Chamber and committees

Scottish Water operates 759 wastewater treatment works in the Highlands and Islands region. (includes Highlands, Western Isles, Orkney, Shetland, parts of Moray and parts of Argyll and Bute)

The Scottish Government’s ambition is to explore fully the opportunities across the energy sector for public ownership in an independent Scotland. As an independent state, we would have full powers in relation to energy generation and borrowing and as such would enable Scotland to consider large-scale public sector involvement or ownership in key technologies.

We remain supportive of the future potential for a public energy company in Scotland and, through the new agency, Heat and Energy Efficiency Scotland, we will support others with an interest in exploring options to take forward new models for energy provision.

The Scottish Government has regular engagement on energy with the Welsh Government.

The Scottish Government is fully committed to delivering a world class health service for the people of Scotland in a sustainable model that remains fully aligned with the founding principles of the NHS. This will deliver high quality, safe, effective and person-centred care to all patients as they access services. Our Progress Update on the NHS Recovery Plan outlines the actions that are underway as services remobilise from the pandemic. We regularly work with Healthcare Improvement Scotland Community Engagement through their Citizen’s Panel work to understand more clearly views across Scotland regarding their health service.

Transport Scotland officials have regular discussions with UK Government Department for Transport officials regarding a number of maritime issues, including direct ferry links to Europe.

As of 15 December 2022 there are:

a) i) 6.25 whole time equivalent civil servants in the alcohol harm prevention team
‎ ii) 3.25 whole time equivalent civil servants in the alcohol treatment team

b) 44.9 whole time equivalent civil servants in the drugs division

The following table shows the number of bed days occupied by people delayed in their discharge in hospitals in NHS Highland for all delay reasons over the period April 2017 to March 2022 by financial year. The hospital of delay represents the location of delay as recorded at the monthly data submission date to which all bed days within the month are assigned. The figures for 2020-21 and
‎2021-22 will have been impacted by the measures put in place to respond to COVID-19.

Number of delayed bed days occupied in NHS Highland hospitals, 2017-18 to 2021-22

All local authorities are under a statutory duty to have regard to any guidance, such as ‘Better Eating, Better Learning’, issued by Scottish Ministers on the application of the principles of sustainable development when providing food or drink or catering services in schools. Local authorities, supported by Scotland Excel, remain committed to using local and sustainable produce in school catering wherever possible. It is up to each local authority to decide what produce, including organic, to use in their catering services, taking into account local needs, priorities and circumstances.

The NHS Scotland National Medical Equipment Management System (NMEMS), which aims to provide national oversight and visibility of medical equipment in NHS Boards, is being delivered in 2 phases.

Phase 1, commenced in October 2022 and has a provisional completion date of Spring 2023, has cost £28,000 to date which includes licences, data migration costs and post implementation support.

Costs for Phase 2 are currently being scoped and are expected to be finalised in early 2023.

For more information on the NMEMS delivery phases I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-12907 on 21 December 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 recent Covid 19 pandemic highlighted the need for a national medical equipment management system in Scotland that provides an NHS Scotland-wide overview and visibility of critical medical equipment. To deliver this requirement, a National Medical Equipment Management System (NMEMS) is currently being developed by NHS National Services Scotland, NHS Scotland, and the Scottish Government. Once in place the system will also allow for improved strategic planning of medical equipment replacement and will aid the response to medical equipment related safety notices.

The system will be launched in 2 phases: Phase 1 commenced in October 2022 and aims to install medical equipment management systems in all the NHS Boards that currently do not have one. Work for phase 1 is currently underway with a provisional completion date of Spring 2023.

Phase 2 aims to link all the NHS Board medical equipment management systems centrally and is currently on track to commence in early 2023, with completion projected for summer 2023.

The Scottish Government works collaboratively with Justice and other stakeholders in taking forward a significant programme of legislative, policy and delivery commitments, consistent with the Vision for Justice in Scotland.

There are currently 13 active working groups which fall under the remit of (a) Justice and (b) Community Safety.

For completeness, there are further boards, taskforces and advisory panels that fall under the remit of justice and community safety which have also been included in the following table.