Chamber and committees

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-00341 on 17th June 2021, which states details concerning contractual arrangements for UK MoD projects are a matter between the UK Government and Babcock.

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 has worked in partnership with COSLA and Zero Waste Scotland to develop arrangements for the fund. More information on the aims, scope and distribution of the fund is available at:

https://www.zerowastescotland.org.uk/local-authorities/recycling-improvement-fund

Local authorities are urged to apply to the fund, to help drive new innovations and improvements to recycling in their area and across the country.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-00017 on 24 May 2021. 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 Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), which is the UK body responsible for ensuring that medicines and medical devices work and are acceptably safe, and the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), an independent clinical group of experts that provides all Governments in the UK with advice on vaccinations, both concur that the evidence shows that, overall, the benefits of vaccination, including vaccinating the under 30 year olds, outweigh the risks. In coming to this conclusion, both organisations looked in detail at all the evidence from the clinical trials undertaken by the pharmaceutical companies and the post-approval authorisation monitoring of the vaccines. The JCVI also reviewed and took into consideration the latest available evidence on the current UK COVID-19 infection rate, the scale and pace of the vaccine programme and modelling of the timing and size of any likely third pandemic wave. It is important that all those who are eligible and advised to be vaccinated take up the offer of a vaccine, and complete the course for maximum protection.

It is crucial that the decisions we take are based on the latest available evidence and are aligned to clinical guidance.

Our approach is for people to have access to the support they need for assessment, diagnosis, care and rehabilitation in a setting that is as close to their home as possible.

NHS Boards across Scotland are co-ordinating and providing local pathways to ensure a multidisciplinary and person-centred approach in their area.

Additionally, we invested over £460,000 in Chest, Heart and Stroke Scotland to enable them to deliver their ‘Long COVID support service’ which complements the support being provided by NHS Scotland.

The Scottish Government’s Chief Scientist Office has also committed around £2.5 million to fund nine projects to improve our understanding of the long term effects of COVID-19 on physical and mental health and wellbeing in Scotland, and help with developing effective clinical interventions to support recovery and rehabilitation.

The NHS Research Scotland infrastructure funded by the Scottish Government Chief Scientist Office is supporting a number of studies on the longer term effects of COVID-19 infection. These include the UK-wide Post-hospitalisation COVID-19 study (PHOSP-COVID) led by the University of Leicester that is recruiting individuals who were discharged from hospital following COVID-19 to study the short (0-6 months), medium (6-12 months) and long-term (12 months +) effects of the disease PHOSP-COVID Home Page - PHOSP-COVID

On December 22 2020, the Chief Scientist Office announced the outcome of its funding call for Scottish-led research on the long-term effects of COVID-19 infection. Following a competitive independently peer reviewed process 9 Long-covid research projects were funded with a total funding commitment of around £2.5 million. Details of the funded projects are available from the Chief Scientist Office website

Long Covid Call – Chief Scientist Office (scot.nhs.uk)

Our approach is for people to have access to the support they need for assessment, diagnosis, care and rehabilitation in a setting that is as close to their home as possible.

NHS Boards across Scotland are co-ordinating and providing local pathways from primary, community care and third sector services to ensure a multidisciplinary and person-centred approach in their area.

Whilst long COVID clinics are one model that NHS Boards may explore in doing so, we recognise that no one single approach is likely to fit all areas and circumstances.

The number of Allied Health Professionals with a specialty of Therapeutic Radiography working for NHS Scotland at the end of each financial year since 2015-16 can be found in the following table:

NHSScotland Allied Health Professionals with a specialty of Therapeutic Radiography (Bands 5-9), Staff in post (Whole Time Equivalent) For the period March 2016 to March 2021.

Marine Scotland monitors fishing activity and sandeel abundance off our east coast, including the Turbot Bank nature conservation marine protected area (MPA). The last research survey in December 2020 found high numbers of sandeels within this MPA. Marine Scotland scientists collaborate in sandeel assessments conducted by the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES). ICES reports annual sandeel landings at the level of ICES statistical rectangles, as for most commercial fish stocks. The ICES rectangles containing the Turbot Bank nature conservation MPA also include other sandeel grounds and so no landings are available for just the MPA. Since 2014, fishing has taken place in the ICES rectangles containing the MPA in 2016, 2018, 2019 and 2021. Nevertheless, based on vessel monitoring, there was no evidence of fishing in the MPA until this year when fishing appeared to extend to the eastern edge of this area.

Explanatory note:

Each ICES statistical rectangle is '30 min latitude by 1 degree longitude' in size which is approximately 30 nautical miles by 30 nautical miles

We are currently planning for an extensive marketing campaign to take place throughout this year to reinforce how people can effectively reduce the risk of fire in their homes and highlighting the changes coming into force in February 2022.

We are continuing to work with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, as well as local authorities, to ensure people have the support and advice they need to meet the new requirements. Our regularly updated online Q and A has been providing advice for householders since 2018 and SFRS have signposted and highlighted the changes though various social media channels.