Chamber and committees

a) The Scottish Government does not currently report separately for those in prison in relation to waiting times and standards. The Scottish Government’s Health and Social Care in Prisons Programme has commissioned NHS Information Services Division to develop a dashboard for healthcare in prisons, which will be in place by Spring 2019 which will cover existing data held by ISD in relation to prisons. We have a phased approach to broaden and improve the data presented. There are plans to develop a full suite of health and social care quality indicators for use in prisons which will be reported through the new dashboard.

b) No specific requirement has been established for people in prison when reporting against waiting times standards. No tracking is currently undertaken relating to people in prison by NHS Scotland.

I have asked Colin McConnell, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. His response is as follows:

In addition to progressing the construction of a new women’s national facility, the former Cabinet Secretary for Justice confirmed in 2017 that a phased approach would be taken in respect of the 5 Community Custody Units (CCUs).

The phased approach is to progress initially with two CCUs so that the SPS can test the concept and learn lessons before progressing with the remaining 3 CCUs. This is to ensure that the most effective and efficient approach is taken to meeting the needs of our communities and the women in the care of the SPS.

I am pleased to advise the member that progress is being made in respect of all three of the new facilities, namely the new women’s national facility and the two initial Community Custody Units (CCUs) in Glasgow and Dundee.

Planning permission is in place for all 3 sites and the procurement process to identify contractors to carry out the construction is well advanced. It is expected that the various contracts will be awarded in Spring 2019 so that construction can commence in Summer 2019. All three of the facilities are scheduled to be completed and operational by the end of 2020.

The site of the Glasgow CCU, to be known as the Lilias Centre on Shawpark Street, Maryhill, Glasgow has been acquired by SPS and has been cleared ready for construction to start. Once operational this unit will be able to accommodate up to 24 women.

Planning permission for the Dundee CCU was granted in October 2018 and SPS is now in the process of acquiring the site on Nelson Street, Dundee from the local council and agreeing the arrangements for demolition of the vacant school which is currently on the site. This unit will be able to accommodate up to 16 women.

The women’s national facility is to be built on the site of the current HMP & YOI Cornton Vale and will accommodate 80 women together with a 24 place assessment centre. In order for the construction work to progress, enabling works are being carried out on the site. This work is nearing completion and the demolition of the vacant buildings is due to commence at the end of January 2019.

Transport Scotland is responsible for the electronic gantries and variable message signs (VMS) that provide a range of information to drivers on Scotland’s motorways. Day-to-day operation of these gantries and VMS is the responsibility of the Traffic Scotland service which operates the trunk road Intelligent Transport System on behalf of Transport Scotland.

Based at the Traffic Scotland National Control Centre at South Queensferry, Traffic Scotland develops and displays the content of the VMS which play a vital role in promoting the safe and efficient operation of the road network by providing road users with information on current incidents and future events that may affect their journey, alongside safety and other relevant messages to allow them to make informed judgements on diversion, or alternative routes for travel. These messages are created from information gathered from stakeholders including Police Scotland, trunk road operating companies, bridge managers, the Met Office, and local authorities.

When the VMS are not being used to display active incident information, the signs can be used to present background messages. These background messages have been developed in consultation with a number of key stakeholders and are linked to known problems which affect the safe and efficient operation of the trunk road network. For example, safety messages are derived from accident statistics and our strategic road safety plan and messages encouraging the use of public transport are targeted at our most congested corridors.

The Scottish Government welcomes the European Commission’s proposals for a prosperous, modern, competitive and climate neutral economy by 2050. We contributed to the consultation on this strategy, sharing our experience and urging the EU to maintain its leadership. We now look forward to the strategic long-term vision set out by the Commission being translated into legally binding emissions reduction targets and credible policies to deliver on these.

The EU has been a key player in international efforts to secure a global, legally-binding agreement to address climate change. Targets set by the European Commission have played a defining role in stimulating the huge growth in renewable energy in Scotland. This growth has seen significant inward investment flows into Scotland and been instrumental in the significant decarbonisation of our power sector.

The Climate Change Bill introduced to the Scottish Parliament in May includes emissions reduction targets for 2020, 2030 and 2040 that are the most stretching statutory targets for these years of any country in the world. The targets in the Bill also mean that Scotland will be carbon neutral by 2050. The Scottish Government wants to go further and achieve net-zero emissions for all greenhouse gases as soon as possible. We’ll set a target date for this as soon as it can be done credibly and responsibly. The independent advice on targets we have requested from the UK Committee on Climate Change next Spring will consider whether even more can now be done in Scotland, including in light of the European Commission’s current proposals.

Community Justice Scotland currently has 8 Board members which is the maximum number permitted by legislation. A recruitment exercise to replace the Chair who resigned on 13 September 2018 is expected to conclude in Spring 2019.

Information Services Division publishes information in relation to waiting times for Local Delivery Plan Standards and HEAT standards. Data for the majority of standards are not routinely broken down by the community and prison, including the psychological therapies HEAT access target. Information is reported separately for the LDP standard on access to drug and alcohol treatment services. This information is available here: https://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Drugs-and-Alcohol-Misuse/Publications/2018-09-25/2018-09-25-DATWT-Report.pdf

The Scottish Government has had no direct discussions with Destination Orkney. Our support for tourism businesses is delivered through VisitScotland, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Scottish Enterprise.

I'd like to wish all the best to those attending Orkney’s first ever ‘Tourism Week’ this week and for Destination Orkney’s annual Tourism Summit tomorrow. VisitScotland’s Director of Industry & Destination Development will be speaking.

We are currently working with the Chief Officers of Integration Authorities on the development of this commitment and who will make decisions on the allocation of the additional workers to these key settings in consultation with their partners.

As part of our discussions with the Chief Officers, we are also working on putting in place a reporting framework which will capture information on workforce allocation, location of workforce and details on the trajectory toward the 800 total by 2021-22. An update on this together with their projections can be provided in early 2019.

The data requested is not held centrally. The recruitment and training of Special Constables is a matter for the Chief Constable of Police Scotland.

The MV Hamnavoe will be unavailable for five days in January whilst the vessel undergoes an essential period of dry dock. Using their best endeavours, the operator, Serco NorthLink Ferries, has searched the open market for a replacement passenger vessel. However due to the scarcity of available tonnage and the unique vessel and port configurations, a like for like replacement is not available. Consequently, a freight vessel will provide relief cover for freight traffic during this short period.