Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government is working with wider public partners to consider all possible avenues for the long-term management of the site. This includes the consideration of any private sector interest in the site.

The Scottish Government remains committed to reaching its target of eliminating Hepatitis C (HCV) in Scotland by 2024, whilst recognising the impact that the covid-19 pandemic has had across all our health services.

In 2019, the Scottish Health Protection Network established the Hepatitis C Elimination Implementation Group to oversee and monitor the implementation of the Scottish Government’s Hepatitis C Elimination Strategy. Including hard to reach populations in efforts to eliminate Hepatitis C is fundamental to the Elimination Strategy, and this issue is therefore regularly considered by the Group, which meets four times per year. Along with representatives from Scottish Government, the Group is made up of clinicians, representatives from NHS health boards, and primary care and prevention leads.

In addition, in 2021 the Scottish Government provided funding to NHS Tayside to deliver the Cocoon project, which provided point of care BBV testing and treatment to people who inject drugs, whilst integrating wound care, naloxone provision and other harm reducing measures.

Public Health Scotland produced the “Surveillance of Hepatitis C in Scotland” report earlier this month and the report indicated that major progress in Scotland has been made. By 2021, 80% of individuals diagnosed with chronic HCV infection in Scotland had been initiated on HCV treatment, meaning that Scotland had met the World Health Organisation Target on treatment.

While this is encouraging, the COVID-19 pandemic impacted progress towards the elimination target, and particularly challenged our ability to gather data needed to guide interventions. Additional prevalence data is expected before the end of this year. This will support decision-making on the extent and location of required interventions and resources.

Students in further or higher education currently experiencing financial hardship should apply to their college or university for support from Discretionary Funds. We have provided £16.8m in hardship funding for the current academic year to support higher education students experiencing financial hardship, in addition to free tuition in Scotland and a range of bursary support.

I have urged college and university principals to continue to prioritise hardship funds to students most in need, taking account the impact of rising energy bills.

Patient safety is our utmost concern and the Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that patients continue to receive high quality Out of Hours services. Officials work closely with Out of Hours services across Scotland, including NHS Dumfries and Galloway to support them in delivering a safe, resilient and sustainable service. Whilst the Out of Hours service in NHS Dumfries & Galloway remains under pressure – as it does across Scotland – the Scottish Government receives regular assurances that there are robust arrangements in place to maintain a safe Out of Hours service and that the Board are working to make the service more resilient for the future. This includes the recent recruitment of two salaried GPs and a sessional GP. I understand that the Board are also working with Scottish Ambulance Service to recruit Advanced Paramedic Practitioners.

Patient safety is our utmost concern and the Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that patients continue to receive high quality Out of Hours services. My officials have been in contact with NHS Dumfries and Galloway and have been advised that, on 26 September 2022, all shifts were filled and that the Out of Hours service was maintained through this time. I would expect that the Board continues to make every effort to fill all shifts to ensure the resilience of its Out of Hours service.

This information is not held centrally.

There are no GMS practices in Scotland without a partner and only a handful of 2C practices, mostly providing services to niche population groups, without a permanent GP.

The GP contract regulations require all GP practice partners to be sufficiently engaged in providing primary medical services in Scotland. It is for the partners to determine how best to meet the clinical needs of their patients and to ensure there are sufficient GPs onsite to provide necessary face to face appointments and home visits.

Health Boards and Health & Social Care Partnerships are responsible for monitoring their contracts with GP practices.

Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme will launch on 16 August 2023.

In line with the polluter pays principle, and just like similar schemes around the world, Scotland’s deposit return scheme is being delivered by industry. It is for obligated businesses to ensure that they are fully prepared and ready for launch.

The Scottish Government remains engaged by meeting regularly with industry, the Scheme Administrator, and other stakeholders to ensure that implementation remains on track.

Grants towards the cost of flood resilient repairs and/or protection measures for individual homes are available from some local authorities. For example, the Scottish Borders Council make flood protection products available through a discount scheme. Further details are available through the attached link FINAL_Subsidised_Flood_Protection_Products_June_2021 (1).pdf or from the Council.

The Scottish Flood Forum, a charity funded by the Scottish Government, can provide households with informed impartial help and guidance in making the best choice of property flood protection. They can arrange a community Property Flood Protection Exhibition to show householders what options are available to help them reduce flood risks at homes and can arrange to carry out assessments of individual homes on request.

In recognition of the importance of reducing flood risk the Scottish Government has provided, since 2008, a total of £42 million a year through the General Capital Grant to local authorities to allow them to invest in flood protection measures. In addition the 2020 Programme for Government committed an additional £150 million over the course of this Parliament for flood risk management actions.