We recognise the importance of having access to meaningful data in relation to respiratory services and we continue to aim to develop a national respiratory audit programme with Public Health Scotland to achieve this. We have not been able to progress this this financial year due to the challenging fiscal position we face, but we aim to do so in the financial year 2025 to 2026.

Spirometry is already a key recommendation in national clinical guidelines, and we expect clinicians to deliver care in line with all relevant clinical guidelines when assessing patients who present themselves at healthcare settings with respiratory symptoms.

The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) recommendation that the four UK Nations should move towards implementing a programme of targeted lung screening for those between 55-74 with a history of smoking, was based on evidence from the lung health check pilots which continue to inform the Scottish Expert Advisory Group (SEAG) work.

The UK NSC established an expert Lung Task Group to oversee modelling work and explore the issues around implementation, which is attended by all four UK nations. In addition, representatives from the SEAG attend both the NHS England Lung Screening Implementation Group and the Welsh equivalent. Representatives from these groups have in turn attended the SEAG, to share learning and develop evidence-based feasibility advice.

Officials continue to invest in the University of Edinburgh who have been conducting a research study, LungScot, into targeted lung health checks across four health boards. This important work will help to inform the considerations of the SEAG as work progresses towards a business case which will highlight the challenges and opportunities for a Scottish Programme.

Lung cancer remains a national priority, with Scotland's first optimal cancer diagnostic pathway for lung published 12 December 2022. This pathway sets optimal timeframes for each step to enable diagnosis by day twenty one and treatment for most by day forty two. Work continues to develop and share best practice to ensure patients receive faster access to treatment.

We recognise the importance of having access to meaningful data in relation to improving respiratory services and understanding respiratory care in Scotland. Due to the extremely challenging fiscal position the Scottish Government is facing, we have not been able to progress the development of the national respiratory audit programme this financial year. We aim to do so in the financial year 2025 to 2026.

The Graduate Apprenticeship Enhancement Group was established in spring 2024 to make recommendations on the development of future policy and a delivery model for GAs in line with Scotland’s economic growth opportunities, skills need, and the wider reform of the post-16 education landscape. The Group's membership includes the Scottish Funding Council, Skills Development Scotland, Colleges Scotland, Universities Scotland, and representation from businesses.

The Group’s work is evidence and data informed and is taken forward through workstreams. It will include engagement with employers and their industry representatives, public sector partners and apprentices. The Group anticipates completing its work over the winter.

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

HMP Glasgow will have a design capacity of 1,344 prisoner places which includes 120 cells designed to accommodate two people.

Information on university student qualifiers is collected and published by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).

It should be noted that prior to 2018-19 academic year, data was collected using a different subject classification. As such, figures prior to 2018-19 are not directly comparable.

The number of qualifiers (covering all levels of study) and the number of full-time first degree qualifiers (all domiciles) from either Computing or Computer Science courses at Scottish universities, over the last 10 Academic Years, can be found in the following tables. These are taken from published data.

Student qualifiers on ‘Computer Science’ courses at Scottish Universities

Subject classification based on JACS code = computer science

The most recent workforce publication shows that in June 2014 the workforce comprised of 5,101 FTE directly employed staff, and 1,249 contingent workers.

For June 2024 showed the core Scottish Government workforce comprised of 8,911 FTE directly employed staff and 1,214 contingent workers.

This represents an increase of 75% in the directly employed workforce and a reduction of -3% in the contingent workforce.

The growth in the directly employed workforce in the last ten years has supported the devolution of new powers to the Scottish Government, for example Social Security and Exchequer functions. The growth in the core Scottish Government has also supported the response to exiting the European Union and the Covid-19 pandemic.

Since March 2022 the Scottish Government has increased its permanent workforce while prioritising the reduction of the more expensive contingent workforce such as contractors and consultants. The number of contingent workers is now 40% lower than in March 2022.

The number of core Scottish Government staff is available at Scottish Government workforce information - gov.scot (www.gov.scot).

In 2022, the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2) was published. recommendation-36-strategy-for-improving-rest-and-welfare-facilities-for-hauliers.pdf (transport.gov.scot) includes a detailed national audit and review of support for lorry parks. This would include consultation with the freight industry, representative bodies, local authorities, and other stakeholders to collect views on the provision of lorry parks including where and what type of facilities are required. The audit will indicate which routes have gaps in provision and support Transport Scotland in making future decisions on the need (or otherwise) to address market failure.

Development of the STPR2 Delivery Plan is currently underway. This is a complex piece of work, with consultation ongoing across the Scottish Government, including with Statutory Bodies and Exchequer officials. Once this exercise is complete we will be able to advise with more certainty on the potential implementation of and the associated timelines of the proposed audit.

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

Scottish Prison Service conducts Mandatory Drug Tests (MDTs) via urine testing, for two primary reasons, progression as part of the risk assessment process, and when an individual is suspected of taking an illicit substance, through suspicion testing.

MDT urine testing can only detect certain substances, and many new synthetic substances such as Psychoactive Substances (PS) are undetectable via this testing method.

The application of The Management of an Offender at Risk (MORS) policy, is applied when an individual is suspected to be under the influence of or have an unknown substance secreted on their person. This policy is in place to care and support individual’s during this time and is not used or considered as a positive test.

Most MDTs carried out in HMP Barlinnie since 2022 were conducted for progression reasons:

As part of normal practice in processing any marine licence or section 36 consent application, officials from the Marine Directorate Licensing Operations Team will meet with applicants and as such, have met with Flotation Energy on multiple occasions for the projects they are developing, both before and after April 2023. Meeting arrangements between MD-LOT and applicants are set out on the Scottish Government website here: https://www.gov.scot/publications/marine-licensing-and-consenting-offshore-renewable-energy-projects/pages/meeting-arrangements-with-md-lot/

Offshore Wind Directorate officials have also met with Flotation Energy multiple times, including at conferences and as part of regular stakeholder engagement, to discuss opportunities and challenges of their projects and the wider offshore wind sector.

Ministers meet developers as part of regular engagement with the renewables sector. For example, the Deputy First Minister met Flotation Energy in September 2024 to discuss supply chain opportunities, the First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy attended an Offshore Energies UK Roundtable in January 2024, at which the Flotation Energy CEO was present and the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy met with the Flotation CEO in March 2023 to discuss Flotation Energy’s plans for offshore wind developments in Scotland.