Chamber and committees

Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) will focus on non-refillable single-use drinks containers. Including refillables in the scheme would add a significant degree of complexity, with the need for industry to agree and operate standard bottle and collection crate designs and put in place bottle washing and refilling facilities in addition to the infrastructure already required for our DRS.

Once our DRS is operational we intend to consider options to expand the scope of the scheme. If there is a case for including refillable containers at this point then we can explore this as part of that work.

Scotland’s DRS will be ambitious by the standards of European schemes, including Latvia’s. I would note that Latvia’s scheme, unlike ours, is intended to exclude wine and spirits and that, while our scheme will reach 90% of containers collected for recycling by 2025, Latvia will not do so until 2030 for plastic and glass, and their target for aluminium is only 60%.

We already require projects funded as part of our fuel poverty schemes including Local Authority Area Based Schemes, Warmer Homes Scotland and the Social Housing Net Zero Heat Fund to comply with all relevant building regulations, retrofit standards and guarantee requirements. The PAS 2035 standard has applied since July 2021 and retrofit installers must now work to this specification.

This was further developed in our Heat in Buildings Strategy where we announced our intention to adopt PAS 2035 for all our domestic schemes.

The UK National Screening Committee, an independent scientific body that advises all four UK nations on screening, currently recommends that women between the ages of 50 and 70 are invited for three yearly breast screening. Therefore, while programme capacity remains challenging due to COVID-19, the pause on self-referrals allows appointments to be prioritised for the recommended screening population, for whom evidence shows clear benefits.

The organisations that oversee screening in Scotland, including the Scottish Screening Committee (SSC), National Screening Oversight (NSO) and the Breast Screening Programme Board (BSPB) agreed that self-referrals for women aged 71 and over should resume once capacity allows. However, in recognition of the anxiety the pause is causing, officials are exploring if there are options to accelerate the restart that would not unduly impact appointment times for the eligible screening population. Any decision will be informed by clinical advice and the on-going pandemic.

In the meantime, the Scottish Government continues to stress that if anyone, of any age, is concerned they may have symptoms of breast cancer, they should immediately make an appointment with their GP Practice.

The legislation provides flexibility for people to fit the necessary alarms in due course if they are unable to do so by the February 2022 deadline. The rules place a legal duty on local authorities, not homeowners, to ensure homes are fitted with the correct alarms. A joint SG/ COSLA statement was published on

‎ 21 January, which confirmed that local authorities will be taking a proportionate and measured approach to compliance taking individual circumstances into account as well as reflecting the evolving situation with the Covid 19 pandemic.

No one will be criminalised if they need more time and there are no penalties for non-compliance. However, we would encourage everyone to install these alarms at their earliest opportunity as they can help to save lives.

We initially asked that only those with an essential need to travel by bus should apply due to the high rates of COVID-19 cases. This was intended to help minimise pressure on local councils, also impacted by the current situation with the pandemic, which are responsible for processing applications and responding to enquiries. With restrictions now easing, we are now in a position to encourage all young people to apply.

When the application process for travel cards was launched we asked that only those with an essential need to travel by bus apply. It was for individuals to decide whether their journeys were essential in the light of Scottish Government and Transport Scotland guidance. With restrictions now easing, we are now in a position to encourage all young people to apply.

As we move into a different phase of the pandemic, we are looking to actively encourage everyone who is eligible to apply and will be launching a national marketing campaign in the coming weeks.

Scottish Government guidance ‘Visiting in Maternity and Neonatal Settings During COVID 19 Pandemic’ is intended to support maternity and neonatal units in developing local guidance for visiting. It sets out that, as a minimum, women may have one supportive person accompanying them to all antenatal appointments, and one additional visitor (adult or child) may also attend subject to local risk assessments and physical distancing. In the event of an active outbreak management scenario, Boards may restrict visiting to essential visits only, which would allowone supportive person to accompany a pregnant mother to the booking scan, 20 week scan and any emergency appointments. These additional restrictions should be time-limited during management of an active outbreak.

The Scottish Government would encourage pregnant mothers to discuss any individual requirements with their midwife who will be able to advise further on local policy.

The consultation phase of ScotRail’s review on ticket office opening hours closed on 2 February. Transport Focus, the independent watchdog for transport users, is in the process of collating responses in order to produce a report of the consultation outputs. It would not be prudent for Scottish Ministers to prejudge the outcomes of that process prior to the Transport Focus report being published.

This information is not held centrally. You may wish to contact the Health Boards for the four NHS Assisted Conception Units in Scotland who may be able to provide this information. Contact details for each Health Board is set out below.

NHS Grampian – for the Aberdeen Assisted Conception Unit

By Email: [email protected]

By Post:

NHS Grampian
‎ Summerfield House
‎ 2 Eday Road
‎ Aberdeen
‎ AB15 6RE

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde – for the Glasgow Assisted Conception Unit

By Email: [email protected]

By Post: NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde

Board Corporate Headquarters

JB Russell House

Gartnavel Royal Hospital

1055 Great Western Road

GLASGOW

G12 0XH

NHS Lothian – for the Edinburgh Assisted Conception Unit

By Email: [email protected] By Post: Lothian NHS Board

Waverleygate

2-4 Waterloo Place

Edinburgh

EH1 3EG

NHS Tayside - for the Dundee Assisted Conception Unit

By Email: [email protected]

By Post: Information Governance

Maryfield House (South)
‎ 30 Mains Loan
‎ Dundee
‎ DD4 7BT