Chamber and committees

Prescription numbers for Cannabis Based products for Medicinal use (CBPMs) are not collected by the Scottish Government.

There are three Cannabis Based Products for Medicinal use (CBPMs) available on the NHS in Scotland to treat specific conditions. These are:

• Nabilone, a synthetic cannabinoid, as an add-on treatment for adults with chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting;
• Sativex ® , a combination of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol for moderate to severe spasticity in adults with multiple sclerosis; and
• Epidyolex ® , a cannabidiol for treating seizures associated with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome.

The biggest barrier to the prescribing of other CBPMs on the NHS is that most products remain unlicensed with a limited, or non-existent, peer-reviewed clinical evidence base for their use. We continue to engage with the manufacturers of these products, encouraging them to bring their products to clinical trial. This would allow them to go through the medicine licensing process and be available to be considered for routine availability on the NHS through standard health technology appraisal processes.

We have been in regular dialogue with ALACHO since this survey was undertaken in November 2023 and I have also been meeting with Housing Convenors across Scotland to discuss the homelessness and housing supply pressures that are facing councils. I meet with local authorities with the greatest temporary accommodation pressures on a regular basis to explore the best way to build resilience in the system.

This year, we have provided an additional £2 million to the 15 local authorities with the greatest percentage increase in the use of temporary accommodation. We have committed to maintain the homelessness budget for 2024-25 at broadly similar levels to 2023-24 and we will invest £556 million in affordable housing in 2024-25. Further investment in our housing capital budget will be a key priority if new funding becomes available as a result of the UK Government’s Spring Budget 2024.

The Scottish Housing Regulator has noted that the demands on some local authorities now exceed their capacity to respond, and it is engaging with the City of Edinburgh Council and Glasgow City Council on improvements in the way they discharge their duties to people who are homeless.

There have been a number of organisations in the sector, including the Scottish Housing Regulator, Audit Scotland and SOLACE, documenting the difficulties local authorities are experiencing and the risks this could present to the provision of homelessness services and accommodation. I respect the decisions of the local authorities who have declared a housing emergency.

The Scottish Government has commissioned expert groups to recommend action to potentially reduce the pressures local authorities are facing and set out in its response the actions we will take. I am engaging with Housing Convenors across Scotland on a regular basis to discuss the homelessness and housing supply issues that are impacting on them most. We know that increasing housing supply is key to tackling homelessness, but a flat and falling funding trajectory from the UK Government has significantly impacted our ability to deliver on all our capital infrastructure commitments. We will invest £556 million in affordable housing in 2024-25 and we have stated that our housing capital budget will be a key priority if new funding becomes available as a result of the UK Government’s Spring Budget 2024.

Prescription numbers of sodium valproate are not collected by the Scottish Government.

There are no reimbursement schemes available to patients who enter into a private arrangement with a dentist for treatment, and the Scottish Government has no locus for intervention.

NHS dental services will continue to be available to patients, and some patients may wish to travel outwith their local area to access NHS dental services. Patients who are not registered with a dentist are able to access emergency and urgent dental care through their local Board’s Public Dental Service clinic.

As set out in this year’s Programme for Government and Scotland’s International Strategy, the Scottish Government intends to host an international food summit including a focus on promoting the sector and overall food security. Further detail will be announced in due course.

The Scottish Government has not carried out or commissioned research into the impact that the presence of fire can have on reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC). However, the Scottish Government works directly with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS), is in close contact with the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) and officials liaise with UK Government colleagues as the issue around fire safety and RAAC is explored.

The condition of RAAC and any risk of weakness or collapse is clearly of critical concern to firefighters. Where RAAC is identified through SFRS Operational Intelligence information gathering or a Fire Safety Enforcement audit, SFRS staff will record information regarding any affected buildings. This allows SFRS to develop a tactical plan to protect firefighters and minimise risk to the wider public in the event of any emergency incident, including those with premises containing RAAC.

More generally, the Scottish Government engages with various academic and building industry organisations which are themselves involved in research work, including through meetings of the Cross Sector Working Group, and would promote awareness of the findings of RAAC related research as and when appropriate.

The Scottish Government does not anticipate that changes to the funding arrangements for regional improvement collaboratives will have an impact on speech and language leads carrying out their objectives.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-25185 on 12 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 .