Chamber and committees

The sustainable procurement duty in the Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 requires public bodies to consider how their procurement activity can be used to contribute to social, economic and environmental well-being and to act in a way to secure this. To demonstrate progress and compliance, public bodies are required to outline in their Annual Procurement Strategy how procurement will deliver local environmental impacts and, report progress in their Annual Procurement Reports.

Scottish Government provides funding to a wide range of organisations to install electric vehicle charge points under Section 70 of the Transport (Scotland) Act 2001. The majority of funding to develop the ChargePlace Scotland electric vehicle charging network has been awarded to public bodies. Many local authorities and public bodies carry out procurement using frameworks established by organisations such as Scotland Excel. These frameworks are also covered by the Sustainable Procurement Duty and therefore consider the wider social, economic and environmental aims of procurement in a consistent manner as required by the sustainable procurement duty under the Act.

Grant funding awarded to other types of organisations would be to individuals or to small and medium-sized enterprises with a base in Scotland. There is no obligation for these organisations to comply with the Act.

APD is currently set by the UK Government, with introduction of ADT in Scotland deferred to allow the issues raised in relation to the Highlands and Islands exemption to be resolved.

The Scottish Government has no plans to introduce a frequent-flier levy. This option was ruled out in the context of a consultation on Air Departure Tax (ADT), on the grounds that it would be disproportionately resource-intensive to administer. The same issues remain now.

The current system of Air Passenger Duty (APD) has the effect of charging tax for each flight purchased, but without the need for recording the number of flights an individual has taken.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-03825 on ‎15 November 2021. 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
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The Scottish Government has provided a significant increase in funding on Control Period 6 for Network Rail to deliver weather resilience improvements, including drainage. Network Rail is responsible for the delivery of these works, as overseen by the Office of Rail & Road (ORR). Enquiries should be addressed to these organisations.

Our draft National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) sets out how our approach to planning and development will help to achieve a net zero, sustainable Scotland by 2045. This includes draft planning policy on Trees, Woodland and Forestry, which states that development proposals should not be supported where they would result in; any loss of ancient woodlands, ancient and veteran trees, or adverse impact on their ecological condition.

Views are currently being invited on the draft NPF4 alongside parliamentary scrutiny, following which we anticipate producing a final version for approval and adoption around summer 2022.

The draft NPF4 is available to view on the Scottish Government website at: Scotland 2045 - fourth National Planning Framework: draft - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) .

The Scottish Government have been working with the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, and the Border Force to ensure to ensure that our QR codes are accepted and compatible at international borders where required. Currently only a small number of countries require a QR code to be displayed.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has provided final advice on a COVID-19 vaccination booster programme. The primary objective of the booster programme is to maintain protection against severe COVID-19 disease, specifically hospitalisation and deaths, over winter 2021-22, and is aimed at maintaining protection in those most vulnerable and to protect our NHS.

Booster vaccines will be offered to the same groups who were prioritised at the beginning of the COVID-19 vaccination programme in Winter and Spring 2020-21. Those with asthma that requires continuous or repeated use of systematic steroids or with previous exacerbations requiring hospital admission, as set out in the Green Book will be included in phase 1 of the booster programme.

More information around eligibility for COVID-19 booster vaccines can be found at: Coronavirus (COVID-19) booster vaccination | The coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine (nhsinform.scot) .

The information requested on how many clinical nurse specialists have been employed by the NHS in each year since 2007 is not centrally held.

Clinical nurse specialist data by NHS Board from 2009 to the most recent data, published September 2018, can be found at: https://turasdata.nes.nhs.scot/media/4ndpx4za/clinical_nurse_specialists_s2018.xlsx

A national review into the Clinical Nurse Specialist role and definition is currently underway, NES will work with NHS Boards to cleanse their CNS data once this is complete.

Due to the data quality concerns mentioned above, we advise that all historical data, whilst published, should be treated with caution. NES will continue to work with SG and NHS Boards to ensure improved recording going forward.

The requested information is not centrally held. NHS Education for Scotland publish annual data on joiners/leavers, but this information is not available by reason or destination.

Information on joiners/leavers by staff group for each financial year can be found on the following link: https://turasdata.nes.nhs.scot/media/tnvdmmwd/turnover_m2021_updated.xlsx

I refer the Member to Public Health Scotland (PHS) weekly statistical report and the details on pages 34 to 39; that show hospitalisations by vaccine status. You can view the report at: Public Health Scotland COVID-19 Statistical Report