Chamber and committees

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-06217 on 16 February 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

The consultation report and response to last year’s consultation on changes to energy standards and associated topics will be published in March 2022. This will report on the standards for new buildings to be implemented later this year.

The Scottish Government recognises that island communities can face distinct challenges in the transition to zero emissions heating. We are committed to continuing to make higher levels of funding available per head through our energy efficiency/fuel poverty delivery programmes in remote rural areas, where we know installation and labour costs are higher.

Through our Islands Energy Strategy – of which a draft is due to be published later this year, we will work with stakeholders to take an evidence based approach to explore the need additional support for those rural and island homes which require bespoke and targeted advice for heat and energy efficiency.

Furthermore, our Heat in Buildings Supply Chain Action Plan, due to be published later this year will include a specific focus on developing local supply chains, including in our islands and remote communities, to help bring costs down.

The Scottish Government is committed to developing and implementing within this parliamentary term a revised contracting framework for community pharmacy NHS pharmaceutical services, underpinned by a review of existing Control of Entry, funding arrangement and introduction of a Performers List for the Pharmacy profession, as outlined in Achieving excellence in pharmaceutical care: a strategy for Scotland strategy.

Any future amendments to the regulations will uphold the necessity for successful applications to be granted around set criteria. These include neighbourhood requirements, the adequacy of existing pharmaceutical services in an area (from registered pharmacy premises), and the necessity or desirability of to secure adequate pharmaceutical services in an area.

Colposcopy capacity has been impacted by Covid-19, regrettably resulting in longer than usual waiting times in some Health Boards.

In recognition of this, last year we provided over £660,000 additional funding to NHS Ayrshire & Arran, NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde, NHS Highland, NHS Lothian and NHS Tayside to support capacity in colposcopy provision. The funding was used to enhance capacity through additional workforce and extra clinics, including at weekends.

We will continue to work closely with Boards who are facing challenges in order to remobilise services as soon as possible.

As set out in chapter 11 of the Heat in Buildings Strategy, we are developing a monitoring and evaluation framework which we will publish later this year. We will publish our response to this recommendation, and the Climate Change Committee’s other recommendations this spring.

https://www.gov.scot/publications/heat-buildings-strategy-achieving-net-zero-emissions-scotlands-buildings/pages/12/

A person who is performing indoors does not need to wear a face covering if there is a partition between that person and other people or if there is at least one metre between that person and other people. The distance was reduced from 2 metres to 1 metre with effect from 28 January.

There is an exemption as set out in regulation 5(1)(j) of the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Requirements) (Scotland) 2021 which allows individuals to perform or rehearse for a performance without face coverings in situations on stage where the wearing of a face covering, one-metre distancing or partitioning would materially affect the performance.

The 1 metre distancing requirement or wearing of face covering or partition is required to ensure that choirs can return safely to singing given transmission of Covid19 in indoor spaces. The Scottish Government published a report on the impact of physical distancing in reducing the spread of the virus in June 2021. This is available at the link below:

Coronavirus (COVID-19): review of physical distancing in Scotland - June 2021 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

The Scottish Government will continue to review the remaining restrictions on a three weekly basis. The next review is due on 22 February.

The Scottish Government supports farmers during the ongoing UK-wide avian influenza outbreak through the provision of timely advice and guidance to poultry and other captive bird keepers on risks, legal requirements and biosecurity. This information is made available through social media, news releases and on gov.scot, as these continue to be vital tools in protecting birds.

The Scottish Government has reminded keepers that the Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ), and associated robust biosecurity and housing measures, remain in place across Scotland. These measures include all bird keepers keeping their birds indoors or keeping them otherwise separate from wild birds.

The Scottish Government has also made an additional £1 million of funding available to the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA). This is to cover the agency’s additional expenses associated with tackling the current outbreak.

Compensation is paid for birds humanely euthanased as part of our disease response in line with valuation tables, which are updated regularly by the Animal and Plant Health Agency on behalf of the Scottish Government. The Scottish Government do not compensate for any dead or visibly ill birds, which is in line with the policy in England and Wales.

If a larger poultry or captive bird business is in a disease control zone, there may be trade issues associated with regionalisation. The Scottish Government work with the Defra Market Access and Veterinary Trade Facilitation teams, who liaise with poultry industry stakeholders and the APHA Centre for International Trade to understand and address issues and priorities for poultry exports. Defra Market Access also liaise with British Embassy colleagues globally to answers trade related queries from Central Competent Authorities, provide updates to third country trading partners and seek clarity on terms of trade where required. The Scottish Government will liaise with the National Farmers Union Scotland (NFUS) and the British Egg Industry Council (BEIC) to support affected businesses where required.

In 2019 and 2020 the Crofting Commission recorded over 830 new entrants into crofting, with 44% of these being women, and 32% being aged 40 or under. Given the positive work being undertaken by the Commission and the Development Officers, we expect to see similar positive numbers when the Crofting Commission produces its figures for 2021-22.

The Scottish Government does not have specific data across all of its funding schemes to separate the financial support it provides to new entrant crofters from the funding support it provides to existing crofters. In round terms, however, the Scottish Government provides croft businesses with over £40m in support each year.

New entrants to crofting can access the Crofting Agricultural Grant Scheme, which has a higher grant rate for those crofters under 41 years of age who have been head of the croft business for less than 5 years. New entrants can also access the Croft House Grant, Forestry Grant Scheme, Farm Advisory Service, Highlands and Islands Veterinary Services Scheme and can also access the basic Pillar 1 type payments.

The National Development Plan for Crofting, published in March 2021, forms a critical part of the support this Government will be offering to crofters and crofting communities, to ensure that crofting remains at the heart of our rural and island communities.

In 2021 the Crofting Commission expanded its Residency and Land Use team to enable it to increase its work in addressing absenteeism and bringing crofts back into productive use.

The Commission also appointed its islands-based Crofting Development Officers who will work with crofting communities and strengthen links between the Commission and the communities it serves by building constructive local relations. The new Officers will work with local assessors and liaise with landlords and townships to encourage opportunities for new entrants and active croft use.

The Scottish Government agrees with the Assembly on the importance of rapidly decarbonising public sector buildings. We are committed to developing and agreeing, through consultation, a series of phased targets for the decarbonisation of public sector buildings. Targets will start in 2024, with the most difficult buildings like hospitals being decarbonised by 2038 and for all publicly owned buildings to meet net zero emission heating requirements by 2038. This is seven years earlier than the backstop of 2045 for the rest of Scotland’s building stock.

Action is being taken by the Scottish Government to support Scotland’s public sector to meet these targets:

• The Scottish Green Public Sector Estate Decarbonisation Scheme will distribute £200 million of capital funding during this parliamentary session to aid the decarbonisation of Scotland’s public sector estate.
• NHS Scotland’s £10 billion programme of investment in new hospitals and healthcare facilities is guided by a commitment that all new buildings and major refurbishments will produce net zero emissions and use renewable heat.
• The £2 billion Learning Estate Investment Programme, managed by the Scottish Futures Trust, aims to benefit around 50,000 pupils across Scotland by the end of the next Parliament by delivering digitally enabled, low-carbon schools and campuses.