Chamber and committees

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-22410 on 7 November 2023, as outlined in the answer we are aware of a variation in practice surrounding reimbursement policies for electricity costs relating to home dialysis, both around the level of reimbursement, and the underpinning principles. We are working with health boards to understand how best to achieve national consistency so that patients undergoing home dialysis are protected from the impact of high electricity prices, wherever they live.

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-22410 on 7 November 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 .

Scottish Government research shows that an estimated 340,000 single-use period products are incorrectly disposed of every day in Scotland. Sewage treatment facilities will remove a portion of these, however it is known that some will reach the marine environment. Although there is no differential impact specifically caused by period products, plastic pollution in general has a significant, negative impact on the marine environment, and incorrectly disposed of period products are part of that litter problem. In recognition of that, the Scottish Government has actions within the Marine Litter Strategy to tackle the issue of marine litter caused by sanitary items.

The Women’s Health Leads meet together as a Network on a quarterly basis. The Network enables the Leads to identify common challenges and exchange ideas on innovation and best practice, along with discussions on progress to implement the Women’s Health Plan.

Earlier this year, the Network identified access to long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) as a subject that would benefit from a national approach and in response, the LARC Short Life Working Group was established. Chaired by Professor Anna Glasier, Women’s Health Champion, the group is working to identify and take forward actions to address current challenges in access to LARC methods of contraception.

The Women’s Health Champion quarterly blog provides an update on the Network: Health and Social Care Women's Health Champion Archives - Health and Social Care (blogs.gov.scot) .

There were no convictions under regulation 67 of the Pollution Prevention and Control (Scotland) Regulations 2012 (where main crime) in 2021-22.

There were no convictions under section 40(1) of the Regulatory Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 (where main crime) in 2021-22.

Environmental Waste Crime is a priority for the Serious Organised Crime Taskforce (SOCT), which has established an Environmental Waste Crime Working Group to take forward appropriate activity to disrupt the impact of organised crime groups in this sector and reduce the harm they cause to communities. Membership of the Working Group includes SEPA, COPFS, HMRC, NCA, Office of the Traffic Commissioner, Police Scotland and Resource Management Association Scotland.

The SOCT has recently published its Progress Report. The report offers case studies on some of the activity including environmental waste crime, undertaken by the SOCT and partners since March 2020.

Serious Organised Crime Taskforce Progress Report 2023 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

During 2019 and 2021 the Scottish Crime Recording Board consulted users on Recorded Crime National Statistics. This included gathering their views on suggested changes to how crimes and offences were grouped within the statistics, and in the way findings are presented within the bulletin. The Recorded crime and police activity statistics consultation: summary of responses was published in March 2022.

As a result of this consultation, the previously named Miscellaneous offences group was split into two groups – Antisocial offences and Miscellaneous offences. The splitting of this group allowed for more detail at the crime category level, including the introduction of an Environmental offences crime category. Since June 2022, recorded crime statistics have been published at both crime group and crime category level, on a quarterly basis.

The Scottish Government do not have any current plans to consult further on the way we present this data, however we would be happy to provide more detailed data on specific crime or offence categories on request.

There were five people convicted under section 33 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (where main crime) in Scottish courts in 2021-22.

There were no convictions under regulation 44(1) of the Water Environment (Controlled Activities) (Scotland) Regulations 2011 (where main crime) in 2021-22.