Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government has supported payment of the real Living Wage in our Public Sector Pay Policy since 2011. Data from the 2022 Annual Survey of Hourly Earnings (ASHE) shows that 97.6% employees in the whole Scottish public sector (devolved and reserved) earn at least Real Living Wage or more. The recent increase to the real Living Wage to £10.90 per hour should be applied as part of public sector pay settlements from April 2023. The 2023 ASHE data (expected to be released in October / November) will show the proportion of employees who are paid the £10.90 Real Living Wage in the Scottish Public Sector.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-14639 on 7 March 2023. 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 Priority Action in the draft Scottish Biodiversity Strategy, ‘Continue effective species recovery, reintroduction and reinforcement programmes’, is one of several actions that supports the recovery and protection of vulnerable species in Scotland, and will help us to meet Goal A and Target 4 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

We are committed to continue protecting vulnerable species, and are determined to step up our ambition in taking action to support nature-friendly farming, fishing and forestry, and to expand, restore and connect existing protected areas, to ensure high quality landscapes for all species across Scotland to thrive, and adapt to our changing climate.

While policy on energy markets is a matter reserved to the UK Government and the responsibility for supplier guidance sits with Ofgem, the Scottish Government opposes the forced installation of prepayment meters, which increases the risk of self- rationing and self-disconnection. The additional costs associated with prepayment meters also lead to increased debt.

We are engaging with Ofgem regarding its request to suppliers to immediately halt forced installations and remote switching to prepayment meters until 31 March 2023, as well as its consultation on the rules and guidance on the use of prepayment meters by suppliers. We will use this engagement to ensure that the rights and interests of Scottish consumers are fully considered.

Last year, the First Minister chaired two energy summits which were attended by energy suppliers. We continue to build upon the progress made at these summits, and are looking to suppliers for assurance that they are exploring all possible options to support struggling customers, especially those living in vulnerable circumstances.

The Scottish Cabinet determines the proposed programme of Government business with due regard to current circumstances, including any decisions taken by the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body regarding the operation of the Parliament. It is for the Parliamentary Bureau and, ultimately, the Parliament as a whole to agree the terms of the business programme.

We know that opt-out testing in emergency departments in areas of high prevalence in other parts of the UK has worked well. However, it is important to evaluate the learning from this to understand both how it might apply in a Scottish context. Specifically how it compares to other interventions recommended by the HIV Transmission Elimination Oversight Group in their HIV Elimination Proposal which was published in December 2022.

The Scottish Government is committed to reaching its target of eliminating HIV Transmissions in Scotland by 2030.

On 1 December 2022 the Public Health Minister announced the establishment of the HIV Transmission Elimination Implementation Group for Scotland. The groups primary focus will be on prioritising the recommendations within the HIV transmission elimination proposal, having particular regard to their impact, deliverability and resource implications.

In her statement on the 1 st of December the Minister announced significant funding of £400,000 to support two pilots, the development of an E-PrEP clinic and a national media campaign. Both pilots support the findings within the HIV Elimination Proposal.

Officials will continue to liaise closely with the chairs of the implementation group as this process unfolds to understand any implications for central funding.

The Scottish Government has been following the agreed process for excluding the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) regulations from the Internal Market Act and it has been the subject of discussion with UK Government for many months.

Our original proposal back in 2021 was for an exclusion for both single use plastics and DRS to avoid duplication of effort. This was rejected by UK ministers, resulting in a narrow exclusion for single-use plastics only, and the ongoing process since October 2022 to secure a specific DRS exclusion.

On 28 February 2022 we published correspondence between the Scottish Government and UK Government on this and the First Minister wrote to the Prime Minister to seek the UK Government’s continuing constructive support in finalising the terms of an exclusion where it was needed. You can access the correspondence here: Internal Market Act: correspondence - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) .

Reducing health inequalities continues to be a top priority for the Scottish Government, and we recognise that particular efforts are needed for vulnerable populations, such as people who inject drugs. We know that stigma can stop people accessing the support they need and that stigma can manifest in many ways and in many settings. That is why Scottish Government recently facilitated a campaign to challenge the stigma which too often negatively impacts upon those who use drugs. In addition to this campaign, on World Aids Day 2022, the Public Health Minister announced the development of a national awareness raising campaign focused on reducing historical stereotypes associated with a positive HIV diagnosis.

Further to these campaigns, the HIV Transmission Elimination Proposal highlighted that equitable access and uptake of key prevention measures is required to avoid amplifying existing inequalities. Reducing health inequalities will be a key consideration for the HIV transmission elimination implementation group as they assess and prioritise the recommendations contained within the proposal.

The HIV Transmission Elimination Implementation Group will be responsible for assessing and prioritising the recommendations contained within the HIV Transmission Elimination Proposal.

The group is currently being formed and will be co-chaired by Professor Nicola Steedman, the Scottish Government’s Deputy Chief Medical Officer and Dr Dan Clutterbuck, Lead Clinician for Sexual and Reproductive Health, Lothian Sexual and Reproductive Health Services and Honorary Clinical Senior Lecturer, University of Edinburgh.

The formal governance and reporting structures are still to be agreed upon and will form part of the discussion at the first meeting, which is scheduled for the end of March.