Chamber and committees

The aim of the Period Products (Free Provision) (Scotland) Act 2021 is to ensure that everyone in Scotland who menstruates can have reasonably convenient access to period products, free of charge, as and when they are required. The definition of period products in the Act does not include incontinence products and there are no plans at present to change this. The Act does not limit the number of products that can be accessed so those experiencing such symptoms are entitled to access as many period products as they need.

To help support people experiencing menopausal or perimenopausal symptoms our Women’s Health Platform, on NHS Inform, includes a resource on menopause and work is underway to refine and create resources on pelvic health. This will include urinary incontinence, looking at prevention, treatment options and reducing stigma.

This information can be found in the published Pain Management Panel report. This is available here: Pain Management Panel consultations: report - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Details of the current membership of Scottish Rail Holdings Board is available on Companies House via the following link:- https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/SC548826

The Chief Executive Officer, Rail Business Director, Finance Director and General Counsel of Scottish Rail Holdings are normally permanent roles. The Non-Executive Directors of Scottish Rail Holdings Board were appointed on an interim basis to the 31 March 2023.

There are currently no plans to change the structure of the Board of Scottish Rail Holdings.

There is a requirement to review the current Framework Agreement between Scottish Ministers and Scottish Rail Holdings after the first year, which review will commence shortly.

Funding for Local Authorities is provided through the annual block grant settlement from the Scottish Government. Local authorities should use funding resources allocated to them in the manner which they believe will best meet local needs and circumstances within their respective areas.

Therefore, decisions on the installation and maintenance of defibrillators in schools is a matter for Local Authorities to consider at the local level.

A number of organisations provide advice and support for the purchasing and maintenance of defibrillators. This includes

The British Heart Foundation: https://www.bhf.org.uk/how-you-can-help/how-to-save-a-life/defibrillators/apply-for-a-public-access-defibrillator

St Johns Scotland Public Access Community Defibrillators | St John Scotland

Scottish Government is a key partner in the Save a Life for Scotland partnership which delivers the Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrest Strategy 2021 – 2026. A key aim of this strategy is to increase the percentage of Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest incidents which have a defibrillator applied before the ambulance service arrives from 8% to 20%.

This is not only about increasing the number of defibrillators in public places but also about building the evidence base to support defibrillator guardians to make strategic decisions about the placement of their defibrillators, to encourage their registration with Scottish Ambulance Service and to increase public confidence and knowledge around defibrillation. We are working as part of the Save a Life Scotland partnership to deliver on these aims.

Scotland’s Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Report 2019-2022 highlights that the number of Public Access Defibrillators (PAD) in communities across Scotland that are registered with “The Circuit” has more than doubled since 2019 and is now at almost 5,000. The full report can be found here: https://savealife.scot/ohca-report-2019-22/

The Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) are invited as a member of the delivery group for the Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrest Strategy 2021 – 2026, as are Scottish Government. This work is overseen by Save a Life for Scotland and is focused on delivery of the aims included within the Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrest Strategy 2021 – 2026.

The Drug Deaths Taskforce was comprised of a range of individuals selected for their expertise in a personal capacity or on behalf of the organisations they represent, including those with lived and living experience.

The Scottish Government welcomes their final report which has provided a roadmap for future delivery, including 20 recommendations and 139 detailed actions. In response to this, we have published a cross-government action plan which includes a broad range of initiatives aiming to improve access to treatment and support for people with complex needs. All of the work set out in this action plan is framed within the context of the government’s wider efforts to address the social determinants of health.

The government have committed to investing £250m over the course of the parliament to delivering the National mission, and there is a comprehensive approval process in place to ensure best value for public money.

The Corra Foundation is responsible for operating funds which distribute money to third sector and grass roots organisations, who will play a vital role in reducing drug related deaths. Funding applications are assessed through robust assessment panels, which give people with either personal or professional lived and living experience of frontline services a voice in the decision-making process.

To further improve transparency and show the direction and impact of the funding we have committed, we published the first national mission annual report in November 2022. This report outlines the breadth of activity undertaken by public and third sector services in the first year of the national mission. We intend to publish a retrospective annual report every year for the remainder of the mission.

To support organisations and communities who wish to purchase a defibrillator, Scottish Government published a guide in 2018 providing advice on purchasing and installing a public access defibrillator. This can be found at the following link: Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest: guide to public access defibrillators - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

The guide includes information on organisations who operate subsidised schemes for the purchase of publicly accessible defibrillators. The British Heart Foundation is one of these organisations, they provide part funded defibrillators for communities alongside free ReVivr CPR training. More information on the BHF scheme can be found at the following link: https://www.bhf.org.uk/how-you-can-help/how-to-save-a-life/defibrillators/apply-for-a-public-access-defibrillator

St John's Scotland also operate a community defibrillator scheme Public Access Community Defibrillators | St John Scotland

Scottish Ambulance Service can also provide advice and support around defibrillator purchase ( Automated External Defibrillators (scottishambulance.com) )

While recruitment is an operational matter for ScotRail to manage, the Scottish Government is supportive of ScotRail’s target to increase apprenticeships.

ScotRail, working in partnership with Skills Development Scotland and the Train Drivers union ASLEF, is developing a new Modern Apprenticeship Framework in Train Driving.

Over the past 2 decades ScotRail has offered apprenticeships in engineering across all 4 of its depots. The 2023 cohort will see a 100% increase in apprenticeship numbers on the previous year’s intake. ScotRail will continue to identify apprenticeship opportunities as part of the workforce planning activity to support skills needs and employment opportunities.