Chamber and committees

Our Diabetes Improvement Plan, published in 2021, contains a key commitment to further increase access to existing and emerging diabetes technologies.

Our national policy is to increase access to these life changing diabetes therapies to everyone who would benefit, and we expect NHS Boards to provide technology to all clinically suitable children and adults.

Between 2016 and 2022, we invested £29.6 million of additional funding specifically to support the increased provision of diabetes technologies. A further £350,000 is being invested through the new Accelerated National Innovation Adoption pathway workstream to accelerate the distribution of Closed Loop Systems.

The technology is considered the most significant development in diabetes treatment in recent years and can transform lives, particularly for children and young people. This investment will see a dedicated team created to support NHS health boards to rollout the technology faster and more efficiently across Scotland.

We are continuing to work with key partners to identify any future funding requirements for the continuing roll-out of diabetes technologies across Scotland.

That information is not held centrally.

Building safety is a matter for the owner of the building. Questions regarding day-to-day operational matters of non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs), including information relating to any repair and maintenance works, are best answered directly by each NDPB.

Reference can, however, be made to the response to previous questions, S6W-18838 to S6W-18842 on 13 June 2023, asked of five individual NPBDs.

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 refer the member to the answer to question S6W-16433 on 25 April 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

The judicial review decision about the City of Edinburgh Council's short-term lets licensing policy does not affect the timeframes for the implementation of short-term lets licensing as set out in legislation.

Since 1 October 2022, new short-term let hosts must obtain a licence, from the licensing authority where their accommodation is located, before they accept bookings and receive guests.

Transitional arrangements are in place for existing hosts, those operating their accommodation as short-term lets prior to 1 October 2022, enabling them to continue operating provided that they apply for a licence by 1 October 2023. Existing hosts will then be able to continue operating while their licence application is being processed and until it is determined.

Under the legislation, licensing authorities have up to 12 months to process applications from existing hosts and this can be extended by the courts for individual cases where there are good reasons to do so. If a licensing authority does not determine a licensing application within 12 months or apply to a court for an extension to continue its consideration, the application will be deemed to be granted for the period of one year. These provisions should provide assurance to the sector that they can continue to accept bookings and receive guests during this transitional period for existing hosts.

The Building (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2023 , which will give effect to the New Build Heat Standard, if passed, were laid in parliament on 8 June 2023.

An accompanying policy note was published alongside these.

Commissioned research into ‘Zero Emissions Heating in New Buildings across Scottish Islands’ and a suite of impact assessments were published alongside the independent analysis of the New Build Heat Standard Consultation: Part II, also on 9 June 2023.

Work is now ongoing to update the building standards technical handbooks which will provide the relevant guidance for industry, and this is due to be published in Autumn 2023.

Since its first meeting on 17 May 2023, the New Deal for Business Group has been working at pace to examine how the Scottish Government can improve its relationship with businesses and partners to help build a fairer, greener and growing wellbeing economy.

The group, which I co-chair with Dr Poonam Malik of Strathclyde University, has been considering the key areas of a shared awareness of economic conditions and performance; ensuring the best environment to do business; enhanced partnership working and a transition to a wellbeing economy

Today, I am publishing a report on the progress of and the recommendations of the group which can be found here:

https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781835210826

The report has been informed by the work of five subgroups and focusses on regulation, business partnership, Non-Domestic Rates, Wellbeing Economy and Data and Metrics.

The report has been sent to the First Minister for his consideration and we are developing an implementation plan to support the recommendations being taken forward.

I would like to thank all of those who have contributed to the NDBG and its Subgroups, bringing their knowledge and expertise to this important work.

The Scottish Government is committed to improving care for people with chronic kidney disease through a number of activities which are aligned with the recommendations set out in Kidney Research UK’s (KRUK) Changing the Future for Chronic Kidney Disease in Scotland report, published in December 2022 with input from Scottish Government clinical advisors and partners.

We are raising awareness of the symptoms, causes, diagnosis and prevention of kidney disease by providing and promoting information on chronic kidney disease for patients and their families on NHS Inform .

Our Donation and Transplantation Plan was published in 2021 and sets out a dedicated priority to increase living donation and reduce the wait for a kidney transplant. This includes a number of recommendations to improve care, including developing resources and information to promote living donation , changing clinical practice in renal units, increasing direct engagement with patients and their families, and developing new guidance on staffing to support living donation.

We also continue to support the work of the Scottish Renal Registry which promotes excellence in renal care in Scotland including audits on the delivery of renal replacement therapy. The most recent report from registry was published by Public Health Scotland in October 2022 and provides vital information for Health Boards, service managers and individual clinicians to help improve care and standards for people with chronic kidney disease.

We will shortly publish a new Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy. The Strategy will set out a long-term vision, and a set of outcomes, for mental health and wellbeing to ensure that everyone who needs support can get access to services that are appropriate to their needs.

Whilst we also welcome the recent report on the economic impact of the disease published in June, following our recent meeting with KRUK on 2 May 2023, we are not proposing to develop an individual action plan for this condition at this time. However, we remain committed to engaging with KRUK on these important matters to ensure that all people living with kidney disease are able to access the best possible care and support, and benefit from healthcare services that are safe, effective, and put people at the centre of their care.

Since my response to S6W-16048 was issued, my officials have met with representatives from the following organisations:

The Church of Scotland

The Free Church of Scotland

Sikhs in Scotland

The United Free Church of Scotland

We have additionally received written views on the minimum age of marriage and civil partnership from the Equality Network.

Invitations to meet have been issued to representatives of all the other organisations that my response to S6W-16048 indicates we planned to meet.

I am meeting Pauline Latham MP after the summer recess. Ms Latham promoted the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Minimum Age) Bill in the Westminster Parliament. That Bill once passed and implemented led to an increase in the minimum age of marriage in England and Wales from 16 to 18.

The member is welcome to write to me with details of any other interested groups who want to be involved.

The Scottish Government remains committed to the provision of ear wax removal within community NHS services. The new GP contract, introduced in 2018, committed Health Boards to set up Community Treatment and Care (CTAC) services to provide ear wax removal in the community.

We are aware that gaps in delivery remain in certain areas, and are working closely with Health Boards, to collect and review the data on the workforce and financial resources required to fully deliver these services needs in order to inform consideration of the potential for additional investment in 2023-24.

Given that labelling, including barcodes, is a reserved issue and therefore requirements for barcodes and labels were not part of the regulations covering Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme, we have not previously engaged with GS1 UK, who are a company dealing with barcodes.

However, I have asked officials to reach out to GS1 UK to offer to meet with them.