Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government has not met with COSLA or individual local authorities to discuss reusable nappies. We promote and raise awareness of reusable nappies direct to families by including a voucher for one waterproof nappy wrap, with five stay dry nappy pads inside Scotland’s Baby Box.

We have not undertaken any assessments regarding the affordability of nappies in Scotland and food banks do not currently publish data on nappies and other baby products. However, we will continue to work with partners to ensure that our financial offerings are maximising the support available for young families.

This includes our work to increase the value of the Scottish Child Payment to £25 per child per week and expanding it to all eligible children under the age of 16 from November 2022.

Our five family payments, including the Scottish Child Payment, could be worth over £10,000 by the time an eligible child turns 6 with Scottish support providing over £20,000 by the time an eligible child is 16 years old.

The Child Poverty Action Group estimates that low income families in Scotland will be around £28,000 better off by the time their child turns 18 as a result of more generous support and lower costs for childcare provided by the Scottish Government.

The Scottish Government recognise that uncertainty while waiting can have an impact on health and wellbeing. That is why we are undertaking a new programme of work, ‘Waiting Well’, which aims to support an active waiting well period by providing access to good information, signposting to local services and community assets, and to professional support and services as required.

We also recognise the impact that long waiting times can have on a patient’s mental health. The Healthy living | NHS inform page provides advice and tools which includes information on mental wellbeing.

This information is not held centrally within the Scottish Government.

Any arrangements for NHS patients to be treated at an Independent Sector hospital would need to be made between the patient, NHS Board and their clinical team.

While a patient has the right, at any time, to exercise choice and seek private treatment, there can never be the expectation that the NHS will pay for it. The reimbursement of any costs incurred when a patient opts for private treatment, however, is a matter for consideration by the local Health Board.

Officials have met with the Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland (REHIS) to discuss attracting more people to apply for environmental health courses and to work in local authorities.

The Minister for Public Health and Women’s Health is due to meet with REHIS soon to discuss these themes.

The Scottish Government’s ambitious 10-year cancer strategy is nearing completion, with publication planned this Spring. The strategy will be under-pinned by action plans which will evolve with the changing cancer landscape. The strategy will take a comprehensive approach to improving patient pathways from prevention and diagnosis through to treatment and post-treatment care.

It will encompass a new earlier cancer diagnosis vision for Scotland and will continue to focus on those cancer types that are the largest burden and have poorer survival, in particular the less survivable cancers, including liver cancer.

The Scottish Government does not hold this information. This is a matter for Health Boards locally.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6O-02056 on 23 March 2023 which is available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at Meeting of the Parliament: 23/03/2023 | Scottish Parliament Website

The Parking Standards Guidance document relating to the enforcement of the new parking prohibitions contained in the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 is being developed in consultation with local authorities through the Parking Standards Stakeholder Working Group and will be issued to local authorities at the same time as the Enforcement Regulations come into force. This is expected to be in December 2023.

The Scottish Government does not hold information about the number of NHS dental practices that have stopped offering NHS treatment.

NHS Boards make arrangements with independent dental contractors to provide NHS General Dental Services. Individual health boards should be able to advise on the number of dentists who have resigned their list number for providing NHS services in their area.