Chamber and committees

All applications are subject to site specific assessments which are expected to address cumulative impacts. Where there is a need for co-ordination between applicants proposing development in the same area, the Scottish Ministers expect all parties to work together to co-ordinate development and minimise any impacts on communities and the environment. When determining applications made under the Electricity Act 1989, the Scottish Ministers are required to seek advice from planning authorities to ensure that decision-making is co-ordinated to reflect local circumstances.

The Independent Review of the Role of Incineration in Scotland’s Waste Hierarchy recommended that no further planning permission is awarded to incineration facilities, beyond those for which planning permission has already been granted, with some limited exceptions. This analysis took into account the need to develop some additional capacity to ensure that Scotland can manage its own waste and implement the ban on landfilling biodegradable municipal waste by 2025, as recommended by the Climate Change Committee. We addressed this recommendation through National Planning Framework 4.

Our Circular Economy and Waste Route Map consultation, published January 18, set out further detail and proposed provisional associated timescales on the steps we will take to minimise the environmental and climate impacts of waste, including the development of an indicative capacity cap as part of our Residual Waste Plan to 2045, with a provisional publication date in 2025-26.

The Pollution Prevention and Control (Scotland) regulations 2012 (“the PPC regulations”) require that SEPA make impartial assessments of all PPC Permit applications and make decisions relating to environmental permits in accordance with these regulations. While Scottish Ministers do have the ability to intervene in the PPC process by way of a direction, SEPA is Scotland’s independent environmental regulator and intervening in the PPC process needs careful consideration and typically would not be appropriate in the absence of exceptional circumstances.

Further information on these developments can be found here: Circular economy and waste route map to 2030: consultation - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

NHS Boards are responsible for implementing the National Code of Practice for GP premises.

The NHSScotland National Primary Care (GP) Premises Group has been set up to consider all matters relating to GP Premises including:

• Oversight of the implementation of the Code of Practice for GP Premises.
• Implementation of GP Sustainability Loans.
• Consideration and review of available guidance.
• Consideration of appropriate schedules of accommodation within Primary Care premises, and specifically that of General Practice occupied areas and how this may affect reimbursement.
• Provide a platform for the Scottish Government to present papers/proposals to the group.
• Provide a platform for the BMA to present papers to the group.
• Provide a platform for the NHS Boards to present papers to the group.
• Ensure the Rent Review Process is consistent and supports the intent of the GP contract where required.
• Standardise approaches, e.g. standardise leases across Scotland.

Health Boards are represented on a regional basis alongside the BMA, the Scottish Government and other stakeholders.

The Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones)(Scotland) Act was granted Royal Assent on 22 July 2024.

Commencement of the Act is subject to parliamentary procedure which requires a Scottish Statutory Instrument to be laid. The Scottish Government is therefore currently undertaking work to commence the provisions as soon as possible.

Where new development proposals come forward, National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4), ensures that the impacts of proposals on communities and nature, including cumulative impacts, are important considerations in the decision making process. All applications are subject to site specific assessments and the cumulative impacts of energy development proposals are also considered through statutory Environmental Impact Assessment processes, where relevant and applicable.

The Scottish Ministers have an expectation that communities are engaged at an early stage and can meaningfully influence development proposals in their area. Where there is a need for co-ordination between applicants proposing development in the same area, all parties are expected to work together to co-ordinate development and minimise any impacts on communities and the environment.

When determining applications made under the Electricity Act 1989, Scottish Ministers are required to seek advice from planning authorities to ensure that decision-making is co-ordinated to reflect local circumstances.

National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4), published and adopted in February 2023, sets out at Policy 5 (Soils) that development proposals on prime agricultural land, or land of lesser quality that is culturally or locally important for primary use, as identified by the local development plan, will only be supported in limited circumstances. This includes for the generation of energy from renewable sources where there is secure provision for restoration and the layout and design of the proposal minimises the amount of protected land required.

All development proposals are subject to site specific assessments.

We recognise the financial challenges faced by all students, including nursing, midwifery and paramedic students, and know that this has been exacerbated by the cost of living crisis.

The Scottish Government package of support for Scottish student nurses, midwives and paramedics is at its highest level and remains the highest level of support available to nursing, midwifery and paramedic students across the UK. The annual £10,000 bursary is non-means tested and non-repayable.

Last year the Scottish Government created a short-life working group comprising representatives from the Scottish Government, Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS) and higher education institutes (HEIs) to review the clinical placement expenses guidance. This was in response to growing student concerns and following the Royal College of Nursing roundtable.

This group recently concluded its review and the revised guidance was finalised on 1 July 2024. This work will ensure students continue to be refunded as promptly as possible and provides students with greater clarity and flexibility on issues such as claiming advance payments. A national frequently asked questions document has also been developed to ensure greater consistency in the application of the guidance by HEIs across the country.

In addition to this, the Scottish Government has committed to carrying out a review of the package of financial support for those in receipt of the nursing, midwifery and paramedic student bursary.

With regards to the recruitment of staff, the Scottish Government’s role is to set policies and frameworks at a national level broadly to ensure sufficient workforce supply. Health Boards are autonomous institutions and as such, are responsible for their own recruitment activity taking into account, retention, absence rates and budgets when making decisions.

Whilst it is hoped that all graduates are able to join the NHS within their trained field upon graduation, this is not always possible as vacancies can fluctuate across NHS Scotland boards and by specialism.

The Scottish Government has been engaging with Health Boards regarding their current position in relation to job offers and supply. Health Boards remain committed to maximising opportunities for new qualified nurses to find employment

NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) publishes transplant waiting list statistics across the UK on a quarterly basis. As of 30 June 2024, there were 459 people recorded by NHSBT as being on the active waiting list for a deceased donor kidney transplant in Scotland.

As set out in the Scottish Government’s Donation and Transplantation Plan: 2021-2026 , in order to deliver the best outcomes any individual in Scotland who would benefit from kidney transplantation should ideally have no or minimal time on dialysis, thereby avoiding the restrictive diet and some of the health problems associated with dialysis. A pre-emptive transplant (a kidney transplant before the patient needs to start dialysis) has many benefits including a lower risk that the body will reject the new kidney.

Scotland’s screening policy relies on recommendations from the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC), an independent scientific body that provides advice on screening policy to all four UK nations. To date, the UK NSC has not recommended Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) screening through the existing blood spot test, and has stated it needs further evidence before a recommendation can be made.

In June 2023 the UK NSC recommended that a new independent modelling study for SMA screening be commissioned. This is currently underway and expected to report its findings at the end of 2024.

Work is also underway to begin an in-service evaluation (ISE) of SMA screening. This will allow an assessment of the potential benefits of SMA screening in real world situations.

This is vital work that will ensure any potential roll-out of a national screening programme is appropriately evidence-based. However, the Scottish Government recognises that SMA can have devastating consequences for children and families and will continue to explore what steps can be taken to realise screening benefits as quickly as possible.