Chamber and committees

Details of every external meeting all Ministers have undertaken since 2016 can be found here: https://www.gov.scot/collections/ministerial-engagements-travel-and-gifts/. This currently shows engagements up until May of this year, however information on engagements after this point will be published in due course, as per the Scottish Government’s commitment to do so, which is set out in the Scottish Ministerial Code.

It is also worth noting that although the names of specific councils or council leaders may not appear in records of certain engagements, the First Minister, previous First Ministers and other Ministers have engaged with various council leaders at COSLA Annual Conferences and other conferences and events that involve council leaders since 2021.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-29569 on 19 September 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.

In line with Scottish Public Sector Pay Policy, the Scottish Government does not pay non-consolidated performance payments to any staff, including Senior Civil Servants. Therefore, I can confirm that no Scottish Government Senior Civil Servants have received a non-consolidated performance payment in the period referenced.

For clarity, the Scottish Government has not suspended public health information marketing campaigns.

The Scottish Government is fully aware of the importance that campaigns have in communicating public health priorities, and essential public health marketing activity in 2024-25 is continuing, including Public Health Scotland targeted communications work for particular vaccine programmes, including Winter Flu, to encourage people who often do not get vaccinated to take up the offer this year.

Paid-for activity is also continuing where costs have already been committed, or where an essential need is identified, such as campaigns on Sexual Assault Response and Care Service; Abortion Safe Access Zones; dementia, and our Detect Cancer Early campaign, which launched last month.

Marketing activity will also continue across portfolio areas through low or no cost channels, such as social content, public relations and work with partner organisations.

I have instructed ScotRail to offer a 12 month 20% reduction on the price of weekly, monthly and annual season tickets also to amend the Flexipass terms so it offers 12 return journeys for the same price as 10.

Passengers will be able to make significant savings with these discounted products.

For example, in the Member’s constituency, if someone travels between Ayr and Glasgow at least 4 days a week, the equivalent of the daily return with an annual season pass would be £11.48, and £9.18, if they commute 5 days a week, which in both cases is lower than the off peak fare of £13.40 or £20.10 - the new all day fare. For those traveling less regularly, flexipass could be an option to consider, with this pass a return journey would cost an equivalent of £13.62.

It would be most welcome if the Member could help promote these discounts to her constituents.

For clarity, the Scottish Government has not suspended public health information marketing campaigns. We continue to run awareness raising campaigns, aimed at raising awareness among key groups to ensure our investment in public health marketing generates is spent most effectively where it will make the biggest difference.

In 2009, sportscotland’s headquarters moved to Doges, Templeton on the Green, Glasgow and Caledonian House was retained as a “House of Sport”. A full cost-benefit analysis of Caledonian House was conducted in March 2023, and it was concluded the building was not a good use of public money. All existing tenants, including relevant Scottish Governing Bodies of sport, were part of a sportscotland consultation process, have been kept up to date with the process throughout, and were provided ample time to consider their future office needs and find alternative office space.

sportscotland continue to support tenants with information and guidance on alternative accommodation and where possible, have facilitated introductions to wider partners where there is potential to co-locate.

Our investment of £30 million is supporting significant targeted action across a number of specialities, including gynaecology, with around 3,500 additional New Outpatient appointments planned for the longest waiting patients.

NHS Scotland’s Centre for Sustainable Delivery (CfSD) also continues to work with Health Boards to accelerate implementation of high impact changes, including Active Clinical Referral Treatment (ACRT) and Patient Initiated Review (PIR), freeing up additional capacity in the NHS system and providing sustainable solutions for the future.

CfSD programmes have developed strong clinically-led Specialty Delivery Groups (SDG), including one for gynaecology, which was established to support, innovate and develop high quality gynaecology services across Scotland, reducing unwarranted variation, promoting a best-in-class and - where appropriate - a once-for-Scotland approach.

This is all part of our programme to drive up productivity and tackle waiting lists, supported by the CfSD. Together, our actions will further enable NHS Scotland to maximise capacity, build greater resilience and deliver reductions in the number of patients who have waited too long for treatment.

The Scottish Government does not hold information on the people admitted to hospital for cold weather related illnesses in each year since 2010.

Hospital admissions data record the diagnostic conditions patients were admitted for using the International Classification of Disease Codes version 10 (ICD-10). Cold weather related illnesses are not a defined list of conditions that can be identified through ICD-10 codes.

Some ICD-10 codes identify specific conditions which may be associated with cold weather, however these do not represent all conditions that could be considered cold weather related admissions.

Official statistics relating to emergency admissions to acute general hospitals in NHSScotland are published by Public Health Scotland annually: Acute hospital activity and NHS beds information (annual) - year ending 31 March 2024 - Acute hospital activity and NHS beds information (annual) - Publications - Public Health Scotland

These statistics will include detailed diagnosis specific information for emergency admissions, the data collection cannot attribute admissions due to prevailing cold weather per se.

The Scottish Government does not hold information on the people admitted to hospital for cold weather related illnesses in each year since 2010.

Hospital admissions data record the diagnostic conditions patients were admitted for using the International Classification of Disease Codes version 10 (ICD-10). Cold weather related illnesses are not a defined list of conditions that can be identified through ICD-10 codes.

Some ICD-10 codes identify specific conditions which may be associated with cold weather, however these do not represent all conditions that could be considered cold weather related admissions.

Official statistics relating to emergency admissions to acute general hospitals in NHSScotland are published by Public Health Scotland annually: Acute hospital activity and NHS beds information (annual) - year ending 31 March 2024 - Acute hospital activity and NHS beds information (annual) - Publications - Public Health Scotland

These statistics will include detailed diagnosis specific information for emergency admissions, the data collection cannot attribute admissions due to prevailing cold weather per se.