Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government believes that every child should be given the opportunity to learn to swim, it is a life skill that can save lives.

In response to terrible tragedies in Scotland’s waterways during 2021, the Scottish Government brought together key water safety organisations to collaboratively develop a Water Safety action plan. The Plan outlines key initiatives to improve education, data, local area water safety planning and incident reviews.

In addition, the Scottish Government have been working with Scottish Swimming, Education Scotland, sportscotland and Scottish Water to develop interventions and approaches to provide opportunities for children to become confident, safer and competent swimmers. Inclusion has been central to the approach and there is a specific focus on targeting areas within quintile 1 of the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation. Four Delivery Pilots have taken place to support schools to understand and consider different approaches on how best to support young people to access school swimming. An evaluation will be published in October and we will work with Scottish Swimming and sportscotland to utilise the learning from these pilots to consider the best approach for a continued roll out of a national framework for school swimming.

The Scottish Government is developing a national strategy for 20mph speed limits, which supports the 2021 Bute House Agreement and 2022 Programme for Government commitment.

We have supported local road authorities with £1.4 million in funding to undertake the necessary road assessments which will determine the number of roads affected and the financial implications of introducing the national strategy for 20mph speed limits. The findings from the road assessments will enable the multi-stakeholder 20mph task group to scope the next steps for implementation at their meeting in October, with full implementation on all appropriate roads by 2025.

The Reach programme, one of the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) funded Access to High Demand Programmes (ADHP), was initially founded in 2010 to improve progression to higher education (HE) and targeted specific schools with lower rates of progression to HE.

In 2017 the targeting criteria for ADHP were expanded to ensure that certain disadvantaged pupils in all schools could benefit from the programme, not just pupils in schools with lower progression rates. This decision was informed by the Commission on Widening Access’ final report, A Blueprint for Fairness, and SFC-funded research looking at the attainment and socio-economic profiles of pupils in all schools in Scotland.

Targeting criteria for AHDP is set by SFC and AHDP partners. Since 2017, the eligibility criteria are:

• Live in an SIMD decile 1-4 (SIMD 20/40); or

• Are care experienced; or

• Are estranged from family and living without family support; or

• Have caring responsibilities; or

• Are seeking asylum in the UK; or

• Have refugee status.

Reach partners may also consider extenuating circumstances outwith the above at their discretion.

As stated in my response to S6W-18105 on 5 June 2023, the Scottish Government expects all NHS Boards in Scotland to consider the recommendations in the Scottish Health Technologies Group report, published on 23 March 2023, and take steps to ensure that women who require access to placental growth factor (PlGF) based tests as part of their maternity care can do so.

The Scottish Government wrote to all NHS Boards on 20 July to request an update on progress towards implementation of PlGF testing. Officials have now received returns from all 14 territorial NHS Boards and are currently analysing the responses.

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

I met members of the Scottish Perinatal Network at the National Best Start Learning Event on 28 June, however have not had a formal meeting with the Scottish Perinatal Network since taking up office. My Officials regularly meet with the Network and sit on the Network Oversight Board, and Maternity and Neonatal Steering Groups.

This is not a proposal of the Scottish Government.

The Scottish Government recognises that it is essential that pre-eclampsia is diagnosed and treated as soon as possible. This is why the Scottish Government contributes funding towards the commissioning of the Maternal Newborn and Infant Clinical Outcome Review Programme run by Mothers and Babies, Reducing Risk through Audits and Confidential Enquiries across the UK (MBRRACE-UK). All maternity units in Scotland contribute data to this and reports focus on pre-eclampsia every 3 years, highlighting recommendations for healthcare professionals, Health Boards and Trusts, policy officials and other organisations to tackle this condition.

The Scottish Government expects all NHS Boards in Scotland to take note of the Scottish Health Technologies Group (SHTG) recommendations, published on 23 March 2023, and take steps to ensure that any woman who requires access to placental growth factor (PlGF) based tests as part of her maternity care can do so.

As Oxfam’s report recognises, the regulation of fossil fuel industries and the majority of tax powers remain reserved to Westminster. We will keep pressing the UK Government to take the urgent action needed – especially after their recent backsliding on net-zero ambitions.

Here in Scotland we are committed to using what powers we have to meet our world-leading climate targets. We will continue with our progressive approach to tax and working to ensure we achieve a just transition – all of which will help achieve our climate goals, safeguard jobs and protect those on the lowest incomes.

This is a matter for Local Authorities who are responsible for the delivery of School Meals and management of debt owed to them.

The management of meal debt is a matter for local authorities.