The Scottish Government does not hold this information centrally. The funding and commissioning of palliative and end of life care services, including hospices, is a matter for Integration Authorities using the integrated budgets under their control.

The Scottish Government’s Fair Work Action Plan sets out actions to promote fair and inclusive workplaces across Scotland. We are committed to using all levers at our disposal to extend Fair Work conditionality with clear standards and minimum requirements to cover all forms of Scottish Government support within the limits of devolved competence. The action to consider including the use of reliefs and licensing powers is an investigatory action, and not a definitive position on if and how these can be used. Officials will continue to monitor implementation of Fair Work conditions to ensure the approach remains fair and proportionate.

Non-domestic rates are levied on the private, public and charitable sectors and on a very diverse array of properties, from shops and offices to telephone masts, railways lines, harbours, bothies and advertising boards. Certain properties may have no employees linked with them, or properties may be operated by individuals rather than businesses, and therefore may not have any employees, and we will therefore need to consider carefully the potential role of fair work conditionality in the non-domestic rates system, within the limits of devolved competence.

There are now 2 independent dentists working in the Campbeltown area listed with NHS Highland to provide NHS General Dental Services. In addition, a Public Dental Service (PDS) dentist visits Campbeltown one day per month to provide NHS dental care and advice to patients. NHS Highland is currently recruiting for a replacement PDS Senior Dental Officer/Tutor in the area.

We are grateful to all those who responded to the Government’s consultation on electoral reform. We are considering the responses to the consultation and the analysis and will publish a formal response in due course. The responses were independently analysed, and the analysis of the consultation can be found on the Scottish Government website.

As noted, a Bill on electoral reform was announced in the Programme for Government 2023-24. We anticipate that this will be introduced to Parliament by spring 2024.

The comprehensive review of Patient Travel Guidance is a substantial exercise for the Scottish Government and NHS Boards, and, regrettably, a start date is not confirmed at this time.

As we continue to prioritise the recovery of services, this important review will take full account of the matters raised by Members and will be taken forward as soon as possible.

Financial support for travel remains available for patients and authorised escorts, according to eligibility criteria and medical requirements.

Boards are expected to support patients to identify and access support available, taking account of individual circumstances and ensuring patient care is at the centre of all decisions.

Scottish Government Ministers and officials regularly meet with local politicians, council Chief Executives and Directors of Finance to discuss national priorities and local issues. In those meetings, in parallel with ongoing engagement with COSLA Leaders and Spokespeople, Councils routinely identify policy challenges and financial pressures locally.

Despite a decade of UK Government austerity measures, the Accounts Commission, who are responsible for holding councils and other local government bodies in Scotland to account, have confirmed that local government revenue funding is 2.6% higher in real terms than it was in 2013-14.

Scottish councils have therefore been treated fairly throughout UK imposed austerity but we recognise the challenging environment they face, alongside the rest of the public sector, and that is why we are committed to a Fiscal Framework as part of our New Deal with Local Government in order to ensure the sustainability of local services.

The NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, published by UK government in June 2023, sets out funding in England of £2.4 billion between‎ 2024-25 and 2028-29. This funding is expected to be subject to the Barnett formula, however final budget allocations are currently unknown and will be subject to future UK budgets. No additional funding has been received in 2023-24.

The CEO of FMPG provides a regular update to the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee on the progress and anticipated delivery schedules of both MV Glen Sannox and MV Glen Rosa. His next update is due by the end of September 2023.

Delivering person-centred care is a priority for both NHS Scotland and the Scottish Government. As far as possible services should be organised around people’s needs, enabling them to be involved in their care in a way that is meaningful and tailored to their personal preference.

In December 2021 we published practical guidance for NHS clinicians on undertaking virtual consultations with people affected by neurological conditions: Digital Consulting in Neurology | TEC Scotland

The guidance considers when virtual consultations may be an appropriate option to offer. It states clearly that patients should be given the opportunity to decide how they wish to be seen. It is for NHS boards to decide how specialist epilepsy appointments are arranged in their area.

No NHS Lanarkshire buildings have been assessed as containing reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete. The NHS Scotland Assure survey programme has identified eighteen buildings in the NHS Lanarkshire estate with two or more characteristics consistent with the presence of RAAC. These buildings were included in the list of NHS Scotland buildings which was provided in the response to answer S6W-19366 on 21 July 2023. This list has also been made available on the NHS Scotland Assure website: RAAC -List of Properties v1 Jul 23 (nhs.scot). This list forms the NHS Scotland Assure RAAC survey programme, which commenced in July 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