Chamber and committees

The review of deer management by the independent Deer Working Group (DWG) found that deer populations in Scotland have grown significantly since 1990, when the population estimate was approximately 512,000 wild deer. The DWG estimated the current deer population to be in excess of one million animals through analysis of data published by NatureScot in recent years. We have no reason to doubt the credibility of this estimate.

The DWG report is also clear that high densities of deer cause not only serious environmental and agricultural damage, but may also have a detrimental effect on wild deer welfare. That is why we asked the Scottish Animal Welfare Commission to consider recommendations made by the report, and we considered their views alongside all other evidence when forming our response, published last year.

The Commission's consideration of the DWG recommendations can be found here: Scottish Animal Welfare Commission: response to deer working group report - gov.scot (www.gov.scot).

The Scottish Government's response to the DWG report can be found here: Deer Working Group recommendations: Scottish Government response - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

The information requested is not held centrally. We expect all NHS Boards to follow all relevant guidelines in order to avoid unnecessary wastage in medication.

The Scottish Government recognises that inappropriate inhaler technique can lead to medicine wastage and impaired control of a person’s asthma. Review of inhaler technique should form part of a medication review between the individual and their medical professional. This is an important recommendation in the current Scottish Government Quality Prescribing for Respiratory guide and the planned update to this guidance will continue to reinforce this message. As part of the medication review, the appropriateness of the inhalers should be reviewed, which has been shown to reduce wastage and improved treatment.

I am delighted to announce the publication today (Wednesday 2 March) of the Scottish Government’s Vision for Agriculture which sets out the principles and values we will put at the heart of a robust and coherent framework to underpin Scotland’s future agriculture support regime from 2025 onwards.

We are committed to transform how we support farming and food production in Scotland to become a global leader in sustainable and regenerative agriculture.

Scotland will have a support framework that delivers climate mitigation and adaptation, nature restoration and high quality food production. Farming, crofting and land management will continue to play an important role in maintaining thriving rural and island communities, not least through the opportunities that change will create. Land management in Scotland will change as we tackle the twin biodiversity and climate crises which will present challenges and opportunities for farmers and crofters, building on their traditional leadership role in land management and stewardship.

In acknowledgement of the reliance that urban Scotland will have on rural communities and businesses to help deliver on our climate change targets and low carbon, net zero ambitions, we will support this change to ensure farmers, crofters and local communities can capitalise on the benefits and that there is a Just Transition.

The Vision is available at https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781804351154 where it sets out the principles, values and objectives. The Vision also outlines the approach to the National Test Programme which is being developed with and alongside members of the Agriculture Reform Implementation Oversight Board (ARIOB).

A search of the National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) Cancer Research Database (CaRD) carried out by NCRI at the request of the Chief Scientist Office (CSO) showed the following allocation for CSO funded site-specific brain tumour research by Common Scientific Outline category

Category 1. Biology - total 4.1% /£22,275

Sub-category 1.5: Resources and Infrastructure - £22,275

Category 2. Aetiology

0

Category 3. Prevention

0

Category 4. Early Detection, Diagnosis and Prognosis - total 59.9% /£325,022

Sub-category 4.1: Technology Development and/or Marker Discovery - £67,767

Sub-category 4.2: Technology and/or Marker Evaluation - £134,305

Sub-category 4.4: Resources and Infrastructure Related to Detection, Diagnosis, or Prognosis - £122,950

Category 5. Treatment - total 35.6% / £192,875

Sub-category 5.3: Systemic Therapies - Discovery and Development - £13,928

Sub-category 5.4: Systemic Therapies - Clinical Applications - £48,685

Sub-category 5.7: Resources and Infrastructure Related to Treatment and the Prevention of Recurrence £130,262

Category 6. Cancer Control, Survivorship, and Outcomes Research - total 0.4% / £2,195

Sub-category 6.2: Surveillance - £2,195

In the June 2021 round of the CSO Translational Clinical Studies Committee, the following research project was funded:

Developing representative models of the blood-tumour barrier to enhance drug development for Glioblastoma

Lead Investigator: Prof. Anthony Chalmers / Univeristy of Glasgow / £296,864 TCS2105.pdf (scot.nhs.uk)

This project will be categorised at the next update of the NCRI CaRD (scheduled Summer 2022)

There is no single programme of monitoring and evaluation for the Winter Support Fund. Evaluations of the £25 million local authority flexible funding and £10 million Fuel Insecurity Fund will be published by summer 2022. We do not intend to publish an overarching evaluation of the funding awarded to third sector organisations.

As set out in the Restorative Justice Action Plan, we have committed to make restorative justice services available across Scotland by 2023 to all those who wish to access it. We are working with stakeholders on creating a ‘hub and spoke’ model for service delivery. This will consist of a National Hub that will have a strategic, oversight role, with services delivered locally via Regional Hubs. The location where facilitated meetings will take place will be determined by the needs of those looking to access the service.

The Scottish Government want all victims to have the confidence to report sexual crimes, including those that may have happened some time ago. A Scottish Government led Governance Group has now been established, comprising key stakeholder interests, to enable progress and detailed consideration of the recommendations within Lord Justice Clerk’s Review Group report on improving the management of sexual offence cases.

We remain absolutely committed to improving the justice system to respond better to the needs of survivors in Scotland and it is hoped that this work will go some way to addressing any barriers to reporting.

The creation of Police Scotland has transformed the way rape and other sexual crimes are investigated in Scotland allowing far greater consistency of approach, including the training of police officers and use of specialist officers.

The Scottish Government also recognises the key role that advocacy services play in helping victims come forward and engage with the justice process, like those provided by Rape Crisis Scotland, which is why we fully fund the RCS National Advocacy Project.

Violence against women and girls is a devastating violation of human rights and any increase in reports of these types of crimes is concerning.

The Scottish Government has taken robust action to help justice agencies tackle sexual offending by improving and making much clearer the operation of our sexual offence laws, providing the necessary funding to support law enforcement efforts to deal with sexual offending and encouraging more victims of recent and historical cases to come forward so that justice can be achieved.

Our Programme for Government committed to legislating for a statutory right to lifelong anonymity for complainers in sexual offence cases, and a Scottish Government led Governance Group has now been established, comprising key stakeholder interests, to enable progress and detailed consideration of the recommendations within Lord Justice Clerk’s Review Group report on improving the management of sexual offence cases.

Our £100 million three-year commitment to tackling violence against women and girls includes a new Delivering Equally Safe Fund which will direct £38 million to frontline services over the next two years.

The latest available statistics on NHS Waiting Times published up to 31 December 2021 can be accessed using the link below: https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/nhs-waiting-times-stage-of-treatment/