Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government is engaged in ongoing discussions with Public Health Scotland and the Scottish Commission for Learning Disabilities (SCLD) on how the Learning Disability Statistics Scotland (LDSS) report can be improved to provide the most precise picture of people with learning disabilities across Scotland. This includes consideration of publication timescales.

We understand the importance of reliable evidence and data about people with learning disabilities and are committed to improving the evidence base through our autism and learning/intellectual disability transformation plan 'Towards Transformation'.

Following a desktop review of all NHS Scotland properties suspected to contain reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete, NHS Scotland Assure is preparing a paper on options to proceed with discovery surveys. The timeframe for completion of the survey programme is dependent on the start date of the surveys and the survey option chosen.

There is no budget crisis within the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. The Scottish Government has provided a £14.4m increase in the budget cover for SFRS in 2023-24.

In common with all public bodies in Scotland it is right that SFRS continues to review its operations to ensure it is effective and delivering value for money. Decisions on how they spend their budget is a matter for the SFRS Board.

The Scottish Government is in close contact with SFRS on the management of its budget.

Following a desktop review of all NHS Scotland properties suspected to contain reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete, NHS Scotland Assure is preparing a paper to inform the Scottish Government on options to proceed with discovery surveys. The cost of conducting the discovery surveys is dependent on the survey option chosen.

This is a question for the Keeper of the Registers of Scotland. She advises me that that on 13 June 2023, out of the 2025 registered titles with a footprint area over 500 ha, 432 are owned exclusively by a company. These titles comprise a combined footprint area of 939,133 ha.

A further 213 titles are leased exclusively by a company and 2 are mixed tenure titles registered under the Land Registration (Scotland) 1979 Act.

This figure excludes public bodies, charities, trusts, and titles with a complex proprietorship structure consisting of a mix of natural and non-natural persons acting in various capacities.

Of the 616 unregistered areas of land over 500 ha, which have been linked to a Sasines Search Sheet in the RoS Unlocking Sasines dataset, an estimated 189 are owned by a company. Together, these areas comprise an indicative area of 667,178 ha.

The following litigation requires to be concluded:

Imran Ahmad v the Lord Advocate: Proof before answer was heard by Lord Harrower in respect of quantum between 1-10 March 2023 and Lord Harrower made avizandum. The decision in this case is still pending.

David Grier v the Lord Advocate: On 12 April 2023 the Court of Session refused Mr Grier’s application for leave to appeal to the UK Supreme Court. Mr Grier thereafter filed an application for Permission to Appeal directly to the UK Supreme Court on 9 May 2023.

Shelagh McCall KC has been instructed to independently consider reports of criminal conduct from a legal perspective in relation to the prosecutions connected to Rangers Football Club. This process is in place to ensure that any allegations of criminal conduct are considered fairly and objectively.

The aforementioned cases and the work of Shelagh McCall KC remain ongoing at this time.

The Scottish Government and the Lord Advocate have committed to a process of a judge-led inquiry once all legal proceedings relating to the malicious prosecutions are at an end. The exact form and timing of an inquiry will be determined once all legal proceedings are concluded.

The Justice Directorate has been identified as the directorate to lead on providing advice to Ministers.

Responding to incidents is an operational matter for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. The Scottish Government does not hold information on average response times.

SFRS responds to every emergency incident as quickly as possible with the appropriate level of resources.

The Scottish Government is aware of this drug, to date there have been two detections in Scotland that we have been made aware of through the Welsh WEDINOS programme.

Public Health Scotland, through their Rapid Action Drug Alerts and Response (RADAR) programme, are continuing to monitor this situation. Currently xylazine is not routinely screened for in police or post-mortem toxicology throughout the UK, but we will keep this under review and future decisions around adding this to toxicology screening in Scotland would be made by the RADAR pathology and toxicology network.

The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD, the UK Government’s drug advisory body) New Psychoactive Substance committee are also monitoring the availability of this substance and are conducting an evidence review which will also inform action in Scotland. Public Health Scotland continue to lead on the ongoing development of RADAR which provides essential and real-time data on drug trends and harms to ensure a quick response to what is happening on the ground, including providing vital public health alerts, such as they issued around nitazenes in January 2023.

A series of improvements have been implemented to NHS inform allowing for more dynamic, mobile-first content structures. These improvements allowed the Digital Mental Health Programme to test a range of content layouts to incorporate more video, imagery and interactive guides within the existing content templates. This work will also have wider benefits including a reduction in costs and time savings as content for NHS inform is maintained and developed.

The Scottish Government does not have any plans to determine the number of social care settings that may be affected. Local authorities have responsibility for provision of social care services and therefore the contracts with relevant providers. Building safety is a matter for the owner of the building.