Chamber and committees

This Government is clear that industrial action in our schools is in no one’s interest, least of all for pupils, parents and carers who have already faced significant disruption over the past three years.

As indicated by the Office of National Statistics, it is concerning that this industrial action is putting parents and carers are at further financial loss.

We are absolutely committed to reaching teachers’ pay deal and are working closely with the teaching unions and local government partners to reach a resolution as soon as possible. We also continue to urge the teaching unions to suspend industrial action while these talks are ongoing.

As set out in the Governance arrangements published in the Framework for Pain Management Service Delivery – Implementation Plan, the chairs for each Short-Life Working Group (SLWG) are drawn from the chronic pain community and appointed based on their expertise, experience and diversity of skills required to deliver the Actions for each Aim set out in the Plan. The Plan is available here: https://www.gov.scot/publications/framework-pain-management-service-delivery-implementation-plan/ .

Work on the precise methodology, design and evaluation for the peak rail fares pilot is currently underway. Transport Scotland officials are working closely with Scottish Rail Holdings and ScotRail Trains Ltd to derive maximum benefit for this scheme.

Further details on the peak rail fares pilot including timescales during the next financial year will be confirmed as soon as practically possible.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-14634 on 28 February 2023. 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 Women’s Health Plan aims to ensure that women can access abortions up to 24 weeks’ within Scotland regardless of the reason for the termination.

The Scottish Government is pleased to see progress being made on this issue, with all mainland Health Boards now providing abortion services up to at least 20 weeks’ gestation. However further progress is needed to allow women to access services between 20 – 24 weeks’ gestation as locally as possible.

The Scottish Government is working closely with Health Boards, and has commissioned NHS National Services Scotland (NSS) to draft a specification for a national or regional service. This will ensure the service created takes into account the complexities involved with offering abortions at a later stage, and addresses the needs of women in Scotland. NSS will then invite one or more Health Boards to agree to deliver the service in line with the specification.

On 28 September 2022 the Scottish Government published the report from our consultation on proposals to make regulations under sections 17 to 19 of the 2016 Act, which would introduce restrictions on the following:

• advertising
• brand-sharing in products and services
• free distribution and nominal pricing
• sponsorship of an activity, event or person

The responses, together with the analysis report will inform and shape the final vaping restrictions which we aim to bring forward in 2023.

Following the publication of the Health and Social Care Winter Resilience Overview I wrote to General Practices on 15 November to set my expectations regarding the need to ensure there is an appropriate mix of pre-booked, same day, face to face and remote appointments that suits individual practice populations.

I also announced the formation of the General Practice Access Group. The group aims to understand the challenges and issues affecting access to General Practice and will establish high level core principles to support and enhance patients’ experience of accessing ‘The Right Care, Right Time, Right Place’. The group has commenced its work and I understand will be looking to consult on a draft document in February.

On 21 December 2022 NHS Forth Valley and NHS Lanarkshire have been allocated £52.565 million and £109.967 million respectively to provide primary medical services.

The Scottish Government is in regular dialogue with the sector, most recently through holding a series of roundtable discussions. While we have had to make difficult choices to live within budgets, we have also listened to the concerns raised by the culture sector. In response, as announced on 21 February, the Scottish Government will provide an uplift of £6.6 million for Creative Scotland for 2023-24 to ensure their accumulated lottery funding reserves can supplement rather than replace grant funding.

This decision means there will be a substantial increase in the Scottish Government’s funding for culture and major events in the next financial year.

We expect Creative Scotland to set out quickly for the culture sector how it will use these additional resources to support organisations and help protect culture sector jobs at this difficult time.

We will continue to have close discussions with Creative Scotland and the wider culture sector to support workers and ensure our diverse and world-class cultural scene and rich heritage continue to thrive.

We know that some stakeholders would like to see a three-mile limit restricting mobile fishing gear introduced. The Scottish Government has been clear that we have no plans to do so.

Such blanket spatial restrictions are not consistent with an evidence-based approach, do not embrace the benefits of new technology and are inconsistent with the nuanced approach outlined in our 2020-2030 Fisheries Management Strategy.

We have already begun to develop our approach, taking account of the complex ecology and habitats, as well as the different types of fishing and how they interact with the marine environment.

Applications for warrants of entry are dealt with by the courts. The information requested is not held centrally. The Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service have established a working group to review the process for dealing with utility warrants, including the data recorded, with a view to improving the information currently available.