Chamber and committees

Whilst the Scottish Government meets regularly with the Scottish Ambulance Service on operational matters, we have had no recent discussions with them regarding advanced, doctor-led, pre-hospital critical care capabilities in NHS board areas, including NHS Lothian.

The Scottish Ambulance Service is responsible for the harmonisation and provision of consultant doctor-led Emergency Medical Retrieval Services across NHS boards which are implemented through the Scottish Trauma Network. They work collaboratively with pre-hospital trauma teams and boards across the country to deliver consistent high-quality person-centred and equitable critical care to the most seriously injured patients.

Colleges are responsible for their own operational decisions. College Principals’ pay and conditions packages are for individual colleges to determine. Whilst Public Sector Pay Policy does not apply directly to colleges, the Scottish Funding Council’s Financial Memorandum states that colleges must have regard to it. The Scottish Government expects colleges and their Boards to be mindful of Public Sector Pay Policy Public sector pay policy 2024 to 2025 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) and demonstrate restraint when determining senior staff salaries.

The Scottish Government believes that Citizens’ Assemblies are an important and effective method to involve the public in policy and decision making.

The Scottish Government is currently engaged in developing the prospectus for independence through the Building a New Scotland papers, in order that people have information about the opportunities of independence and what it would mean for them. At this stage there are no plans for Citizens’ Assemblies on Scotland’s route to independence.

The Building a New Scotland paper on Scotland’s constitution makes a commitment to a legally mandated Constitutional Convention that would create the permanent constitution of an independent Scotland.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-28357 on 23 July 2024. 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 .

An initial Equalities Impact Assessment , Equality Impact Assessment (EQIA): Purpose and Principles (www.gov.scot) for the Purpose and Principles for Post-School education, research and skills Post-school education, research and skills - purpose and principles - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) was published on 4 July 2023. Consideration of all protected characteristics, including gender, will continue to inform the design and delivery of post school education and skills reform.

This will build on our existing work to address barriers for women and girls, including:

•A range of resources developed by Education Scotland to address gender segregation in subject choices in schools

•Duties on colleges and universities to tackle inequality, including gender disparities within STEM subject areas

•Working with the Equally Safe in Colleges and Universities Core Leadership Group to address gender-based violence.

•The refreshed Fair Work Action Plan which was published in December 2022 and aims to take an intersectional approach, where possible, to tackling the structural labour market barriers faced by disadvantaged groups in Scotland’s labour market including women.

On the specifics of skills planning, consideration of all protected characteristics, including gender and socio-economically disadvantaged groups, will be embedded throughout the process.

I refer the member to my answer to question S6W-27963 on 23 July 2024. 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 .

The Scottish Government does not routinely collate pay and rewards package for college principals, however the information is publicly available through the colleges published accounts. The Scottish Funding Council, in its role, is responsible for monitoring Scotland's colleges financial accounts. To be clear, pay and rewards packages of College Principals are for individual colleges to determine.

Contractual terms and conditions of Principals is a matter for individual colleges to determine. The Scottish Government therefore does not hold this information.

The Scottish Government is committed to acting in the best interests of Scotland. This includes working constructively with the UK Government and Westminster in order to benefit the people of Scotland.

The Prime Minister has made clear his commitment to rebuild trust and foster respect with Devolved Governments, which the Scottish Government welcomes. The Scottish Government is keen to work together in areas of shared ambition and responsibility, and where the most effective change can be delivered through joint or coordinated action, in a way that is mutually respectful and co-operative.