Chamber and committees

The High and highly bonded report has a Britain-wide focus and makes no mention of Scotland. Nonetheless, we fully recognise the need to address the use of drugs in Scotland. January marked the first year of the National Mission to save and improve lives affected by problematic drug use. Over the last year our main focus has been on laying the groundwork so that we can focus on delivering change that will make a real and tangible difference to people's lives.

In January 2020 the First Minister set out clear priorities of the National Mission: to wrap support around people who are most at risk through fast and appropriate access to treatment, increased access to residential rehabilitation, better support after non-fatal overdoses, and recognising the vital role of frontline organisations.

I am unable to provide this information because screening systems across Scotland do not have a flag for homeless status.

The Government is clear that the intended purpose of the revised payment arrangements from April 2022 is to recover NHS dental services to ensure that NHS dental contractors can provide necessary care to patients.

NHS dental contractors will therefore receive a multiplier payment in addition to the value of their actual item of service claims. This is part of a blended system of payments which also includes allowance payments, capitation and continuing care and direct reimbursement of expenses such as rental costs. The multiplier arrangement is a fair and equitable response to the current situation of restrictions facing dentistry by returning discretion of earnings back to independent NHS dental contractors.

Every three months the value of the multiplier will be set against concurrent infection, prevention and control restrictions, levels of dental activity and other budgetary considerations at the time of the review point. The purpose of these revised arrangements is to continue to provide appropriate financial support to NHS dental contractors and is therefore assisting in ongoing business planning.

Whilst there was no new evidence in the James Hutton Institute report to suggest a significant risk to human health or wellbeing in respect to the use of sewage sludge, my officials will continue to engage with both SEPA and Scottish Water regarding the report, to ensure the risk assessment and appropriate, recommended mitigations are in place.

The legislative changes recommended by the review of the Storage and Spreading of Sewage Sludge on Land in Scotland (The Sludge Review), are being introduced via the Integrated Authorisation Framework regulations, which are currently being progressed and will be consulted on in the coming months.

Since the late 1990s, an agreed definition of domestic abuse has been used to collate information on domestic abuse incidents within Scotland. This definition was progressed by the then Scottish Office and agreed through consultation with key justice agencies and stakeholders. It is as follows:

‘Domestic abuse is any form of physical, non-physical, or sexual abuse which takes place within the context of a close relationship, committed either in the home or elsewhere. This relationship will be between partners (married, co-habiting or otherwise) or ex-partners.’

The Scottish Government has considered the statutory definition of domestic abuse contained at Part 1 of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 which relates to England and Wales. The principal practical difference between the definition contained in that Act and the Scottish definition above is that domestic abuse does not extend in Scotland so as to include abuse between certain relatives who are not partners or ex-partners.

The Scottish Government recognises that abuse can be committed by people who are not a person's partner or ex-partner, including by other family members. However, in line with the views of the majority of stakeholders who responded to Scottish Government consultations that led to the development of recent legislation concerning domestic abuse, the Scottish Government considers that it is appropriate that this legislation applies specifically to partners and ex-partners. This is because abuse committed by a person's partner or ex-partner typically has a dynamic that differs from violence or abuse more generally, including where this abuse occurs within a family between, for example, siblings or parents and their adult children. There is a range of existing legislation that can be used to address familial abuse.

While the Scottish Government keeps the law under continual review to ensure that it is effective, there are no current plans to amend the definition of domestic abuse in Scotland to cover abuse perpetrated by family members who are not partners or ex-partners.

The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.

Ensuring that every child learns to swim is a priority for both the Scottish Government and Scottish Swimming. The National Learn to Swim Framework, which is supported by Scottish Water and delivered by aquatic partners every week, helps children to become safe, competent, and confident swimmers and these water safety themed lessons are an essential part of the Framework to help educate on water safety.

Our Programme for Government committed to double investment in sport and active living to £100 million a year by the end of the Parliament. We are working with Scottish Swimming, Education Scotland, sportscotland and Scottish Water to deliver further interventions and approaches on learn to swim with inclusion central to that approach.

Following the restart of the breast screening programme in August 2020, a number of steps continue to be taken to increase capacity in the breast screening programme, including through deploying additional mobile units and offering weekend and evening appointments. The programme is still implementing infection control measures and therefore cannot yet operate in the same way that it did in the pre-Covid period. During Quarters 1 and 2 of 2021 with the provision of additional capacity, including extended opening hours, average capacity levels were near 100% of the 2018-19 average and at certain points over 100%. The impact of the Omicron wave on staff absences in Quarter 3 and into Quarter 4 means average capacity levels have reduced, with the January 2022 actual figure recorded at 84%. The following table shows average capacity figures for periods since the recommencement of the programme in August 2020.

Monthly estimates of GDP are experimental statistics which are only available back to 2010. It is not therefore possible to provide estimates of GDP growth from May 2007. The most recent monthly GDP figures, published 23 February 2022, are available at http://www.gov.scot/publications/monthly-gdp-december-2021

The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.

Ensuring that every child learns to swim is a priority for both the Scottish Government and Scottish Swimming. The National Learn to Swim Framework, which is supported by Scottish Water and delivered by aquatic partners every week, helps children to become safe, competent, and confident swimmers and these water safety themed lessons are an essential part of the Framework to help educate on water safety.

Our Programme for Government committed to double investment in sport and active living to £100 million a year by the end of the Parliament. We are working with Scottish Swimming, Education Scotland, sportscotland and Scottish Water to deliver further interventions and approaches on learn to swim with inclusion central to that approach.

Equally Safe, Scotland’s strategy to prevent and eradicate violence against women and girls, acknowledges that men and boys can also be victims of intimate violence. Which is why many of the actions within the Equally Safe delivery plan are intended to help everyone; such as an increased focus on the education of consent and healthy relationships and a focus on tackling negative gender roles and stereotypes that are harmful to men and women alike.

In the 2021-22 Programme for Government, we committed to invest in services and progress work to tackle violence against men and boys. This will build on the funding we already provide for a range of services which support male victims, including the Rape Crisis Scotland Helpline, its National Advocacy Project and the Scottish Domestic Abuse and Forced Marriage Helpline.

Additionally, we are providing £5.6 million to ASSIST between 2017-2023 who provide advocacy support to male survivors of domestic abuse in the West of Scotland and the Lothians; alongside nearly £190,000, between 2017-2023, to help fund the Respect Helpline which signposts male survivors of domestic abuse to support services, and approximately £100,000 to SACRO’s fearfree service which provides individual support for male and LGBT victims of domestic abuse.