Chamber and committees

As promised in the Scottish Parliament debate on Young Carers Action Day on 14 March 2024, I have tasked my officials with looking at the feasibility of the Scottish Government committing to the Young Carer Covenant. The Covenant’s overarching principles are cross policy in nature, and touch on many aspects of the Scottish Government work.

This work is ongoing. I will write to the member to advise her of the outcome.

We recognise the importance of good quality care for children and young people living with ME/CFS.

The Scottish Budget 2025-26 includes £4.5 million to deliver specialist support across the country for long COVID, ME/CFS and other similar conditions. We are carefully considering how this new investment can best benefit people with these conditions across Scotland.

ME/CFS can present a broad range of symptoms, and we know there is no ‘one-size fits all’ response. Children and young people with ME/CFS who require investigation or input from secondary care specialities may access this via an appropriate GP referral, according to their needs.

We have funded the dissemination of an online learning module on ME/CFS for GPs and health professionals in Scotland, which is improving participants’ ability to diagnose and manage ME/CFS. NHS Education for Scotland have also published a Practice Based Small Group Learning module about ME/CFS for GPs and Primary Care professionals.

There are a number of national policy and strategic drivers which aim to ensure children and young people receive the best quality care & support. The Maternal and Child Health page on the Scottish Government website outlines the latest pieces of work towards our priorities in supporting children and young people.

The Health and Social Care Standards set out what we should expect when using health, social care or social work services in Scotland. We have also set out guidance regarding health and social care and supporting disabled children, young people and their families.

We want every child and young person in Scotland to reach their full potential. All support and planning for children and young people with ME/CFS should be underpinned by Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC) - the national approach in Scotland to supporting the wellbeing, and to improving outcomes, of our children and young people.

The Scottish Government does not hold information on the retirement ages of GPs.

Regular updates will be provided by Transport Scotland to Ministers to ensure appropriate action is taken to address concerns at the Shawhead Flyover. The current position is that Transport Scotland has asked its maintenance contractor (Scottish Roads Partnership) to assess several options for works at the junction to improve driver confidence. This work is underway. In addition, Transport Scotland has also asked Police Scotland for the junction to be assessed by their Police Camera Safety Team in the next site selection exercise, which is due to begin in April.

The Scottish Government does not collect or hold information on how many individuals may seek regulated independent healthcare provided transgender chest surgery.

This is an operational matter for Caledonian Sleeper Ltd (CSL).

CSL advises that it is taking a number of actions to promote its iconic services, which are fully booked for a growing proportion of the year. The Member may wish to contact CSL directly for more details.

There is no correlation between sportscotland’s voluntary severance scheme and the Changing the Boundaries report and independent referrals investigation.

The referrals process underlined the failings of the governing body over recent years, and Cricket Scotland, having fully accepted all actions and recommendations for improvement, is committed to delivering on those. We recognise the progress that has been made and sportscotland is providing continued support to Cricket Scotland to ensure the sport can move forward with confidence.

sportscotland is not making staff redundant. Their severance scheme is a voluntary scheme and it is an individual’s choice if they wish to apply. The scheme is intended to mitigate financial challenges facing the sector including the unprecedented levels of inflation experienced over the past 3-4 years, and the UK Government’s planned increase in employer national insurance contributions. The severance scheme will enable sportscotland to maximise the impact of investment in sport and physical activity.

The Scottish Government is greatly concerned by the UK Government’s planned increase in Employer National Insurance Contributions and the damaging implications for businesses, public services, and communities. We are calling on the UK Government to reverse the planned increase.

Transport Scotland provided £2.4 million to local authorities for the completion of their road assessments to identify if there are areas of footway they may wish to exempt from the national pavement parking ban. It is not for Transport Scotland to assess how local authorities undertook their road assessments. Local authorities are best placed to make informed decisions on the management of their local road network and to assess which of the footways within their area are suitable for exemption, in line with ministerial directions.

The latest data on people living with HIV in Scotland and not attending for HIV treatment and care can be found in Public Health Scotland’s HIV in Scotland surveillance report, which is available at: https://publichealthscotland.scot/publications/hiv-in-scotland/hiv-in-scotland-update-to-31-december-2023/.

It is important to note that changes to service delivery during and since the COVID-19 pandemic mean that the reported proportion of diagnosed individuals receiving treatment may be an under-estimate and work is underway to ensure the accuracy of this reporting.

Through our HIV Transmission Elimination Delivery Plan, we are working with partners including the third sector to ensure that people living with HIV are receiving the treatment, care and support they need. Through our Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for Adults we are also funding a number of projects offering peer support and practical assistance which can help people living with HIV to stay well and engage or re-engage in care.

The Scottish Government is committed to bringing forward a National Care Service and will deliver vital reform through legislative and non-legislative means, and those with lived experience at the heart of our work.