Chamber and committees

Transport Scotland continues to progress detailed proposals to deliver the Rail Decarbonisation Action Plan which was published in July 2020. rail-services-decarbonisation-action-plan.pdf (transport.gov.scot)

This includes developing the potential options to serve the West Highland Line by hydrogen or battery trains as well as considering partial or full electrification of the Highland Main Line. As set out in the action plan, these are longer term projects that will contribute to our commitment to decarbonise passenger services by 2035. A full update on progress with the action plan will be provided in 2023.

As of 22 July 2021:

a) the number of households in each local authority that can access broadband as a direct result of (i) the R100 contracts, (ii) the main voucher (MVS – worth up to £5,000) and the interim voucher (IVS – worth up to £400) portions of the Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme (SBVS) and (iii) commercial coverage stands at:

The following table provides a breakdown of the number of properties across all 32 Scottish local authorities that are eligible for vouchers through the Reaching 100% (R100) Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme (SBVS) as at 22 July 2021 ( these figures are subject to change, depending on ongoing R100 contract and commercial build ).

We cannot provide a breakdown between residential and SME properties. However, the breakdown does show percentages for both the main voucher ( MVS – worth up to £5,000 ) and the interim voucher ( IVS – worth up to £400 ).

Our approach is for people to have access to the support they may need for assessment, diagnosis, care and rehabilitation in a setting that is as close to their home as possible. This is being supported through local primary care teams, community based rehabilitation services and secondary care investigation where needed.

NHS Boards, including our Island Boards are developing pathways according to local services and the needs of their respective populations, to support people with long COVID. We continue to engage with Boards to identify their support needs in relation to delivering care and support to people with long COVID.

In addition, we have invested over £460,000 in Chest, Heart and Stroke Scotland to enable them to deliver their ‘Long COVID support service’ which complements the support being provided by NHS Scotland.

Anyone who has received either their first or second dose of the vaccine in Scotland can access a physical copy of their record of vaccination. They can request their record for the dose received in Scotland via the helpline on 0808 196 8565 or the website www.nhsinform.scot/covid19status . We are working at pace to align vaccination records from different nations of the UK.

There are no plans to undertake a metastatic breast cancer audit. Officials continue to closely monitor all patients referred with an urgent suspicion of cancer in NHS Scotland to ensure they are seen and treated as timely as possible.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-01559 on
‎ 24 August 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

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-01559 on
‎ 24 August 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

We regularly engage with people who are at highest risk from COVID-19 through surveys, in-depth interviews and testing communications. Earlier this year we spoke directly to people at highest risk who have returned to the workplace as restrictions eased, to understand their challenges and what guidance and support may be needed when restrictions ease. Most recently, we launched a survey about the move to level 0 and beyond which asks how people are feeling about those changes. The results will be published late summer.

Three Disabled People’s Organisations (Inclusion Scotland, Disability Equality Scotland and Glasgow Disability Alliance) were consulted on the easing of restrictions.

Throughout the pandemic we have been engaging with both carers and carer organisations to ensure unpaid carers have the advice they need to help protect themselves and their loved ones during the COVID-19 outbreak.

The Scottish Government acts on the basis of the latest guidance issued by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), which considers all available evidence for the most appropriate vaccinations policy approach in the UK. Current JCVI advice remains that the single greatest risk of mortality and severe disease from COVID-19 is increasing age and COVID-19 risk increases exponentially with age.

Those registered as clinically extremely vulnerable (CEV) on the GP system are already included in group 4 of phase 1 of the JCVI priority list. Solid organ transplant recipients are deemed CEV and have been previously included on the Shielded Patient List. A hospital clinician or GP can also add a patient to the list, based on their clinical judgement, because they consider them to be at very high risk of serious illness from COVID-19.

All patients on the CEV list will also fall into the broader disease categories outlined in table 3 of the Green Book, Chapter 14a, but are in priority group 4 because of more recent treatment, more advanced condition or co-morbidities. Other patients in the same clinical risk group, but not on the CEV list at the time group 4 is called, are within priority group 6, or with their appropriate age cohort. Further information is available here: COVID-19: the green book, chapter 14a - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

On 30 June the JCVI published interim advice on adult COVID-19 booster vaccinations. The interim advice is to begin offering COVID-19 booster vaccines in September 2021, in a two-stage programme alongside the annual flu vaccination programme.

The JCVI will consider additional scientific data as it becomes available over the next few months ahead of formulating final advice. Accordingly, we shall consider the final advice issued on this matter and any adjustments JCVI may or may not recommend in light of additional scientific data it is presently considering, as this becomes available over the next few months.