Chamber and committees

It is for CalMac as operator of the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Service in the first instance to determine any actions that need to be taken in response to the closure of the Irish berth, maintaining safe links that the communities rely upon.

We understand and empathise with those affected and continue to impress upon Peel Ports Group and CalMac the urgency of the situation. Transport Scotland will continue to work with CalMac to monitor the ongoing impacts on all affected by the amended services and closure of the Irish Berth at Ardrossan.

The Ardrossan Harbour Task Force has met 15 times since it was set up in 2016, the details of these meetings and the Attendees involved can be found on the Transport Scotland website, Ardrossan Harbour Task Force | Transport Scotland . Staff within the Transport Scotland Ferries Directorate support the Task Force work, including the ongoing business case and project cost review.

The National Treatment Centres (NTCs) Programme is the single biggest increase in planned care capacity ever created in NHS Scotland. Five new National Treatment Centres (NTCs) will be opened by 2024 at Golden Jubilee (Phase 1 and 2), NTC Fife, NTC Highland and NTC Forth Valley. Combined these centres will have eight orthopaedic theatres; an inpatient/day-case ward; three endoscopy rooms and two general theatres.

As a result of the almost 10% cut in our capital budget from the UK Government, we are having to revise our pipeline of infrastructure investment and we do not expect National Treatment Centres in Ayrshire and Arran, Grampian, Lanarkshire, Lothian and Tayside to be progressed in the short to medium term. The figure of 40,000 additional activities from the 2021 recovery plan is dependent on all National Treatment Centres in development being operational, therefore we expect the additional annual activity from the programme to be 20,000 from 2024-25.

The Draft Scottish Budget 2024-25 was published on 19 Dec 2023.

The Bill is currently at ‘Stage 2 – Changes to Detail’ with any amendments to be considered at a meeting on 20 February 2024.

Once moved to ‘Stage 3 – Final amendments and vote’ a further vote will confirm that the Bill will become an Act before April 2024.

The Scottish Government is continuing to provide a range of recruitment support, training and development activity to assist Health Boards in securing an appropriate mix of experienced and newly qualified staff for their National Treatment Centres (NTCs). As at 30 September 2023, close to 600 people were employed in an NTC, of which around 32% were undertaking their first role in NHS Scotland.

We keep under active review the total number of staff that we will ultimately need to recruit to our National Treatment Centres and to support the overall ambition to increase planned care activity and reduce waiting times, as set out in the NHS Recovery Plan.

Our own estimates show that with Ofgem’s price cap set at £1,928 for an average household until March this year, 840,000 of Scottish households are in fuel poverty – 34% of all households. This is a 2% increase – an extra 20,000 households approximately – in the number of fuel poor households from estimates for October to December 2023. These estimates are based on Scotland’s statutory definition of fuel poverty, whereas the Outra figure is likely produced under a different definition.

According to the Scottish fuel poverty definition, a household is in fuel poverty if:

• in order to maintain a satisfactory heating regime, total fuel costs necessary for the home are more than 10% of the household's adjusted net income (i.e. after housing costs), and more than 20% in the case of extreme fuel poverty; and
• if, after deducting those fuel costs, benefits received for a care need or disability and childcare costs, the household's remaining adjusted net income is insufficient to maintain an acceptable standard of living.

Subsidised support for the majority of consumers ended last year, but thousands of households continue to struggle to balance high energy costs along with unmanageable legacy debt. This is why we continue to call for urgent, targeted support including the introduction of a social tariff mechanism for those who need it the most. It is disappointing that our calls, consistent with those from the industry and third sector, have been ignored.

I urge anybody struggling with their energy bills to contact Advice Direct Scotland and Citizens Advice Scotland who will be able to help in the first instance.

Statistics on the number of arrests for offences under the Protection of Workers (Retail and Age-restricted Goods and Services) (Scotland) Act 2021 would be kept by the Police Service of Scotland and are not available to COPFS.

Since the act came into force on 24 August 2021, there have been a total of 3,607 charges reported to COPFS for offences under that act.

Of those charges, 2,976 were marked for court proceedings and 1,199 resulted in convictions. Accordingly, 323 of those charges resulted in acquittals, while 141 were marked for ‘no further action’. A case may be marked for no further action where it is no longer in the public interest to prosecute or where it is no longer considered that there is sufficient evidence. The remaining 1,313 of the charges marked for court proceedings are still ongoing as of 31 January 2024.

Of the 631 charges which were reported to COPFS but not marked for court proceedings:-

320 were marked for a direct measure, 83 marked for no action, 74 are still awaiting a marking decision. Of the 320 marked for a direct measure, 19 were marked for a combined fiscal fine and requirement to pay compensation. A further 19 were marked for compensation alone. 61 were marked for a fiscal fine alone. 66 were marked for diversion. 6 were marked for an unpaid work offer. 122 were referred to the Scottish Childrens Reporter and 27 were issued with a warning.

A total of 154 charges were not separately actioned. This is where no action was taken against that particular charge but action (prosecution in court or direct measure) was taken against the accused in relation to other charges emanating from the same case.

North Ayrshire Council recently provided their updated socio-economic appraisal that will be reviewed by officials and used to inform the business case work. Peel Ports Group (PPG), are currently progressing the structural assessments which will help inform a decision on the expanded project scope and business case review.

Crew commissioning of the vessel is already under way with senior Caledonian MacBrayne (CalMac) crew present in the shipyard as the vessel is prepared for operational delivery. Following a period of berthing trials and crew familiarisation the MV Glen Sannox, (Hull 801) is set to be operational eight weeks after handover.

The building referred to on 11 October 2023 Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) Cross Sector Working Group minutes was the Ward 1 Plant Room at the Western General Hospital in Edinburgh.

The Plant room was surveyed on Friday 22 September 2023 . The surveying Engineer noted that there was no immediate concern of structural collapse and made recommendations. Immediate remedial action was taken to ensure the area was safe. There is no immediate risk to patients, staff, or visitors.