I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-29098 on 3 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.

Regulations, such as The Equality Act 2010, make it unlawful to discriminate against a breastfeeding mother in the workplace.

The Scottish Government encourages employers to adopt a breastfeeding and return to work policy such as the NHS Workforce Breastfeeding Policy. Our Fair Work First Guidance, provides good practice examples to guide employers and, importantly, explains the benefits of fair work for workers. Good practice examples for supporting women at work include providing safe spaces for breastfeeding mothers to express milk at work.

Parent Club, our national on-line parenting platform, provides practical advice and information on rights for breastfeeding mothers on returning to work.

The next meeting of the Convention of the Highlands and Islands will take place on 7 October and will be hosted by Shetland Islands Council in Lerwick.

The Scottish Government has had no recent engagement with (a) NHS Highland and (b) Argyll and Bute Health and Social Care Partnership regarding the provision of dialysis services in Lorn and Islands Hospital.

It is the responsibility of NHS Boards, working with their local partners, to plan service delivery and treatment in accordance with the needs of patients undergoing dialysis in their area.

The Convention of the Highlands and Islands is a public meeting and anyone is welcome to attend. However, only Members and invited speakers are able to contribute to discussions on the day.

While the Scottish Government is the Secretariat for the Convention, it is for the collective membership to decide where non-members should be invited to contribute to the discussion of a meeting of the Convention.

Constituency and regional MSPs for the host area will be made aware of Convention meetings in advance and in accordance with the Ministerial Code (2023).

I issued a letter to stakeholders providing an update on the Scottish Government’s work on inclusive communication on 14 August 2024. Due to restrictions in relation to legislative competence, the decision has been made to enhance public authorities' inclusive communication through guidance, tools, and training.

A scoping exercise will identify existing resources and gaps, with new materials to be developed in collaboration with partners and informed by lived experience of using diverse communication tools and approaches. Ministerial powers will be used to require public authorities to consider inclusive communication when fulfilling their equality duties, ensuring more consistent practices.

The Scottish Government is aware of the recent reported detection of Hepatitis A in North Lanarkshire.

This is being managed locally by the NHS Lanarkshire health protection team with support from Public Health Scotland and other partners. Although the Scottish Government has had no direct discussions with NHS Lanarkshire or North Lanarkshire, we are in regular contact with Public Health Scotland and will take appropriate action should the situation escalate.

A series of public health measures has already been implemented, including provision of vaccination and information to identified contacts who may be at risk.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-29074 on 3 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.

The First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government met with the Chancellor of the Exchequer, via a Microsoft Teams call, on Wednesday 17 July 2024. Discussion highlighted that the forecast reduction in Capital and Financial Transactions (FTs) funding is causing significant challenges for the Scottish Government’s investment in affordable housing.

The First Minister met with the Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, via a Microsoft Teams call, on Wednesday 31 July 2024. The First Minister raised his close interest in the UK Government’s housing agenda, and reiterated the impact of the reductions to our capital and FTs.

The First Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister met in person at Bute House on Thursday 15 August 2024. The First Minister again raised the issue of reductions to financial transactions funding in relation to affordable housing. The First Minister also restated his commitment to building a constructive and collaborative relationship with the UK Government that delivers for the people of Scotland.

On 28 August, the First Minister and the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government met the Chancellor of the Exchequer in Glasgow and reiterated the concern of the Scottish Government over the damage that has been done to housing investment by the real terms reductions in the overall Capital Budget and the budget for Financial Transactions. The First Minister encouraged the Chancellor to rectify this in her Budget Statement on 30 October.

Single Building Assessment (SBA) is defined by section 32 of the Housing (Cladding Remediation) (Scotland) Act 2024, with SBAs to be carried out in accordance with the standards to be specified by Scottish Ministers. The SBA Technical Specification was published on 21 June 2024 and is expected to form the core of these standards.

The SBA is a risk assessment process rather than a change to existing fire safety. An SBA will culminate in a report on any risk to human life that is (directly or indirectly) created or exacerbated by the building’s external wall cladding system, and what work (if any) is needed to eliminate or mitigate any risk of that kind which is identified.