Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government position is that pesticides should be authorised on a case by case basis where the available scientific evidence shows they do not pose unacceptable risks to human health, animals and the environment. An emergency authorisation for the use of the herbicide product Asulox has been approved for bracken control in 2022 in limited and controlled circumstances.

There is a need to move away from the use of emergency authorisations as the solution and look into more sustainable, long-term alternatives to Asulox. Officials have been instructed to begin talks with the other UK administrations and the Health and Safety Executive, to further engage stakeholders and those working on alternative solutions, to ensure we have more sustainable forms of bracken control going forward.

I refer the member to the answers to questions S6W-08524 on 19 May 2022 and S6W-08585 on 7 June 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

Official Statistics on Scottish greenhouse gas emissions are based on a disaggregation of the UK Greenhouse Gas Inventory. At the time of writing, the UK Greenhouse Gas Inventory does not allow for the isolation of data for emissions from the incineration of fossil carbon hence statistics at this level are not available.

The timing of the next report on roads will be a matter for Audit Scotland to consider in the planning of their work programme. The Accounts Commission and Auditor General for Scotland last published their report on Maintaining Scotland’s Roads in August 2016.

The Audit Scotland report on Maintaining Scotland’s Roads provides information on how road maintenance funding, spending and condition is measured and published. It is for Audit Scotland to determine how it does this.

I refer the member to my response on this matter, which was sent to the Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee on 25 March 2022, and which is published in the correspondence of that Committee on the Scottish Parliament website at response-from-shona-robison-25-march.pdf (parliament.scot) .

The Scottish Government is supporting communities who are impacted by water scarcity with an emergency scheme which is providing free bottled water. It is also funding a non means tested grant of up to £800 per household to fund improvements. Households whose Private Water Supply has run dry or who wish to secure grant for improvements should contact their Local Authorities to request assistance.

The Scottish Government is also undertaking five pilot projects to understand the complexities involved in the extension of existing water networks to allow households affected by water scarcity to connect. Results from these pilots are expected in the next few weeks and will inform future investment decisions

Endometriosis is covered in all Undergraduate medical curricula and as such all doctors will have an awareness of the condition.

Further postgraduate training is provided to those training in General Practice or Obstetrics and Gynaecology from Foundation Year 2 until Certificate of Completion. These core groups will receive further training and develop more in-depth knowledge and understanding of endometriosis. This includes an in-depth understanding of all symptoms and the treatment options available to patients, including surgical treatment. The training also recognises the psychological and social well-being impact on women and the need for GPs to acknowledge and manage this aspect.

The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) also provide a Continuing Professional Development course on endometriosis which has a focus on possible symptoms, treatments and when referral to secondary care is necessary.

As part of our Women’s Health Plan, the Scottish Government is working to improve access for women to appropriate support, speedy diagnosis and best treatment for endometriosis.

The Scottish Government promotes cash-first responses to hardship so that people are able to make choices about the essentials that best meets their needs. This includes through investment in key social security measures such as the Scottish Child Payment, which will be further increased in value to £25 per child per week and expanded to eligible children under the age of 16 by the end of 2022.

Anyone worried about affording essentials should contact their local authority where they will be put in contact with local advice and support, including the Scottish Welfare Fund.

NHS Inform promotes staying safe and healthy in the summer and includes information on staying safe in the sun Summer health | NHS inform .

We know that inflation is having the biggest impact on those with the lowest incomes. We are doing what we can within our devolved powers and this year we have allocated almost £3 billion to support people who are struggling.

The Scottish Government has allocated the following amounts to the Low Carbon Transport Loan from 2016 to 2022.

2016-17 £7,800,000

2017-18 £8,200,000

2018-19 £20,063,222

2019-20 £46,458,263

2020-21 £43,000,000

2021-22 £62,700,000

2022-23 £28,000,000 up to 03/08/22

The National Defibrillator Network Project, “The Circuit” developed by British Heart Foundation and Microsoft, is a UK-wide registry of defibrillators. It integrates with the existing Scottish Ambulance Service defibrillator database. In an incident of cardiac arrest, Scottish Ambulance Service call handlers use the database to locate nearby devices and direct bystanders to it.

The development and implementation of The Circuit is an operational matter for Scottish Ambulance Service, the British Heart Foundation and Microsoft, rather than Scottish Government.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-00689 on 2 July 2021. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at Written questions and answers | Scottish Parliament Website .