Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government does not have any plans to change the law regarding the protection of gulls, including herring gulls.

The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 provides protection for all wild birds. NatureScot has responsibility for the issuing of General Licences under Section 16(1) of the Act, which authorise the killing and taking of certain wild birds including their eggs, for one or more of several reasons including public health and safety.

NatureScot held a consultation on General Licences between August and October 2019. Following this consultation, several species were removed from the 2020 General Licences, including herring, lesser black-backed and great black-backed gulls, either on the basis that there was insufficient evidence of the damage they caused; there are alternative non-lethal solutions; or there are conservation concerns over their population status. Where species have been removed from the General Licence, authorised persons are still able to apply to NatureScot for a specific licence to control them or undertake lethal control, including nest and egg destruction in some circumstances.

A UK seabird census, organised by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, is currently being undertaken which includes an element that aims to estimate the populations of species that breed in urban environments. The final report, which is due to be published next year, will help inform future policy in dealing with urban gull populations.

The package of enhancements identified via the option selection process is to be confirmed by Transport Scotland by the end of 2022, as part of its endorsement of the Outline Business Cases for both this project and the related project to decarbonise this route. As advised in my response to S6W-08116, the package comprises signal enhancements, improvements to station approaches and specific capacity alternations to facilitate the mixed operation of faster and slower trains on the same route.

Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) do not have an exclusive agreement with Scottish Power Renewables for development of windfarms on Scotland’s national forests and Land.

Scottish Power Renewables are one of a number of developers that FLS are working with in order to meet the Scottish Government’s objective of increasing electricity generation through renewable sources, including wind.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) recommends the use of Modified Vaccinia Ankara (MVA) vaccines as part of the response to the current monkeypox outbreak, for people who are at higher risk of coming into contact with monkeypox.

The Scottish Government and Public Health Scotland (PHS) are working together with Health Boards to support the safe delivery of monkeypox vaccination.

There is currently a limited supply of existing MVA vaccine, which Scotland has secured its share of. Vaccination is underway and it is currently being offered to those at highest risk first, to help reduce the spread.

Additional supplies are expected in September, and people will be offered a first dose in priority order as soon as it becomes available.

From November 2021 to 1 July 2022, and from the 3 areas used in the initial pilot (Glasgow and North and South Ayrshire), there have been:

•102 calls to the line in total - 38 were outside opening hours, 24 chose to hang up before speaking with an advisor.

•40 calls were answered

•23 of these calls resulted in a supervised consumption, (70% injected or smoked heroin, 20% injected or smoked cocaine).

•None of the calls required the intervention of emergency services

Everyone who accessed the service was offered a link to drug treatment services. All of those who used the supervised consumption element of the phone line were already engaged with drug treatment services.

Everyone who called the service was offered postal naloxone and injecting equipment provision (IEP). Postal naloxone was requested by 8% of people who called the phone line and this was provided in every case.

Referrals were also made to: mental health support (3%); homelessness/housing support (3%); other support (13%). Foodbank information was also supplied to 10% of callers .

The Scottish Government recognises that Social Isolation and Loneliness is a public health issue, which has been exacerbated because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Between August 2021 and March 2022, £1 million was allocated by the Directorate for Equality, Inclusion and Human Rights to organisations working to tackle social isolation and loneliness. This funding has supported work including helplines, befriending, and practical support. Many of the 48 organisations funded through the Equality and Human Rights Fund (2021-2024) also make a valuable contribution to tackling social isolation.

In addition, £21 million has been spent in 2021-22 via the Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund, which helps to tackle priority issues including social isolation and loneliness. This fund has been continued for 2022-23 with a further £15 million.

The information requested on how many dental nursing vacancies currently exist across Scotland, broken down by NHS board is not held centrally by The Scottish Government.

The latest data received by the Scottish Government from Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland indicated that as of March 2022, a total of 1,498 referrals were made to the long COVID Support Service since its inception in February 2021.

The Scottish Government and NHS Scotland welcomes doctors of all grades and experience. To practice medicine in Scotland, individuals must be registered with the General Medical Council (GMC). For individuals who studied at a medical school outside of the UK or EEA, they will likely need to sit a Professional and Linguistic Assessment Board (PLAB). Further details on the PLAB tests or GMC registration can be found here Join the register - GMC (gmc-uk.org) .

The GMC may provide assistance to refugees and those with UK resettlement leave, further details can be found here Help for refugee doctors - GMC (gmc-uk.org) . When successful in obtaining a position within NHS Scotland, the salary a recruit receives will be dependent on the banding of the role, therefore a Ukrainian refugee would receive the NHS rate of pay.

1140 hours of high quality funded Early Learning and Childcare is available to all three and four year olds in Scotland, and two year olds who will benefit most. National eligibility criteria for access to funded early learning and childcare at age two is largely aligned to free school meals criteria, as well as care experienced families. Local authorities also have powers to provide discretionary access to a funded ELC place for any child they see fit.

As set out in Best Start, Bright Futures: Tacking Child Poverty Delivery Plan 2022-26 , we will review eligibility to inform the future development of childcare policy in Scotland. This work will ensure a coherent joined up system for families with children of different ages and identify the best approach to expanding access to funded childcare for more of the identified priority family groups, including families with a disabled adult or child.