Chamber and committees

I met with Ofgem CEO Jonathan Brearley and Chair Mark McAllister on 8 February to discuss Ofgem’s work to review standing charges for consumers, protections for prepayment meter (PPM) customers and opportunities for data sharing to facilitate better targeting of support to those that need it the most.

My officials regularly engage with Ofgem to influence policymaking and advocate the interests of Scottish energy consumers.

As part of our work to develop a sustainable healthcare workforce, we continue to look for opportunities to increase levels of student attraction to healthcare professions. Careers in NHS Scotland are promoted on the NHS Education Scotland NHS careers website, designed to promote opportunities to school leavers, those in education and those looking to change careers. This site can be accessed at https://www.careers.nhs.scot/

The current route to becoming a podiatrist registered with HCPC is to attain a degree in podiatry and, as such, higher education institutions (HEIs) are autonomous bodies responsible for the attraction and recruitment of their own students. Each institution has their own advertising and recruitment strategy which will include visiting schools, attending careers fairs and promoting the range of opportunities via their social media channels. HEIs also recruit to their approved programmes against their own entry requirements and will encourage and support prospective students in how to achieve the required standards.

Additionally, the Allied Health Professions (AHP) Education and Workforce Policy Review examined workforce and education issues and recommendations included promotion of allied health professional careers and aligning strategies to market a career as an allied health professional. An advisory group has been established to oversee the effective implementation of these recommendations.

I met with the UK Government Minister for Affordability and Skills, Amanda Solloway MP, on 25 January in Holyrood. During that engagement, I reiterated the Scottish Government’s call for the introduction of a social tariff mechanism as a safety net for consumers in greatest need and highlighted the impacts of high electricity and gas standing prices on Scottish consumers. It was agreed that collaborative work between both governments and other stakeholders is required to help identify those most in need of help, as well as to futureproof the support system and protect consumers from any future price shocks.

From Friday 1st to Sunday 3rd March Glasgow hosted the World Athletics Indoor Championships for the first time in Scotland and only the third time in the United Kingdom. A total of 586 athletes from 128 countries across all six continental areas competed in Glasgow, watched by more than 22,000 ticketed spectators from 37 countries, and the event produced two world records, five championship records, ten area records and 54 national records.

The World Athletics Indoor Championships provided yet another opportunity to further enhance Scotland's reputation not only as The Perfect Stage for hosting Major Events but also as a welcoming place to live and work, study, visit and do business.

Given these excellent opportunities for engagement with key stakeholders, the Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport and the Cabinet Secretary for NHS Recovery, Health and Social Care attended separate athletics sessions in the Emirates Arena. In addition the Minister for Culture, Europe and International Development attended the Welcome Reception hosted jointly by the World Athletics President and the Glasgow City Council Provost. A senior Scottish Government Official also attended two civic receptions and sporting activity.

The Emirates Arena was also the venue for a meeting of the UK Inter-Ministerial Group for Sport, chaired by the Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport. This was attended by Ministers from all home nations.

A clinical refresh of the Scottish Referral Guidelines for Suspected Cancer is underway to help ensure those with symptoms suspicious of cancer are put on the right pathway at the right time. These Guidelines have been developed for primary care clinicians to aid clinical decision making for those that require urgent specialist investigation.

Meanwhile, a new primary care cancer education platform – Gateway C – has been procured in NHS Scotland to provide innovative, and tailored information to support earlier cancer diagnosis efforts and enable effective decision-making. The first modules to be included on the platform will be launched in Spring 2024.

Scotland’s first Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Services (RCDSs) – established within existing NHS infrastructure – are operational in NHS Ayrshire and Arran, NHS Dumfries and Galloway NHS Fife, NHS Lanarkshire and NHS Borders, providing primary care with access to a new referral pathway for patients with non-specific symptoms suspicious of cancer.

The University of Strathclyde has completed a two year evaluation of Scotland’s first RCDSs showing that the services are achieving what they set out to do – find cancer – while delivering a high standard of care for primary care and patients at speed.

Two test beds continue to pilot chest x-ray AI in NHS Scotland, to help identify those with a suspicion of lung cancer following a chest x-ray, often requested by primary care clinicians. This work aims to reduce the time from primary care referral to the urgent suspicion of cancer (USC) diagnostic pathway commencing.

As a consumer led scheme, the choice of material for insulation measures funded through the Home Energy Scotland (HES) Grant and Loan Scheme is the sole choice of the applicant, and therefore some may choose to install spray foam.

During the advice and application process, applicants interested in spray foam are made aware of the RICS guidance on spray foam and encouraged to discuss any proposed works with their mortgage company and/or insurer before proceeding. If you are installing solid wall, underfloor, flat roof or room-in-roof insulation through the scheme then you have to use a TrustMark or Green Deal accredited installer.

Warmer Homes Scotland and the Area Based Schemes funded by the Scottish Government do not support spray foam insulation in lofts. In some circumstances spray foam insulation may be offered for underfloor insulation. Where local authorities are delivering these measures, they are asked to undertake additional monitoring and ensure that work is delivered in line with best practice guidelines as published by the UK Government The link can be found here: Retrofit Floor Insulation – Suspended Timber Floors: Guide to Best Practice (publishing.service.gov.uk) .

NatureScot has carried out a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) that includes the identification of risks and constraints of beaver translocation and natural colonisation to other interests, including migratory fish such as Atlantic salmon. A comprehensive Environmental Report was prepared in 2017 focussed on two detailed zones; Tayside and Knapdale. An addendum to the 2017 Environment Report that brings up to date to our knowledge of beavers in Scotland, as well as their impacts and management was published in 2022. Furthermore, stand-alone assessments have been carried out on prioritised river catchments. To date this process has seen assessments for the River Leven (Loch Lomond), River Forth, River Beauly and River Spey catchments.

Scotland’s volunteers and third sector workers are critical to the health and wellbeing of our people, places and communities. We recognise the skills, kindness and commitment of workers and volunteers.

The Scottish Government are undertaking a co-design approach to inform NCS Future Workforce policies. We continue to engage with representatives of the workforce, including those in the third sector, to confirm their position and to ensure policies benefit the workforce.

Our Lived Experience Experts Panel (LEEP) is open to those with lived experience of accessing or delivering social care support, to allow them to be involved in co-design work - including volunteers and those working in the third sector. Registration is via the Scottish Government Website, gov.scot.

Scottish Government are aware of the pressures faced by the social care providers at present and are taking a number of steps to support recruitment in the sector.

Scottish Government work with partners across the sector to support increased awareness of the careers available through our Adult Social Care marketing campaign which we have funded to run for the past four years. The campaign is supported by a stakeholder toolkit, which enables providers to use the materials to support their own local recruitment efforts. These assets have been refreshed for the 2023-24 campaign and can be found on our campaign website, www.caretocare.scot

Additionally, the Scottish Government have continued funding to enable all social care providers to advertise vacancies on the MyJobScotland recruitment website at no cost. Data figures show that between February 2021 and February 2024, 23,310 adult social care jobs have been posted on MyJobScotland under this contract, saving providers £2,068,480 (incl VAT).

Finally, recognising the value in workers who choose to live and work in Scotland from overseas and to support Scotland’s social care providers’ international recruitment efforts, we have collaborated with NHS Education Scotland (NES) and COSLA, and provided funding to create the NES Centre for Workforce Supply: Social Care. This pilot launched in summer 2023 for a 12 month period and seeks to test and develop an ethical and sustainable model of international recruitment for adult social care providers in Scotland.

A number of impact assessments including a Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment (BRIA) are being prepared and will be published prior to the regulations being finalised and placed before the Scottish Parliament.

Scottish Government officials have been engaging closely with Trading Standards colleagues on the draft legislation, with a focus on enforcement and tackling the illicit market. Through the Society of Chief Officers of Trading Standards in Scotland (SCOTSS), we continue to support strong national and local alliances to tackle the availability and sale of illicit tobacco and vapes.

UK-wide regulations are in place to ensure minimum standards for the safety and quality of e-cigarettes, including bans on certain ingredients. All e-cigarettes containing nicotine must be notified to the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency before they can be sold in the UK.

If the public have concerns about illicit products, they can check a product has been successfully notified to the MHRA on their publication home page, and notify their local Trading Standards officer.