I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-26013 on 14 March 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 .

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.

I am pleased to confirm that an agreement was reached between the UK and the Faroe Islands on 1 March. This was the final in a suite of negotiations which have cumulatively provided over £600 million of fishing opportunities to Scottish fishers in 2024. The Scottish Government has been fully involved in the negotiations, with these talks highlighted as a key priority by many in our industry. This deal sees exchanges of quota and access for Scottish vessels into Faroese waters for species such as cod, haddock and saithe in 2024. The outcomes will provide additional opportunities and flexibility, enabling our larger whitefish vessels to divert their effort into Faroese waters, in turn putting less pressure on stocks in Scottish waters. This deal also provides a platform to continue to build on our already strong relationship with the Faroe Islands as we seek to manage our fish stocks sustainably. The signed Agreed Record can be found on the Scottish Government website: Summary - United Kingdom and Faroe Islands fisheries consultations: agreed record for 2024 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) . .

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.

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.

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.

The Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for Adults has been a positive development in supporting the mental health and wellbeing of our local communities, with approximately 3300 grants made to local projects across Scotland in the first two years alone.

We are committed to providing this Fund going forward and are currently in the process of finalising mental health budgets for 2024-25. We will be able to confirm the amount of this funding once the budget allocations have been approved.

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) .

The model of shared accountability agreed for the National Care Service means that Scottish Ministers, Local Authorities and NHS Boards will each have their own responsibilities to fulfil within a new national framework.

We will continue working with COSLA and other key partners to consider how NCS benefits and system improvements can be offered to both adults and children consistently across Scotland.

The Scottish Government priority is to ensure the consistent availability and high-quality of joined-up support for those children and families who need it, wherever they live in Scotland.

We will continue working towards improving outcomes for children and families, and the workforces who care for them. There is consensus across The Scottish Government, Local Government and other partners, to collaboratively advance an agenda of improvement beyond any system reform.

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.