Chamber and committees

Transport Scotland’s primary engagement with consultants was via the appointments made to provide support on the delivery of the A9 Dualling programme. Under those various appointments the views of a number of consultants have informed the identification and assessment of factors that could affect delivery of the programme, undertaken as part of Transport Scotland’s normal risk management practices. That process of identification and assessment was also informed by discussions with consultants and contractors via regular meetings held with the Association of Consulting Engineers and The Civil Engineering Contractors Association respectively.

Arising from its ongoing work to determine the optimal procurement approach to the remainder of the programme, Transport Scotland concluded in late 2022 that the completion date of 2025 could not be achieved and should no longer apply to the A9 Dualling programme. I was informed on 7 December 2022 of Transport Scotland’s view that the published completion date of 2025 for the dualling of the A9 between Perth and Inverness should no longer apply.

A statement to Parliament on the next steps for the Programme required to take account of the outcome of the ongoing Tomatin to Moy project procurement. The decision on that procurement was made on 3 February 2023 and the bidder was informed on 8 February, prior to the statement to Parliament on the same day.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-15055 on 21 March 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 Scottish Animal Welfare Commission has established a working group to consider the microchipping of cats alongside the UK Government’s recently published draft legislation. Scottish Ministers will carefully consider their findings once published.

The Scottish Government’s Code of Practice for the Welfare of Cats recommends that all cat owners should consider neutering and microchipping their pets as the best way of being reunited with their rightful owners, should they be separated.

The Scottish Government remains willing to consider areas where consistent changes to legislation in all GB administrations will improve the welfare of kept animals and strengthen the prospects of separated animals being returned to their owners.

The Scottish Government welcomes The UK Commission on Bereavement’s report and the focus it brings to improving the experience of people affected by grief. Bereavement affects many aspects of our lives and we recognise that getting the right care and support following a bereavement is crucial for our health and wellbeing.

We are already taking forward a broad programme of work to improve the practical support, care and advice that is available for people who have been bereaved. That includes: prioritising bereavement support within our £15 million Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund; investing directly in bereavement support services - including for families and workplaces affected by suicide; providing wellbeing advice on the Mind 2 Mind website; widening eligibility for the Funeral Support Payment; and, uprating the Funeral Support Payment annually.

We are also exploring ways to further improve bereavement support through our new Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy, the new Palliative and End of Life Strategy, and through the creation of the National Care Service. This will include a focus on meeting the needs of minority groups.

Finally, we will continue to engage and listen to bereavement sector partners as we take forward our bereavement work, and will draw on the UK Commission’s findings.

Transport Scotland, acting on behalf of the Scottish Ministers, is a statutory consultee in the planning process for all planning applications that have the potential to impact the performance and safety of the Trunk Road Network.

East Ayrshire Council consulted Transport Scotland on two separate planning applications for residential developments in Mauchline on the A76. Both planning applications were supported by detailed transport appraisals, the outcomes and recommendations from which were accepted by Transport Scotland. Following extensive dialogue with the developer regarding the proposed junction accesses onto the A76 trunk road, and submission of Road Safety Audits, Transport Scotland responded to the planning authority on both applications recommending approval subject to a number of conditions.

1. The National Cyber Security Centre advises Government departments to withhold specific information that may provide insight into the likelihood of success of specific cyber techniques and the Scottish Government follows this advice.
‎

2. The Scottish Government is not a formal reporting agency for cyber incidents or cyber attacks, which means that agencies are not obliged to report any cyber incidents or attacks they experience to us. However, we encourage any Scottish public body that does experience a cyber incident to notify the Scottish Government Cyber Resilience Unit under the voluntary Scottish Public Sector Notifiable Cyber Incident Procedure so that we can ensure that all relevant and necessary support can be provided.
‎

Between January 2021 and 17 March 2023 we were notified of 26 cyber incidents under this procedure.

The Scottish Government welcomes The UK Commission on Bereavement’s report and the focus it brings to improving the experience of people affected by grief. Bereavement affects many aspects of our lives and we recognise that getting the right care and support following a bereavement is crucial for our health and wellbeing.

As set out in the answers to questions S6W-15835 and S6W-15839 on 21 March 2023, we are already taking forward a broad programme of work to improve the practical support, care and advice that is available for people who have been bereaved. We are also taking forward specific work which implements a number of UK Commission’s recommendations. This includes: improving access to advice and information for people affected by bereavement; ensuring people are sensitively supported during a bereavement; and, adopting public health approaches to create more open-ness in our communities to talking about dying and death. We have also introduced practical changes to ensure processes for registering a death are as straightforward as possible.

We are also exploring ways to further improve bereavement support through our new Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy, the new Palliative and End of Life Strategy, and through the creation of the National Care Service. This includes focussing on the needs of minority groups.

Finally, we will continue our engagement with the bereavement sector as we take forward our work to improve support for people affected by bereavement, drawing on the UK Commission’s findings.

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

As set out in the answers to questions S6W-15835 and S6W-15839 on 21 March 2023 the Scottish Government is already taking forward a broad programme of work to improve the practical support, care and advice that is available for people who have been bereaved.

We are also working to implement some of the UK Commission’s recommendations, for example, improving access to advice and information for people affected by bereavement, ensuring people are sensitively supported during a bereavement, and adopting public health approaches to create more open-ness in talking about dying and death. We have already introduced practical changes to ensure processes for registering a death are as straightforward as possible.

We will continue to engage and listen to bereavement sector partners as we take forward our bereavement work, and will draw on the UK Commission’s findings.

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

Scottish Ministers have repeatedly called for reform of oil and gas licensing processes currently reserved to Westminster and the UK Government to ensure compatibility with net zero and will look for further opportunities to make the case for reform.