Chamber and committees

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-22410 on 7 November 2023. We are working with health boards to understand how best to achieve national consistency so that patients undergoing home dialysis are protected from the impact of high electricity prices, wherever they live. I expect to provide a further update on this in the coming weeks. 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 .

I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-21592 on 4 December 2023. 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 Scottish Government continues to deliver on its commitment to give people the information they need to make an informed choice about their future, and I’m pleased to confirm that we are publishing Social security in an independent Scotland on 6 December 2023.

This is the ninth paper in the Building a New Scotland series. It explains why the UK approach to social security needs urgent reform and identifies the early changes this Scottish Government would prioritise with independence.

I can also confirm that we intend to bring the matters raised in this publication forward for a debate in the Chamber when Parliamentary time is available.

Building a New Scotland: Social security in an independent Scotland will be available to view on the Scottish Government website from 6 December at www.gov.scot/newscotland .

Where flaring and venting is required as an operational safety feature in onshore industrial activities, the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) act as independent regulators at regulated sites in Scotland. SEPA requires operators to prevent, or where that is not possible, to reduce emissions due to flaring and venting by the use of best available techniques.

Policy in relation to flaring and venting on offshore oil and gas platforms is reserved to the UK Government. The North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) acts as the regulator with the relevant legislation requiring offshore operators to have the correct consents in place for the flaring and venting during production operations. The NSTA has a goal of reaching zero routine flaring by 2030 or sooner.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-23070 on 4 December 2023. 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 Scottish and UK Governments are currently working collaboratively with regional partners to develop proposals with distinct sectoral focus to maximise cluster building, innovation and economic growth.

The proposals – which are in the early stages of development – will link to existing regional economic strategies, recognising the pipeline of skills required for priority sectors, and will include an attractive package of levers aimed at encouraging new businesses to locate in the regions providing opportunities for talent attraction, which will contribute positively to meeting current and future skills requirements.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-23070 on 04 December 2023. 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 Scottish Government have no plans to carry out any assessment of the impact of the dissolution of the Scottish Milk Marketing Board and are not considering re-establishing a Milk Marketing Board.

The dairy sector is supported by bodies such as Dairy UK, the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB), the Scottish Dairy Hub and the Scottish Dairy Growth Board.

The Women’s Health Leads meet together as a Network on a quarterly basis. The Network enables the Leads to identify common challenges and exchange ideas on innovation and best practice, along with discussions on progress to implement the Women’s Health Plan.

Earlier this year, the Network identified access to long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) as a subject that would benefit from a national approach and in response, the LARC Short Life Working Group was established. Chaired by Professor Anna Glasier, Women’s Health Champion, the group is working to identify and take forward actions to address current challenges in access to LARC methods of contraception.

The Women’s Health Champion quarterly blog provides an update on the Network: Health and Social Care Women's Health Champion Archives - Health and Social Care (blogs.gov.scot) .

As Minister with lead responsibility for Occupational Health, as part of the Health & Social Care portfolio, I responded on 20th November 2023 to the proposal submitted by the Scottish Occupational Health Action Group (SOHAG).

Many of the drivers of ill-health, and particularly ill-health in the workplace, are wider societal factors and I am clear that a cross-government response is required to address both the social determinants of health, as well as improving people’s experiences at work. Occupational health has a key role to play as part of the range of interventions that support fair and healthier work places.