Chamber and committees

The Heart Disease Action Plan recognises the need to ensure timely and equitable access to diagnostics, including echocardiography. We remain committed to supporting Boards to target resources to reduce waiting times through service innovation and redesign.

This includes the Centre for Sustainable Delivery's (CfSD) Accelerated National Innovation Adoption Pathway (ANIA) which focuses on using technology to fast-track proven innovations into the healthcare frontline that will improve patient outcomes.

As part of this work, CfSD is currently considering the roll out of innovations that optimise delivery of the heart failure diagnostic pathway, in which access to echocardiography is an important component.

The Miners' Strike of 1984-85 is considered to be the most bitter industrial dispute in living memory. The Scottish Government recognises that the impact of the strike still runs deep in Scotland's former mining heartlands. Scotland is at the forefront across the UK in recognising the need to provide reconciliation, dignity and comfort to those communities still affected. That is why the Scottish Government brought forward legislation to provide a symbolic pardon to miners and other participants in the strike in relation to various offences committed during the dispute. We also continue to call on the UK Government to undertake a full UK-wide public inquiry into the strike.

The Scottish Government is therefore considering how best to raise the profile of the strike and its legacy in former mining communities, as the 40th anniversary of the dispute approaches.

Institutions have been informed of the outcome of their applications for funding from the Scottish Educational Exchange Test and Learn project, with projects already underway.

In November Scottish Government published The General Practice Access Principles. This report, which sets out a clear framework for the core principles of how GP services should be delivered – equitably, sensitively, reasonably and appropriately, making the most effective use of resources and systems currently available.

The main principles are:

1. Access to General Practice is inclusive and equitable for people, based on the principles of Realistic Medicine and Value Based Health & Care. Care will be person-centred and based on what matters to the individual.

2. People should have a reasonable choice about how they access services.

3. Services should be approachable, sensitive, compassionate, and considerate to need.

4. General Practices should help people to get the right care from the best and most appropriate person or team to care for them (Right Care, Right Place, Right Time).

We continue to work together with all relevant partners to effectively implement these principles, including through our commitment to the ongoing recruitment of primary care multi-disciplinary teams as well as Phase Two of the GMS Contract.

Healthcare Improvement Scotland’s Primary Care Access Programme has already worked with over 100 general practices to improve access arrangements and continues to run with excellent uptake.

The findings of the School and college teacher consultation on the recommendations of the Independent Review of Qualifications and Assessment and National Discussion on Education were published at 9:30 on 27 February 2024.

Improving diet and levels of healthy weight remains a public health priority for this Government. As part of a range of action to improve diet, and help create a food environment which better supports healthier choices, we remain committed to restricting promotions of food and drink high in fat, sugar or salt (HFSS) at the point of purchase - this is when people make their decisions about what and how much to buy and to consume, for themselves as well as for their families.

I can confirm that, on 27 February 2024, the consultation paper on the detail of proposed regulations to restrict promotions of food and drink high in fat, sugar or salt was published on the Scottish Government website at http://www.gov.scot/ISBN/9781835219058 and on the Citizen Space portal at

https://consult.gov.scot/population-health/restriction-promotion-of-food-and-drink-proposed .

The consultation builds on previous public consultations and Ministerial engagement with business and health stakeholders, and is supported with a partial Business Regulatory Impact Assessment which has also been published today: http://www.gov.scot/ISBN/9781835219867 .

The consultation will run for 12 weeks, closing on 21 May 2024.

The Scottish Government has listened to young people and their families about the application process and works closely with delivery partners and local councils to make improvements.

In light of feedback received, the Improvement Service, which manages the online portal getyournec.scot , delivered a number of updates to the website in June 2022 to improve the application process whilst maintaining the integrity of the child safety and identity requirements. These improvements included broadening the range of accepted proof documents, providing additional guidance, and enhancing the functionality of the website by adding a save and return feature so that applications can be made in multiple sittings.

The Year 1 evaluation - Young Persons’ Free Bus Travel Scheme | Transport Scotland found that a majority (64%) of survey respondents that had signed up for the scheme indicated that the application process had been either very or fairly easy, and those who had signed up after improvements were made were more likely to find the process easy.

Furthermore, local councils provide a variety of options for applications to be made offline or via parentsportal.scot . Many also have dedicated staff on hand to help those who may need additional support through the application process.

Eleven universities have confirmed the presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete in their buildings. These are:

• University of Aberdeen
• Abertay University
• University of Dundee
• Edinburgh University
• Edinburgh Napier University
• University of Glasgow
• Heriot-Watt University
• University of St. Andrews
• University of Stirling
• University of Strathclyde
• University of the West of Scotland

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-25062 on 27 February 2024. 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 .