The inaugural meeting of the Cervical Cancer Elimination Expert Group took place on 25 April 2024. The Expert Group agreed to establish working groups to undertake in-depth modelling, to consider and analyse data, and to inform their recommendations around a Cervical Cancer Elimination target date.

Membership of the Expert Group includes representatives from Scottish Government, clinicians, Public Health Scotland (PHS), National Services Division Screening team and Third Sector organisations.

The Scottish Government’s 2023-24 Public Sector Pay Strategy is clear that employers should negotiate extensions to No Compulsory Redundancy Agreements as part of pay negotiations. I can confirm that Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority do not have a compulsory redundancy scheme underway.

There have been Voluntary Redundancy (VR) and Voluntary Early Retirement (VER) schemes in place for most years since 2013 to provide the Chief Constable with flexibility to develop and balance the workforce in order to respond to changing demand. These schemes only apply to police staff, as police officers cannot be made redundant.

It is important to note that VR/VER schemes are not related to the Police Estates Strategy. The responsibility for the management of the policing budget and estate, including ongoing consultations around police station closures, sits with the Scottish Police Authority and the Chief Constable. The Scottish Government has more than tripled the policing capital budget since 2017-18, supporting continued investment in police assets.

Police Scotland’s Voluntary Redundancy (VR)and Voluntary Early Retirement (VER) schemes are open to police staff only, with police officers not eligible to apply.

It is important to note that VR/VER schemes are not related to the Police Estates Strategy. The responsibility for the management of the policing budget and estate, including ongoing consultations around police station closures, sits with the Scottish Police Authority and the Chief Constable. The Scottish Government has more than tripled the policing capital budget since 2017-18, supporting continued investment in police assets.

South Lanarkshire Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) has been clear that the temporary reduction of beds is due to clinical and operational reasons associated with current staffing challenges and are undertaking work to address this.

South Lanarkshire Health and Social Care Partnership is keeping Scottish Government officials updated on their proposals to consider and recommend a future model of clinical care within the Specialist Palliative Care service within Lanarkshire.

This question relates to a recommendation in the report on HM Inspectorate of Prosecution in Scotland (HMIPS)’s inspection of the prosecution of summary domestic abuse cases which was instructed by the Lord Advocate and was published on 17 April 2024.

The relevant recommendation is:

Recommendation 12

With regard to bail in domestic abuse cases, COPFS should:

[...]

(c) ensure that victims are informed of bail review applications, their views are sought and put before the court, and they are informed of the outcome timeously.

The Lord Advocate has accepted this recommendation.

COPFS is commencing work in relation to the areas identified in the HMIPS report and will provide updates on the work undertaken in implementing the recommendations contained within the report in due course.

NHS Scotland uses the internationally accepted categories for BMI to categorise people’s weight in relation to their health. BMI should not be used as a single defining measurement but as part of a holistic assessment alongside other criteria to help inform best treatment options for patients.

The Scottish Government has not undertaken specific assessments of use of BMI in diagnosing eating disorders. However, clinicians are aware of its limitations in relation to eating disorders diagnosis and this is reflected in the National Specification for the Care and Treatment of Eating Disorders in Scotland.

In the National Specification, it is stated that assessment of an eating disorder should not be based on single measures such as BMI. Instead the full set of symptoms and individual circumstances should be considered. The National Specification was consulted on earlier this year and the consultation results are currently being analysed with the aim to publish the final National Specification document later this year. The implementation of the National Specification will be supported by the National Eating Disorders Network.

This question relates to a recommendation in the report on HM Inspectorate of Prosecution in Scotland (HMIPS)’s inspection of the prosecution of summary domestic abuse cases which was instructed by the Lord Advocate and was published on 17 April 2024.

The relevant recommendation is:

Recommendation 2

In relation to the reporting of domestic abuse cases, COPFS should work with Police Scotland to:

[...]

(c) ensure that the approach to counter allegations set out in the joint protocol on challenging domestic abuse is followed in practice by both reporting officers and marking deputes. Managing counter allegations should form part of training

[…]

The Lord Advocate has accepted this recommendation.

COPFS is commencing work in relation to the areas identified in the HMIPS report and will provide updates on the work undertaken in implementing the recommendations contained within the report in due course.

This question relates to a recommendation in the report on HM Inspectorate of Prosecution in Scotland (HMIPS)’s inspection of the prosecution of summary domestic abuse cases which was instructed by the Lord Advocate and was published on 17 April 2024.

The relevant recommendation is:

“Recommendation 1

With regard to training of staff, COPFS should:

(a) review and streamline the content of its domestic abuse training taking into account the target audience [...]”

The Lord Advocate has accepted this recommendation.

COPFS is commencing work in relation to the areas identified in the HMIPS report and will provide updates on the work undertaken in implementing the recommendations contained within the report in due course.

The Scottish Government has always recognised the importance of Scotland’s international connectivity. Our ambition is to make Scotland at least as well connected as peer nations. Transport Scotland, in partnership with VisitScotland and Scottish Development International, works to help Scotland’s airports secure new routes that are essential for inbound tourism, business connectivity and the economy as a whole. Recent successes include direct routes from Atlanta, Calgary and Beijing and we look forward to welcoming the arrival of a new airline for Scotland later this month, with JetBlue launching their first ever Scottish service to New York JFK.

Representatives from the cross government partnership recently took part in the route development forum Routes Europe 2024, meeting with a number of airlines to discuss future opportunities and promote Scotland as a market that can sustain more direct connectivity.

The Scottish Government recognises that tax is one factor in airlines’ decision-making on where to fly. We will review the rates and bands of Air Departure Tax prior to the implementation of the tax once a solution to the Highland & Islands exemption has been identified.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-27301 on‎ 17 May 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 .