Chamber and committees

It is difficult to make accurate estimates of the proportion of palm oil imported into Scotland that is from sustainable sources. There is no reason to believe that the proportion is significantly different from that for the UK as a whole. The most recent Annual Progress Report from the UK Roundtable on Sourcing Sustainable Palm Oil states that "since 2010, the proportion of UK imports of palm and palm kernel oil that can be reported as certified sustainable has increased from 16% to 72% in 2021, with the vast majority of remaining imports likely to be sourced through a form of assurance." The UK Government has consulted about regulations to introduce due diligence on forest risk commodities, which are planned to place new obligations on businesses that import large volumes of commodities that can be grown on newly cleared forest land. Businesses will be required to demonstrate that production of these commodities has respected local laws.

We are planning on the basis that the full model should be implemented by mid 2025.To aid with implementation we will work with regional chief executives and strategic planning leads to undertake modelling and capacity work to help develop local implementation plans. It is important that the whole multidisciplinary team are involved in developing local plans, including obstetric and maternity staff.

For parents of babies currently in neonatal care, there will be no immediate change. This model of care is based on how neonatal care has been delivered in Scotland for many years. For example, babies born in the Borders needing specialist intensive care have for many years received intensive care in Edinburgh or Glasgow, before being transferred back to hospitals closer to home as their condition improves.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-20292 on 14 August 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/questions-and-answers .

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-20206 on 14 August 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 long COVID National Strategic Network managed by NHS National Services Scotland has developed a draft education strategy following consultation with people living with long COVID and those responsible for planning and delivering healthcare services. This is due to be considered during forthcoming meetings of the Network’s Steering Group and Strategic Oversight Board in Autumn 2023 for consideration and sign off.

Aligned with the draft strategy, the Strategic Network is actively implementing a range of activity to support the information and learning needs of healthcare professionals working to support people living with long COVID. For example;

• The Network is working with Public Health Scotland to disseminate regular bulletins providing a summary of recent relevant research and evidence on long COVID.

• The Network has implemented a programme of Peer Network sessions, providing education on topics suggested by members and the opportunity to seek support from peers and share good practice. Three sessions have been facilitated to date, including focus on chronic pain management and dysfunctional breathing.

• The Network has facilitated two information sharing sessions with researchers leading Chief Scientist Office (CSO) funded research on long COVID, to enable them to engage with NHS colleagues across Scotland who are developing and delivering support and services for people with long COVID.

• The Network has facilitated practice sharing events with those delivering support for people living with long COVID elsewhere in the UK. This has included a presentation and Q&A session from Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust’s Long COVID Community Rehabilitation Service team.

The Strategic Network continues to engage with a range of clinical stakeholders and stakeholder organisations to raise awareness of the Network and its outputs, including NHS Education for Scotland, and the Royal College of General Practitioners.

The New Scots refugee integration strategy has been developed and is led in partnership by the Scottish Government, COSLA and Scottish Refugee Council. The current strategy was published in 2018.

All partners have committed to refreshing the strategy and to ensuring that it continues to be shaped by refugees and people seeking asylum, as well as those with expertise supporting them. We are currently developing professional and lived experience engagement events, which will take place throughout Scotland this Autumn to inform the next iteration of the Strategy. Publication of the strategy itself will follow after these events have taken place to ensure the views of those the strategy seeks to serve are properly reflected.

Hospitals are expected to provide parents with access to accommodation on site if needed. In addition the Young Patients Family Fund provides reimbursement for costs of travel, subsistence and accommodation for the eligible parents, carers and/or siblings (aged under 18) of child inpatients. In the previous two financial years more than £3.7M was paid to families visiting children in hospital via the fund. More information about the fund, including how to apply can be found on the Scottish Government website Young Patients Family Fund - mygov.scot

The Scottish Government will produce an Outcomes Report regarding the policy outputs from the Climate Change Plan Advisory Group after the final meeting in October 2023. Policy outcomes from the group will also be used to inform development of the upcoming draft Climate Change Plan.

The Scottish Government expects all NHS Boards in Scotland to adhere to current guidelines and follow best practice when providing psychosocial care for people with chronic kidney disease.

We published our new Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy on 29 June 2023. The Strategy sets out a long-term vision, and a set of outcomes, for the mental health and wellbeing of the population. We will subsequently publish a Delivery Plan in the Autumn to set out the work we will do over the coming years to make progress towards those outcomes and set out how we will measure that progress.

This will include consideration on how the Strategy will set ambitions and actions to support people living with long term conditions like chronic kidney disease. One of our key outcomes for the Strategy is to ensure people with mental health conditions, including those with co-existing health conditions, experience improved quality and length of life, free from stigma and discrimination

In order to achieve this, we will work with partners to develop actions that will see improved provision of services and support to people with long-term physical health conditions for their mental health and wellbeing.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-20183 on‎ 14 August 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