Chamber and committees

There is no mechanism for increasing the frequency of benefit payments. We have set payment cycles already in operation. Any new payment cycles would not be recommended as they would be complex to implement and have detrimental impact on operational services.

As announced by myself on 4 October 2022, more than £600 million of funding is provided through the 2022-23 budget to support a range of measures to support the Health & Social Care system through the winter period. This builds on £1 billion of investment already announced in the earlier 2021-26 NHS recovery plan, and includes £550 million of additional funding and the continuation of the £50 million of Urgent and Unscheduled Care Collaborative from the recovery plan.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-11467 on 8 November 2022. 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 following table shows how many pupils are in each of the named local authorities (taken from the most recent pupil census data from 2021) and how many devices have been distributed by these local authorities, using £25m digital inclusion funding made available by Scottish Government in 2020-21. In total, this funding supported the provision of 14,000 internet connections and 72,000 devices for learners across all local authorities.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-11675 on 8 November 2022. 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 timing of the opening of the booking system is set out in the contract with Serco NorthLink Ferries and is aimed at opening the booking system for a full 12 months to provide maximum flexibility for customers. In principle we would be open to exploring bringing this forward to an earlier date, but would need to consider the matter further to assess any unintended consequences this might have.

£10 million of funding has been directed to support Cancer Waiting Times improvements in our NHS across 2022-23, targeting the most challenged specialties, including breast. Significant funds are going towards up-skilling nurses and investment to support extended working days and weekend working to increase capacity and treat patients as timely as possible.

The Scottish Cancer Network (SCN) has engaged collaboration from clinical staff across Scotland to develop a clinical management pathway for breast cancer to ensure patients achieve consistent care across Scotland, expected to be launched in 2023.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-11835 on 8 November 2022. 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.

Transport Scotland liaises closely with Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL) and other partners regarding future vessel projects. These discussions include appropriate consideration of design and operating options, including alternative fuels. As part of our work on the Islands Connectivity Plan, we will consult on pathways to zero/low-emission ferry transport, learning from experience in other countries.

Officials at Transport Scotland directed Scottish Rail Holdings to ensure that ScotRail Trains, in light of this particular incident in Lanarkshire, reviewed the arrangements for passengers requiring travel assistance. ScotRail has provided assurance that it has learnt the lessons from this incident and appropriate actions and processes are in place to avoid further incidents of this nature.