Chamber and committees

In Scotland, NHS prescriptions charges were abolished in 2011 and are free to all at the point of access. This is also the case in Wales where charges were abolished in 2007. Patients not entitled to free prescriptions in England are liable to a charge of £9.65 per item from April 2023.

NHS eye examinations in Scotland are free to anyone ordinarily resident in the UK and to some eligible overseas visitors. In England and Wales, the eligibility criteria for free NHS sight tests are different and can be accessed here: https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/opticians/free-nhs-eye-tests-and-optical-vouchers/ .

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-19557 on 26 July 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 has not yet committed further funding for the pilot Pancreatic and Hepatocellular Cancer Pathway Improvement Project. Initial evaluation is scheduled to take place over the summer with outputs due to be reported in September 2023. Decisions on long term funding will be made as the pilot’s impacts and outcomes are fully evaluated.

We are engaging with public sector organisations to seek reassurance of both their awareness and of any action identified on this issue.

From our discussions with local authorities regarding RAAC to date, West Lothian Council indicated that addressing RAAC issues across its estate could cost around £76.8m, whilst East Lothian Council advised that costs relating to one affected school are estimated at around £3.8 million. The current information gathering exercise offers the opportunity to identify similar assessment made by other local authorities.

NHS Scotland Assure are conducting a survey programme which will confirm how many buildings in the NHS estate contain reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC). Work undertaken as part of the programme has included a desktop review, pilot and prioritisation exercises by an appointed survey partner at a cost of just over £150,000 to date. It is not currently possible to assess costs until this survey work is complete.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-19700 on 31 July 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 is in the process of conducting the Student Finance and Wellbeing Study which will provide data on paid work undertaken by students.

Regulatory policy officials are in regular contact with the GDC and The Cabinet Secretary for NHS Recovery, Health and Social Care is scheduled to meet with the regulator's Chair and Chief Executive in early September.

Officials work closely with their counterparts in the Department for Health and Social Care and I myself have recently written to UK Government Ministers, with an offer to work together to explore how we can improve the take-up of overseas applicants across the four countries of the UK.

In terms of action taken this far in addressing the backlog of applicants, this Parliament agreed on Wednesday 25 January 2023 that the Dentists, Dental Care Professionals, Nurses, Nursing Associates and Midwives (International Registrations) Order 2022 be approved, with it subsequently coming into force on 8 March 2023.

This UK Statutory Instrument gives the General Dental Council (GDC) powers to amend international routes into registration without the approval of the Privy Council, subject to consulting on proposed changes. The GDC launched such a consultation on 4 July 2023 with proposals to enable registration processes to continue to be effective for internationally qualified dental professionals in the medium term, and plans to consult again in due course on longer term arrangements.

In its immediate response to the current demand for the Overseas Registration Examination (ORE), the GDC announced on 16 May 2023 that it has worked with its providers to triple the number of places available for Part 1 of the ORE from 200 to 600, and has committed to maintaining that additional capacity into 2024.

We will continue to work closely with the GDC, UK Government and other stakeholders, to assist wherever possible in smoothing the path of international dental graduates into UK practice.

The Scottish Government regularly discusses net zero policy and progress towards targets with the UK Government. The primary vehicle for our engagement with the UK Government is the Net Zero Inter-ministerial Group (IMG), which meets regularly and involves all four governments of the UK. In the last year, the Net Zero IMG has met on 26 October 2022, 27 April 2023 and 28 June 2023.

Furthermore, the Scottish Government regularly corresponds with the UK Government regarding net zero issues to assure continued progress in achieving our gas emission targets. For example, I recently wrote to the Secretary of State for Transport, on 12 July 2023 to highlight the role Scotland could play in the production of Sustainable Aviation (SAF) - which could help to significantly reduce emissions - and to ask whether the UK Government intends to provide a form of price support mechanism for the substantially higher costs of SAF. Likewise, the Circular Economy Minister recently met with the Minister for Environmental Quality and Resilience in June 2023 to discuss the future of deposit return schemes (DRS) across the UK following the UK Government’s decision to refuse an exemption for Scotland’s DRS from the Internal Market Act.

Throughout our engagement with the UK Government, the Scottish Government continually advocates for the greater ambition required in reserved areas in order for both UK and Scottish emissions targets to be met. The Scottish Government agrees with the Climate Change Committee’s recent UK progress report, which emphasises that greater urgency is required from the UK Government if emissions targets for 2030 and beyond are to be met. We support the Committee’s calls for further and faster UK Government action in a range of crucial reserved areas such as hydrogen, electricity grid upgrades and decarbonisation of the gas network. We will continue to press for more ambitious action in these areas in our discussions with the UK Government.

The Scottish Government does not routinely discuss or publish legal advice received. In line with usual practice, the Scottish Government takes legal advice as and when required when preparing the Building a New Scotland series.

No GP’s have been recruited from ScotGEM into NHS Highland, Western Isles, Orkney, Shetland, or Grampian as ScotGEM graduates are not yet eligible to apply for General Practice Specialty Training.

The first cohort of ScotGEM students graduated in summer 2022 after completing the four year course. All medical school graduates must then complete two years of Foundation training before they can apply for a specialty training post. The first cohort of ScotGEM students will therefore be eligible to apply for General Practice Specialty Training in 2024 following the completion of their second foundation training year.