Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government expects Health Boards to offer patients a clinically appropriate abortion method. The 2022 Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) Sexual Health Standards set out that patients should have access to information on both medical and surgical abortion to enable them to make an informed choice of abortion method. The Scottish Government’s 2021 Women’s Health Plan had an aim that ‘all women will have a choice about how and where they access abortion care’.

While most Health Boards can offer surgical abortions to a certain gestation, the Scottish Government is working with the Scottish Abortion Care Providers network, the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Health and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists to improve access for clinicians to surgical abortion training at all gestations. The Scottish Government has also committed to pay for training for any clinician who wishes to provide later stage abortions.

The Women’s Health Champion has been discussing with Health Board Chief Executives issues around contraception and abortion, including ensuring access to early surgical abortion. The Scottish Government will soon be presenting information gathered from Health Boards to Chief Executives to help inform discussions about where surgical abortion provision could be increased.

Scottish Ministers have not made representation to the UK Government on this issue as the regulation for the licensing, safety and efficacy of medicines is reserved to the UK Government and is the responsibility of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

Scottish Women's Aid, Victim Support Scotland, Rape Crisis Scotland and COSLA are all members of the Victims Taskforce which has met 4 times since 29 March 2023. The dates and minutes of those meetings can be found at Victims Taskforce - gov.scot. They have also attended meetings of Victim/Survivor Advisory Board which have taken place on 26 July 2023, 20 March 2024 and 13 March 2025.

In addition I meet with key justice stakeholder organisations on a regular basis and as required. The dates of meetings with the 4 requested organisations, along with an overview of topics discussed are as follows:

Scottish Women’s Aid

The quarterly review which forms part of the Scottish Government’s Assurance cycle to ensure public bodies are operating efficiently and effectively includes an assessment of performance and identifies any areas that may require to be monitored.

The Scottish Government is aware of the increased number of fires linked to lithium-ion batteries, as highlighted by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS). Lithium-ion battery use has increased, particularly as we transition to net zero emissions, and it is important to ensure proper use, storage, disposal and recycling of these batteries as highlighted by SFRS in their recent public awareness campaign on this issue.

SFRS continues to work in collaboration with key partners to ensure the highest level of preparedness for potential incidents involving lithium-ion batteries. In the event of incidents involving these batteries in domestic premises or in recycling facilities, SFRS have the ability to deploy a range of resources that can be utilised by the highly skilled crews to successfully bring incidents to a safe conclusion

The £1.8m Digital Dermatology programme referenced within the NHS Scotland Operational Improvement Plan (OIP) is designed to reduce the number of patients who require a dermatology outpatient appointment through the creation of a digital triage system enabled through image capture within primary care.

The digital dermatology programme is now available in all 14 territorial health boards and is accessible to over 50% of GP practices across NHS Scotland. As referenced in the OIP, we continue to work towards full roll out to all GPs across Scotland by the end of Spring 2025.

For patients, evidence suggests that this will allow around 50% to be returned to the GP with advice or reassurance, without having an in-person appointment with a consultant. Some patients are also likely to be fast-tracked to further diagnostics or treatment based on assessment at this digital triage stage.

The Scottish Government commissioned National Elective Coordination Unit’s (NECU) work is complementing the national Digital Dermatology programme by focusing on high-volume patient validation within an accelerated timeline, as well as developing robust digital infrastructure for image capture and clinical triage, and ensuring a well-structured workforce model for governance and clinical safety.

The Scottish Government has worked with NECU to establish comprehensive governance arrangements and a workforce framework that promotes collaborative efforts across NHS Boards. This has enabled the onboarding of 18 dermatology consultants and the creation of digital infrastructure to support clinical workflows.

NECU’s dermatology campaign has already engaged four Health Boards – including NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde, NHS Grampian, NHS Ayrshire & Arran and NHS Highland - addressing the needs of patients waiting over 52 weeks and ensuring patient requirements are correctly recorded. As we progress, our goal is to continue leveraging these innovations to improve patient outcomes and streamline dermatological care delivery.

The Scottish Government reviewed the Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) process in 2021, working with key stakeholders. The review concluded that, while the process is generally effective, improvements could be made, particularly in relation to Experimental Traffic Regulation Orders (ETROs) and Redetermination Orders.

In response, legislative changes were introduced to streamline ETROs and clarify the use of Redetermination Orders. Transport Scotland is also considering further work, including the digitisation of TROs, to support greater accessibility and efficiency.

There are no current plans for a further formal review, but we continue to monitor feedback from local authorities and stakeholders to assess whether additional changes are needed.

The Scottish Government does not hold this information, as teachers' absenteeism is a matter for local authorities as the employer.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-35738 on 17 March 2005. 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 Scottish Government does not collect this data.

The Scottish Government is committed to implementing the National Neurodevelopmental Specification: Principles and Standards of Care for Children and Young People, published in September 2021, which specifies service standards that all children’s services should follow, to ensure access to support is effective and consistent across Scotland.

The Scottish Government have also established the National Autism Implementation Team, in partnership with Queen Margaret University, to support Health and Social Care Partnerships to consider best practice and support improvement through the redesign of autism diagnostic services.

The National Implementation Team is supporting NHS Boards to examine diagnostic pathways for autism and establish regional experts to assist with improving tiered autism specialisms across health boards.

I refer the member to the answer to the question S6W-36532 on 29 April 2025. 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