Chamber and committees

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-22478 on 9 November 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

Director General Corporate has senior responsibility for all aspects of records management in Scottish Government as stated at Element 1 of our approved Records Management Plan .

The Panel published its recommendations on 29 November 2023. The recommendations cover a wide range of findings on how Scotland can attract capital investment to support the just transition to net zero.

The Scottish Government published its response to the Panel’s recommendations on 29 November 2023. The Scottish Government has setup an Investment Strategy and Delivery Unit as described in the Programme for Government to drive forward the recommendations made by the Panel.

Both publications are available on the Scottish Government’s web-site which can be found here. https://www.gov.scot/groups/investor-panel/

The Scottish Government expects that most patients will be seen and treated locally, where possible and appropriate, based on clinical need and operational effectiveness. It may not always be possible for Health Boards to provide access locally for all patients and for all services where Health Boards are, for example, constrained by geography or specialist services.

All Health Boards are expected to consider patient transport needs when they plan and deliver services. The Scottish Government acknowledges that, whenever patients are referred out with their usual Health Board area for treatment, their condition may sometimes make it difficult for them to travel. Ministers expect Health Boards to be mindful of this, to discuss patients’ difficulties with them, and make suitable arrangements to ensure that the necessary treatment can be provided in a patient-centred way.

The Scottish Ambulance Service Patient Transport Service (PTS) supports those patients who have a medical or mobility need for transport to be able to access scheduled hospital appointments. If the Service feels a patient does not have a clinical need for PTS they will be signposted to information regarding alternative transport providers.

At present no funding has been allocated by the UK Government for the upgrade of the A75. A detailed business case for the development of improvements to the A75 was submitted by the Scottish Government to the UK Government in April 2023.

The UK Minister for Roads and Local Transport, Mr Richard Holden MP has since confirmed in writing in October 2023, following my discussions with him in September, that funding of £8 million is available, subject to final approvals. My officials continue to engage proactively with their counterparts, and we await confirmation from UK Government, including when funding will be received.

Yes, work on the Innovation Funding review, announced in the National Innovation Strategy, is already underway with our enterprise agencies. We are working with stakeholders to announce a consolidated innovation investment programme for 2024-2025.

It is our ambition that through renewing our approach to innovation investment and support, that over the next ten years we become a world leader in our priority areas, that we create jobs and opportunities throughout the country, contributing to our vision of making Scotland one of the most innovative small nations in the world.

Our Pay Strategy contains wellbeing measures including encouraging employers to standardise to a 35-hour working week and to implement a Right to Disconnect policy. Employers under the Pay Strategy are required to actively look at how they can promote wellbeing in their workplace to support a positive and healthy work-life balance.

Many employers have introduced more flexible working practices. We are also progressing our four-day working week pilot to assess the benefits of a shorter working week to staff.

The Scottish Budget does not designate funding specifically for staff welfare, but annual funding for public bodies is informed by their delivery priorities and commitments, including for pay and conditions.

For Local Government employees, pay and other employment matters are delegated to Local Authorities.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-23041 on 29 November 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 First Minister's WhatsApp messages were provided to the UK Covid-19 Inquiry on the 6 November 2023. The Scottish Government continues to cooperate fully with both the UK and Scottish Covid-19 Inquiries.

With reference to the answer supplied to question reference S6W-22527, the 311 organisations being supported by CARES with an ‘Active’ project status are in varying stages of development. Some are undertaking early scoping and feasibility exercises, while others have grant funding committed. Local Energy Scotland (LES) measures new energy generation by installed capacity in kilowatts (kW) based on the maximum rated output of each project, as opposed to Energy Output which refers to energy generated over time in kilowatt hours (kWh).

The installed capacities of projects are provided in the following table. Note that these figures relate only to active projects where CARES funding has been offered, as the capacities of projects before this stage can change as a result of revisions in design, budget or supplier availability.