Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government is clear that unlimited extraction of fossil fuels is not consistent with our climate commitments. That is why we are calling for a robust and transparent climate compatibility test to be applied to all new developments.

The Scottish Government has made our position clear, we are committed to a just transition for Scotland's energy sector. Our focus, as outlined in the draft Strategy, must be meeting our energy security needs, reducing emissions and ensuring a just transition for our oil and gas workforce as North Sea resources decline.

I met with the UK Government’s Minister of State for Media, Tourism and Creative Industries on 13 June 2023, to discuss the imminent publication of the UK Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s Creative Industries Sector Vision.

The UK Government have not confirmed if there will be any Barnett consequentials as a consequence of their announcement.

The Scottish Government places great importance on sport and leisure facilities, they are vital in supporting the physical and mental health of the nation. The Scottish Swimming Facilities Project will help accurately understand the current swimming pool provision, life cycle and predict the landscape in the short, medium, and long term.

The project has three phases:

1. Provide a high-level update on change since the Ticking Time Bomb report was produced in 2001. That report reviewed Scotland’s public swimming pools and the costs associated with maintenance, upgrades, and refurbishment. This new work will provide an update from the 2001 report, with a focus on the age, condition, numbers, categories, and locations of pools.

2. Provide good practice guidance on creating a more economically and environmentally sustainable swimming pool estate. This will consider energy consumption, operational costs, refurbishment, replacement, and adaptations in relation to both new and existing pools. It will also provide guidance on the development and operation of school swimming pools for community access.

3. Work with pilot local authority areas to implement the guidance developed in phase two, to demonstrate the future sustainability of the swimming estate.

In March 2023, Scottish Swimming appointed OLM Consulting to undertake this work. The work is well underway, and we expect Scottish Swimming to publish the results of phases one and two in the coming months.

Ensuring healthcare professionals have the appropriate knowledge and understanding to provide care to the required standard remains the responsibility of local NHS Boards.

To monitor the provision of education within stroke services, the Scottish Stroke Improvement Programme reviews ask NHS Boards to demonstrate how they are actively upskilling and maintaining the knowledge of their stroke workforce. The criteria for demonstrating the development of a skilled and knowledgeable stroke workforce have been expanded, based on recommendations made in the Progressive Stroke Pathway. The full criteria can be found in Annex A of the Stroke Improvement Plan at: Stroke Improvement Plan .

The Scottish Government recognises that social prescribing can be an effective method of improving an individual’s physical, mental and social health. It plays an important role in helping us achieve our commitment to prevention, holistic care and Realistic Medicine. Our Primary Care Community Link Worker programme has been in place since 2014 and a 2017 commitment to create 250 Community Link Worker posts in general practice has been achieved.

Due to the wide range of activity which is described as social prescribing, there are many Scottish Government policies and resources which play a role in supporting its delivery. For example, we recognise the important role played by local organisations in supporting the health and wellbeing of their communities and we are working with the community and voluntary sector to look at how we can enhance the capacity of the sector to help those organisations address the challenges they face. The ongoing development by the ALLIANCE of the ALISS online database helps to provide information on community resources and our Green Health Partnership programme led by NatureScot helps to promote the connection between health and the natural environment.

It is not possible to make a precise assessment of the payment reform changes and their impact on future oral health inequality patterns at this stage.

The Government has for some time been working apace on payment reform for NHS dentistry, and on the 27 July this was communicated to the sector, with implementation scheduled for 1 November 2023. The new model seeks to improve and protect patients’ oral health by focussing on more patient-centred care such as preventative periodontal – gum disease – treatments.

This is a complex, far reaching change with longer-term implications. Payment reform will provide a range of data that will enable the Government to assess the impact on dental activity and longer-term oral health inequality patterns. The enhanced payments to practices for the treatment of patients in Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation 1 areas has also been retained.

Payment reform should also be seen in the context of well-established and proven programmes such as Childsmile which specifically targets child oral health inequalities by providing fluoride varnish treatment to nursery and early years schoolchildren from SIMD 1 areas. Tackling oral health inequalities requires a multi-faceted approach, not necessarily confined to the patient-dentist relationship, and a recognition that intervention in the early years is critical to the establishment of good oral health habits.

I can advise Parliament that the UK Government has today published the Target Operating Model (TOM) for the UK which interacts with areas of devolved responsibility, this model is intended to set controls on imported goods entering the UK from the EU. It is a direct consequence of Brexit.

Over recent months the Scottish Government has worked constructively and collaboratively with the UK Government to help it meet its self-imposed deadlines, in light of our shared interest in, and responsibility for, biosecurity. In July, I signalled the Scottish Government’s agreement to the publication of the TOM as it stood at that time – despite our dissatisfaction with the process, reservations about some of the model and the fact that some key points would remain to be resolved after publication.

It was therefore hugely frustrating that the UK Government then unilaterally proposed changes to the model upon which we, and the Welsh Government, had agreed. I have been clear with UK Ministers that this approach is unacceptable.

Following a frustrating time revisiting negotiation, I have, once again, signalled to the UK Government that we are prepared to agree to the publication of the TOM. Given how imperative protecting Scotland’s consumers and businesses through robust biosecurity controls is, the UK Government’s unilateral decision to delay implementing the model is regrettable. However, I trust that publication of the model will give stakeholders both the ability to plan ahead and significant reassurance that we are acting to protect Scotland’s biosecurity.

The Scottish Government’s view remains that the best trading relationships for Scottish and UK businesses are to be found as members of the European Union. However, until Scotland is in a position to re-join the European Union and enjoy the security of its wider biosecurity controls, trade without controls on imported goods would create growing risks to biosecurity.

The Scottish Government still has a number of outstanding concerns around the model. My decision to adopt this latest version was subject to securing agreement from the UK Government that work will continue on resolving these concerns.

One such concern was around how the model interacts with the Windsor Framework. Over recent months, officials have spent a significant amount of time working through this. Stakeholders will see that the model sets out how different types of goods entering Great Britain via Ireland and Northern Ireland are to be treated. However, we will need to continue working with the UK and other Devolved Governments and other key stakeholders.

For some time now, since the UK’s exit from the EU, our Scottish exporting businesses have had to comply with strict requirements to export to the EU, while importing businesses face, and will continue to face, considerably fewer hurdles. This imbalance, alongside a disadvantageous position for Scottish businesses compared to the unique arrangements in place for Northern Ireland businesses, creates an unlevel playing field for Scottish exporters. I have pressed the UK Government to consider mechanisms to re-set this imbalance – in particular, pursuing a veterinary agreement with the EU, which would pragmatically align standards and smooth trade. It is disappointing that the UK Government continues to refuse to consider these sensible solutions.

I want to make it clear to Parliament that the Scottish Government acknowledges that there are nevertheless remaining biosecurity risks. Therefore, the Scottish Government’s agreement to the model has been contingent on UK Government commitments that these risks will be closely monitored and reviewed across all the four nations and backed by appropriate governance structures, data and intelligence sharing and technical expertise.

Similarly, as the model will need to be underpinned by legislation, our agreement to publish the TOM has only been enabled by the commitment from the UK Government that the devolution settlement will be respected.

We acknowledge that the model is imperfect and that there are considerable areas which require further work across the four nations. Given the imperative of offering clarity for businesses which have been waiting for the ‘rule book’ for some time, the Scottish Government accepts the need to adopt this model. Adoption of this model is critical if we are to protect Scotland’s people and businesses from biosecurity threats; protect the wellbeing of our people, our fauna, our flora and our natural environment; and protect the provenance of our produce. We will therefore focus attention and resources on its implementation.

We cannot risk further delay to the model. The implementation dates set out by the UK Government must be final. Should there be any suggestion of further delay, the Scottish Government will not hesitate to reconsider its position.

Further information on the model can be found on the UK Government’s website:

The Border Target Operating Model: August 2023 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

The Scottish Government’s ability to respond to the current financial context is limited due to overall UK Government cuts and by the financial restrictions of devolution, requiring extremely hard funding decisions to be made across the budget. The Scottish Government values our culture sector and the contribution of the grassroots music industry to the cultural and economic offer in Scotland. We will continue to work with the sector to identify barriers to recovery, and do everything within our powers and resources to help it overcome these.

The Scottish Government has invested significantly in social prescribing through Community Link Workers within general practice. Funding for Community Link Workers in general practice is included within the Primary Care Improvement Fund. Health and Social Care Partnerships decide how to use their Primary Care Improvement Fund allocation to develop local Multi-Disciplinary Teams which incorporate link worker roles.

The Scottish Government also provides funding to Voluntary Health Scotland to manage the Scottish Community Link Worker Network. The aim of the network is to create a space for community link workers in primary care settings in Scotland to come together to share learning and to develop, network and support each other in order to improve outcomes for their patients and communities. Funding is also provided to the Scottish Social Prescribing Network to support those who are undertaking link worker/social prescribing roles in other local schemes.

As referenced in my previous correspondence, officials received a scoping paper from Police Scotland that outlines their programme for delivery, particularly on what they are looking to deliver and a detailed timescale. My officials met with Police Scotland on 13 July and during the meeting they discussed the development of the business case. The business case will look at the service design, delivery, organisation policy and life time management of the National Dashcam Safety Portal.

My officials remain in discussion with Police Scotland on this matter and will meet with them again later in August as we look to progress this important road safety initiative.