Chamber and committees

I chaired the most recent Low Emission Zones Leadership Group on 8 September 2021. The LEZ Leadership Group comprises of myself, the Minister for Environment, Biodiversity and Land Reform, along with the four LEZ city Local Authorities of Aberdeen City Council, Dundee City Council, City of Edinburgh Council, and Glasgow City Council, and senior officials from SEPA and Transport Scotland.

Scottish Government funding for dementia research is not allocated to NHS Boards.

The following table shows Chief Scientist Office (CSO) funding for dementia research from 2007/8 through academic project/fellowship funding and the annual funding provided to the Dementia and Neuroprogressive Disease research network. CSO’s research project funding panels were paused during 2020 due to COVID-19 related pressures but have since reopened.

Breakdown:

Phase 1 of the upscale of the NHS SARS-CoV-2 Genomics sequencing service from 200 samples to 684 samples/week is complete. Phase 2 to further expand the service will continue throughout the rest of the year to achieve an increase of up to 1000 samples/day.

In phase 3 of the project, due for completion by April 2022, a service review and options appraisal will be undertaken on future development beyond the immediate priority of sequencing for SARS-CoV-2 and how this will support Scotland’s wider public health service.

In line with our support of Genome UK, the Scottish Genomics Leadership Group, our expert group in genomics medicine are providing advice to the Scottish Government to plan our long-term agenda for genomics medicine in Scotland. The group will consider any learnings from the pathogen service and how they may apply to our work on human genomics.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-03144 on
‎ 28 September 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

Since its introduction in 2017, the Scottish Government has allocated the following funds to the Flexible Workforce Development Fund:

Pension Credit is reserved to the UK Government. The Department for Work and Pensions publishes an estimate of Pension Credit take-up, annually, at a UK-wide level only. The latest figures published (covering 2018/19) show that 76% of the maximum amount of possible Pension Credit expenditure was claimed.

A robust, impartial procurement process has been undertaken in accordance with regulations and best practice to identify a partner to undertake work on this commitment.

Following the procurement exercise, EY has been awarded the programme of work and analysis to better understand our energy requirements as we transition to net zero and how this aligns with our climate change targets and the goal of the Paris agreement.

It is expected that this work will supplement a wide range of evidence that will be considered to take an informed policy decision on the contribution of North Sea production to the global climate emergency and to Scotland’s economy, security and wellbeing within Scotland’s wider energy system.

The Programme of Work will inform the forthcoming Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan, which brings together our commitment to refresh the 2017 Energy Strategy and to deliver Scotland’s first sectoral Just Transition Plan.

We are working with industry, local government and environmental groups to develop a route map to deliver our waste and recycling targets for 2025. This work will also be critical in determining how the waste and resources sector will contribute towards lower carbon emissions in the period to 2030 and beyond.

The Scottish Government launched its Suicide Prevention Action Plan (SPAP) ‘Every Life Matters’ in 2018. It contains a target to “reduce the rate of suicide by 20% by 2022 (from a 2017 baseline)” and outlines 10 actions to help achieve that goal.

The baseline rate of suicide in 2017 was based on a five-year average (2013-2017). The equivalent rate for the period ending in 2022 will be calculated in the same way, using data for the whole period 2018-2022, which will be available from National Records of Scotland (NRS) in mid to late 2023.

The National Suicide Prevention Leadership Group (NSPLG) reports annually on progress in taking forward actions in the SPAP and on supplementary recommendations agreed since publication. Its most recent annual report was issued in September 2021.

Many of the key deliverables of the Action Plan have been achieved to date, including the launch of Scotland’s social movement: ‘United to Prevent Suicide’; production of learning resources on suicide prevention, mental health and self-harm; guidance to encourage, inform, and support local suicide prevention approaches; and the launch of a pilot service to support those bereaved by suicide.

We have accepted recent recommendations made by the NSPLG in its report on improving support for suicidal crisis. These recommendations will be taken forward by a new National Lead and a dedicated Suicidal Crisis Support Action Group.

Furthermore we are working with COSLA and stakeholders to develop a new long-term suicide prevention strategy for Scotland. The strategy will be published in September 2022, supported by a clear delivery plan, and underpinned by a commitment to double suicide prevention spending by the end of this Parliament.

We are working with industry, local government and environmental groups to develop a route map to deliver our waste and recycling targets for 2025. This work will also be critical in determining how the waste and resources sector will contribute towards lower carbon emissions in the period to 2030 and beyond.