Chamber and committees

I represented the Scottish Government at the Open Government Partnership Europe Regional Meeting, held in Rome in October 2022. The Minister travelled to and from Rome by train.

Scottish Government officials also in attendance were the Head of Open Government and a Private Secretary.

The total cost of attendance at the Open Government Partnership Europe Regional Meeting was £5,332.55.

The mental health and wellbeing of children and young people is a top priority for the Scottish Government. We are committed to improving support for children and young people’s mental health, in order to ensure early intervention and prevention of suicide.

We do not take a prescriptive approach to the education curriculum in Scotland. The curriculum is not statutory and therefore it is for individual schools and local authorities to decide which approaches they use to help them deliver relevant and engaging learning.

Schools are encouraged to develop the curriculum to suit their local context and meet the needs of children and young people, this can include delivering learning on suicide prevention. It is good practice for schools to consult with children and young people and respond to their views appropriately, to ensure this meets the needs of all children and young people in the school or educational setting.

Education Scotland's National Improvement Hub contains resources and learning for school staff to support young people in relation to self-harm and suicide. In addition, in June 2021, we published an online professional learning resource aimed at school staff to support young people’s mental health and wellbeing. The resource includes a section on suicide.

There has been no specific assessment by the Scottish Government of the additional cost of living pressures experienced by residents in Edinburgh. However, in November 2022 the Scottish Government published a report: ‘The Cost of Living Crisis in Scotland: Analytical Report’ which drew together analysis to provide an overview of emerging evidence on the cost of living crisis. Although the report didn’t specifically look at the impact on Edinburgh residents it did identify, at a national level, those low income households who will be most negatively affected by the cost of living crisis.

The Scottish Government is continuing to monitor the cost of living crisis closely and has announced a number of measures to support households, including residents in Edinburgh. This includes introducing emergency legislation to put in place a rent freeze, increasing the Scottish Child Payment (SCP) and doubling both the Fuel Insecurity Fund and the December 2022 SCP Bridging Payment.

Alcohol duty is reserved to the UK Government. The Scottish Government would strongly recommend that the UK Government considers public health as part of any review to alcohol duty.

We have made no assessment of the impact of the six-month freeze on alcohol duty on alcohol harm in Scotland. We remain committed to reducing alcohol related harms, in line with the World Health Organization’s focus on affordability, availability and attractiveness of alcohol.

The Government looks at its entire capital programme on an on-going basis. This includes looking at phasing of, and the delivery arrangements for projects, including Ferguson Marine, in order to allocate resources accordingly to meet our commitments.

A Sexual Health Digital Group has not yet been established, in recognition of the pressures facing the NHS as it recovers from the pandemic, and to avoid further demands on the time of the clinicians and NHS professionals who would be required to join.

However, to maintain momentum, the Scottish Government has continued to support digital solutions, including online testing and ePrEP. Additionally, much of the anticipated work that the Group would have taken forward will be addressed through other forums, such as the forthcoming update to the Sexual Health and Blood Borne Virus Framework or through the refreshed Digital Health and Care Strategy. However, the establishment of the Group will remain under review and be stood up, should the need arise and resources permit.

Establishing a Women’s Health Lead in every board is a medium term action in the Women’s Health Plan due for delivery by September 2024 . NHS Boards have begun the process of identifying their Women’s Health Lead.

As set out in the August 2021 Plan the establishment of a Women’s Health Research Fund is a long term action with a delivery timescale of three years or more from publication.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring women can access appropriate contraception when and where they need it. Since November 2021, community pharmacies have been able to supply the progestogen-only pill for a 3-month period, if clinically appropriate to do so, and in line with a national Patient Group Direction (PGD). The national roll-out followed a successful pilot in pharmacies across Lothian and Tayside.

This availability of bridging contraception from community pharmacies enables women to access contraception without the need for a prescription and receive healthcare advice and treatment from their community pharmacist. Thereafter, individuals wishing to continue with a regular supply or access an alternative method of contraception, may contact their GP practice to request a repeat prescription or request an appointment to discuss their options.

Contraception can be obtained for free from:

• most GP surgeries

• community contraception clinics

• some genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinics

• sexual health clinics

• some young people's services.

However, there are two brands of the progestogen-only available to purchase over the counter (OTC) in pharmacies, increasing choice for women in the ways in which they can access contraception.

Work to widen eligibility for PrEP in Scotland is well underway. This has been progressed by a dedicated PrEP Short Life Working Group, comprising clinical and third sector representatives, which is developing guidance for new eligibility criteria. The goal is to ensure that anyone who is at risk of acquiring HIV is eligible to receive PrEP.

Widening eligibility will also require ensuring appropriate capacity to provide PrEP. In December 2022, the Scottish Government committed to support a pilot for an online service providing access to PrEP. Work on this is now being taken forward. If successful, in the long term, an online service could improve access, including for those living in remote or rural areas.