Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government does not hold any trend data for grey partridge across Scotland, due to low sample size in the Breeding Bird Survey annual monitoring scheme. The UK trend shows a 64% decline over the period 1995-2018. The more recent 10-year trend (2008-2018) is lower at a 34% decline.

When an application to the Tenant Hardship Loan Fund is received an initial affordability assessment is performed, based on estimates of income and expenditure provided by the applicant. Where affordability is not shown the application is not credit checked. Applicants can ask for an appeal of the affordability assessment.

As at 21 June there were 8 applications that failed the affordability check and a further 4 applicants that unsuccessfully appealed the affordability assessment.

There were 254 applications which failed to reach the minimum credit score and a further 142 applicants who unsuccessfully appealed the credit score check.

This information is not held centrally. It is the responsibility of territorial Health Boards to ensure there is adequate provision of NHS Pharmaceutical Care Services, working with community pharmacy contractors listed on the Boards Pharmaceutical List.

The National Health Service (Pharmaceutical Services) (Scotland) Regulations 2009 set out the responsibilities for community pharmacy contractors to notify Health Boards when there are instances in which the contractor is unable to provide those NHS services.

As the NHS Recovery Plan develops, we will engage with key stakeholders to ensure all aspects of NHS Recovery are explored and incorporated.

We have recently established the Centre for Sustainable Delivery, hosted by the Golden Jubilee National Hospital, to support NHS Boards to deliver several complex national programmes, such as the Modernising Patient Pathways Programme.

Several Third Sector organisations and societies are involved in the delivery of programme workstreams, as well as co-production of patient pathways and self-guidance materials to support patient wellbeing. These include:

• Crohn’s & Colitis UK
• Coeliac UK
• Bowel Cancer UK
• Pain Association
• Pain Concern
• Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland Chronic Pain Reference Group
• Endometriosis UK
• FND Hope
• Cerebral Palsy Connect
• PSP Association
• Versus Arthritis
• Parkinson’s UK
• Research UK
• ENT UK

It is important to be clear that there has been no change in the Scottish Government’s policy on the remuneration arrangements for independent contractors or those working within a primary care settings participation in the COVID Vaccination programme.

The Scottish Government wrote to Health Boards on 5 March 2021 to ensure that the original policy was being properly implemented. Following this, a number of Boards adapted their approach.

Please note that data regarding the number of COVID-19 vaccination sessions delivered are held by individual NHS Health Boards.

The information requested is not held centrally. Details of the funding awarded to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh is published in annual reports and accounts available at www.sepa.org.uk and www.rbge.org.uk . Details of Scottish Government funding provided to Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) are published in their Annual Financial statements available on their website at www.sruc.ac.uk .

Budget allocations to areas of the Scottish Government are published in annual Draft Budget documents available on the Scottish Government’s website at www.gov.scot .

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

The data is collected by individual NHS Health Boards and would require permissions from each to be obtained in order to conduct appropriate data linkage analysis by Public Health Scotland.

The Scottish Government is aware of the vast challenges in attempting to ensure pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy is offered to every patient at the point of diagnosis.

Pancreatic cancer patients can present as asymptomatic despite pancreatic exocrine insufficiency, while patients can also be diagnosed through many different pathways.

This can result in clinicians not always having the specialist knowledge and experience to know about the importance of pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy.

The Scottish Governments National Cancer Recovery Plan will help address this knowledge gap by working to review Cancer Clinical Management Guidelines in liaison with relevant parties.

Under the National Cancer Recovery Plan, we have funded the Scottish HepatoPancreatoBiliary Cancer Network (SHPBN) which is reviewing guidelines to address this issue.

There is no ring-fenced procurement budget for COP26. The Scottish Government, and relevant agencies / bodies, have procured a number of contracts among suppliers for COP26, with a total value of £416,240 through Scotland-based businesses, and £24,612 through businesses without a base in Scotland, being spent to date. Procurement is in line with relevant legislation and guidance and using existing contracts and frameworks, which include an assessment with environmental, social and/or labour laws.