Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government is deeply concerned about the impact that scams can have on individuals, including those who are vulnerable to the activity of online romance scammers.

While we have not held any direct discussions with Police Scotland about romance scams, we continue to work with partners on scams prevention and to support the publication of a regular CyberScotland Bulletin (available at cyberscotland.com) which provides information on the latest cyber threats, scams and news. We also supported a media campaign run by Advice Direct Scotland last year to raise awareness around romance and companionship scams.

I would urge anyone who becomes aware of any suspicious activity relating to romance scams to contact ADS on 0808 164 6000 and urge anyone who feels they’ve been a victim of online romance scammers to report it to Police Scotland by calling 101.

Food Standards Scotland (FSS) are in the process of undertaking a policy review on whether home slaughter by an itinerant slaughterer for the purposes of private domestic consumption could be undertaken legally under current food hygiene legislation. Subject to the outcome of this policy review, FSS may consult with relevant stakeholders on next steps in due course.  

Under any revised home slaughter policy, it would not be possible for the meat from home slaughtered animals to enter into the food chain, as this is not permitted under existing food hygiene legislation. Only meat that has been slaughtered in an approved slaughterhouse can be legally placed on the market. There are currently no plans, therefore, to trial the use of itinerant slaughterers on island communities to produce meat that can be placed on the market.

The Scottish Government does not hold a list of how many GP surgeries have closed.

Health Boards are responsible for managing GP contracts.

Public Health Scotland publishes quarterly information about GP practices in Scotland.

Gathering Views | HIS Engage

The Scottish Government does not hold this information centrally. However, it is published annually by Public Health Services (PHS) in their ‘Scottish Health Service Costs’ report. The NHSScotland and Board level data from 19-20 to 21-22 can be viewed online at: Scottish health service costs - High-level costs summary 2021 to 2022 - Scottish health service costs - Publications - Public Health Scotland .

Data from 2012 – 18-19 can be viewed online at: Latest Publications | ISD Scotland (under the topic: ‘Finance’).

I refer the member to the answer to the answer to question S6W-22099 on 31 October 2023. 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 .

a) Presently, Scottish Government's overall fleet is comprised of 69% ultra-low and zero emission vehicles. Zero emission vehicles make up 26% of the total Scottish Government fleet.

b) Data held by Transport Scotland on the % of zero emission vehicles in Scottish Government agency fleets at the end of 2022 is summarised in the following table.

We continue to work with HSCPs to implement the guidance. Chief Officers have been reminded of their duties and we are currently establishing a short life working group. This group will support implementation and ensure adequate provision of equipment, including short-term wheelchair loans, is available.

The Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) is currently the national measure of progress on widening access to higher education, as was recommended by the Commission on Widening Access in its final report, A Blueprint for Fairness, in 2016.

Higher education institutions currently use a range of criteria to identify widening access students, but we recognise that there may be other suitable measures to work alongside SIMD.

Scottish Government has established an Access Data Short-life Working Group to consider proposals and to investigate other widening access measures and data sources. The group’s membership comprises a range of stakeholders, including Colleges Scotland, Universities Scotland, Scottish Funding Council, and further and higher education institutions. The group is due to report to Ministers this autumn.

It is a matter for local authorities to decide how much funding they allocate to specific services. The Scottish Government does not hold this information centrally.

Information on the number of hours of support staff provision per week, including home-school link workers, provided by each local authority is available at School support staff statistics - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) . Figures are available from 2017.

The Scottish Government will publish a dedicated self-harm strategy and action plan by the end of 2023, with the aim of ensuring people who self-harm, or who are at risk of self-harming, receive effective and compassionate support. This builds on our investment of £1.5m (since 2021) in the Self-harm Network Scotland , which is showing positive outcomes in supporting people who self-harm and those who care for them.

Research evidence, including insights from people with lived experience, confirms that often people who self-harm do not seek support from statutory services. We also know that for many people who attend hospital for self-harm treatment will not need to be admitted. Furthermore, there are differences in recording practices between clinicians and Health Boards. These factors mean the data on self-harm admission in hospitals is currently incomplete and unreliable, and for these reasons the data on self-harm received by Public Health Scotland from inpatient and emergency care settings is not routinely published.

Addressing these data issues will be a key priority in our self-harm strategy and a priority of the action plan will be to review, and improve data, including in hospital settings, to drive improvements in support and service responses for people who self-harm.