Chamber and committees

I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Interim Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

There were a total of 53 deaths in SPS custody during 2021.

The SPS publishes information regarding all deaths in our custody in calendar years on the SPS website. This information is updated on a quarterly basis and can be accessed using the following link: Prisoner Deaths (sps.gov.uk) . The next quarterly update will be published on the SPS website in January 2022 which will provide information on deaths in custody that occurred between October-December 2021.

The Chronic Pain Winter Support Fund has been distributed as follows:

As part of our Accessible Travel Framework, and recent engagement with disabled people and organisations that represent them, the Scottish Government have committed to exploring the current provision of passenger assistance currently provided at Scotland’s bus stations. To that end officials within the Accessible Travel Policy Team are currently engaging with bus station managers.

The total number of mental health and learning disability beds within the NHS Scotland estate each of the last five years was:

The Scottish Government’s investments in private companies are made in line with the Scottish Public Finance Manual (SPFM), supported by a clear economic and commercial rationale and have represented value for money at the time of the investment. While these investments are not without commercial risk, our interventions have protected hundreds of jobs and delivered a national economic return by safeguarding vital businesses and supply chains.

We are working closely with Audit Scotland to strengthen the framework for decisions on future investments in private companies. The SPFM will be updated in January 2022 following feedback from Audit Scotland on planned enhancements to our approach.

We recognise the pandemic’s impact on the economy and businesses across a wide range of sectors. So far, the Scottish Government has provided £79.3 million directly to taxi and private hire drivers and operators in response to the pandemic. Further support of up to £28 million was announced on 5 January 2022 from within the £375 million package of funding announced on 21 December 2021, bringing total support for the sector to over £107 million. We will work closely with delivery partners to make payments to eligible businesses at the earliest opportunity, which is of course our established approach. Eligibility criteria will be published shortly.

The Scottish Government notes the updated National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance on sapropterin published September 2021 following a resubmission by its manufacturer Biomarin. The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) previously considered sapropterin (Kuvan) in August 2018 and the medicine was not recommended for use in NHSScotland because the submitting company’s justification of the treatment’s cost in relation to its health benefits was not sufficient and in addition the company did not present a sufficiently robust clinical and economic analysis to gain acceptance by SMC. The submitting company (BioMarin) has not been in contact with SMC regarding a resubmission for this medicine.

The first generic version of sapropterin has received a Marketing Authorisation from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). To support ensuring best value for NHSScotland, NSS National Procurement will shortly be tendering for the future supply of sapropterin to NHS Scotland.

Given the launch of the first generic, we are currently considering how best to provide advice to Health Boards on whether sapropterin should be made available for routine use in NHSScotland, based on the latest available evidence.

The Scottish Government recognises how important free bus travel will be to those young people under the age of 22 who need to make essential journeys during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. For this reason the Young Persons’ Free Bus Travel Scheme remains set to come into operation on 31 January 2022. Details on how to apply are available on the Transport Scotland website ( https://www.transport.gov.scot/concessionary-travel/young-persons-free-bus-travel-scheme/#69510 ). At this time, given the high levels of transmission associated with the Omicron variant, we are asking that only those with an essential need to travel by bus apply and that anyone travelling should follow the latest advice to keep themselves and others safe. The high profile marketing campaign which was planned to accompany the opening of the application process has been delayed until a time when it better aligns with wider public messaging, once current guidance on staying at home as much as possible and avoiding mixing in larger groups has been eased. As a result, initial usage of the scheme is expected to be less than it would otherwise have been.

The Scottish Government recognises the impact that the most recent set of restrictions has had on catering and events businesses and we are engaging with the sector on developing an appropriate package of support. We are working with businesses to develop and deliver funding as quickly and efficiently as possible.

An extension of military aid to NHS Lanarkshire has been approved for the period 7 January until 4 February 2022, by the Scottish Government and the Ministry of Defence.