-Care Survivors Alliance draws on its existing network of over 70 delivery partners to provide support.

The Redress Support Service can help applicants access the emotional, practical or access to records support they require. They currently have contracts with two delivery partners; Birthlink and Wellbeing Scotland, who provide additional support for applicants in accessing records.

Support to access records can also be provided by a nominated representative, which may be a solicitor, with the scheme ensuring there is provision for legal fees to be paid directly to solicitors.

The Privacy Notice for Survivor Applicants and the Privacy Notice for Next of Kin Applicants provide details on how the information collected by Scottish Government, as administrators of Scotland’s Redress Scheme, is managed and how it is used.

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
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We welcome the recommendations made within the recent Scottish stakeholder review of the ME/CFS NICE guideline and are working with stakeholders on how best to implement these. The report was produced independently by Blake Stevenson Ltd to present the views gathered during a stakeholder engagement exercise commissioned by the Scottish Government.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-11261 on 19 October 2022. 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

This information is not centrally held. While the Scottish Government’s role is to set the strategic policy for the NHS in Scotland, NHS Boards and healthcare professionals locally have responsibility for both service delivery and people’s care. NHS Boards are expected to ensure that patients, including those who require care and support for ME/CFS, have access to a range of professionals to provide the appropriate management of their condition.

Given the range of symptoms which can be experienced with ME/CFS, we know there is no ‘one-size fits all’ response and our approach is to support people to access care and support in a setting that is appropriate and as close to their home as is practicable.

Our strengthening of the primary care workforce through recruitment of multi-disciplinary teams is making it easier for people to access this type of care and support. We have now recruited over 3,220 professionals, including community nurses and physiotherapists, with increased funding of £170m in 2022-23 to support further development of multi-disciplinary teams.

The Scottish Government has had no recent discussions with Talgo with regards to its proposed investment at Longannet, which was tied to its bid to construct trains for HS2.While Talgo was one of the shortlisted potential suppliers of HS2 trains in a procurement competition run by HS2 Ltd (over which the Scottish Government had no control), it was subsequently excluded from the competition removing the underpinning reason for Talgo’s investment. Team Scotland is open to having discussions with Talgo regarding any potential investment at Longannet, or indeed anywhere in Scotland, and Scottish Enterprise remain engaged with Scottish Power (owners of Longannet) around enquiries about potential development of the site.

There are over 300 Properties in Care managed by Historic Environment Scotland, the vast majority of which are currently open and with free entry to visitors. Providing access to our world-renowned historic sites, particularly during the cost-of-living crisis, is one of the ways we can make cultural places accessible, understood, shared and enjoyed by everyone.

I will continue discussing future potential approaches for our Properties in Care with Historic Environment Scotland.

The Programme for Government 2022 to 2023 on 6 September 2022, outlined that a dedicated Food Security Unit would be established within the Scottish Government with a view to monitoring ongoing supply chain vulnerabilities and linking with future food security work’. The Food Security unit is in the process of being established.

However, until the unit is officially established and underway, work is being taken forward by officials in regards to food security including the completion of other recommendations from the Short Life Food Security and Supply Taskforce Report as well as regular engagement with the Food and Drink industry.

The Scottish Government takes the topic of food security in Scotland seriously and I, as well as my fellow Scottish Ministers continue to press the UK Government, urging them to take action immediately on particular issues they have control over. I also recently wrote to the UK Government again to highlight the cumulative impact on the food and drink sector of labour and skills shortages and now rising costs.

We also continue to have a range of regular engagement with the EU, including on the important issue of food security and the associated work of the European Food Security Crisis preparedness and response Mechanism.

Scottish Ministers and officials will continue to work closely with industry representatives, and continue to engage across the sectors and governments in relation to food security and supply issues.