Chamber and committees

As at 29th June 2023, the number of premises in the Na h-Eileanan an Iar constituency scheduled for connection through the Reaching 100% (R100) North contract is 2,206. The contract build for these premises is scheduled to begin in 2025, with live connections planned to be available through 2026, 2027 and 2028. Connections are delivered in line with plans submitted by BT plc as the successful bidder for the R100 North contract. The build is structured in phases that have been designed to maximise efficiency in order to deliver the greatest possible outcome for our investment.

A further 1,975 premises in the Na h-Eileanan an Iar constituency are eligible for a connection through the R100 Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme (R100 SBVS), offering up to £5,000 to secure a superfast broadband connection. This is a demand-led scheme and it is therefore a decision for residents and businesses whether or not they choose to secure a connection in this manner.

The R100 programme builds on the success of the Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband (DSSB) programme which made a significant contribution to broadband coverage in the Na h-Eileanan an Iar constituency, delivering five subsea cables and over 15,000 fibre broadband connections in the area. In April 2015, just before DSSB build began in the region, superfast coverage was just 1.3%. By the end of that year, it was already up to 25.4%, and now stands at 80.5% as a direct result of Scottish Government intervention.

The Scottish Government remains committed to improving the quality of life and wellbeing of people with chronic pain. Involving people with lived experience remains a priority to help inform the improvement work we have set out in our Framework for pain management service delivery - implementation plan .

Our plan was developed with extensive engagement with people with chronic pain. The Scottish Government conducted a public consultation where four-fifths of respondents were individuals living with chronic pain. All of their views have informed the actions set out in the plan.

In summer 2022, we commissioned the Lines Between to establish a Pain Management Panel. The panel included a diverse cross-section of people with chronic pain across Scotland. The findings from this report, published in July 2022 , have helped inform the implementation of the plan.

We are continuing to engage with a range of diverse voices of those living with chronic pain across Scotland as we develop and deliver the plan. Officials attended the most recent Cross Party Group for Chronic Pain to request feedback and further engagement sessions with the group are planned. We have also invited our stakeholders, including people with lived experience, to a series of drop in sessions to give their input as we update our Implementation Plan.

We continue to invest heavily in our future consultant workforce and have been increasing the number of available training places in Radiology in line with recommendations made by the Scottish Shape of Training Transition Group (SSoTTG).

In 2018 we committed to increasing the Clinical Radiology training establishment by 10 places per year over a five year period. That commitment was met in full last year, bringing the total number of extra places created in this specialty since 2014 to 68, with 10 additional Clinical Interventional Radiology training places also being created over the same period.

The SSoTTG is actively considering the need for further uplifts as part of its annual review of medical training establishments and will be making recommendations later this year for expansion taking place in 2024.

Of the 800 additional nurses, midwives and allied health professional recruited from overseas, as announced on 8 June 2023, 357 have started in their post with the remaining due to arrive in the coming weeks.

The Home Energy Scotland funding schemes are delivered under contract by the Energy Saving Trust (EST) on behalf of Scottish Government. Although delivered by EST, decisions around the design of the schemes are the sole responsibility of Scottish Government.

The purpose of the Home Energy Scotland (HES) Grant and Loan scheme is to decarbonise heat in homes through installation of zero emissions heating systems, and reduce heat demand through energy efficiency measures, in line with the Scottish Government’s Heat in Buildings Strategy.

Recently we have seen a substantial increase in the number of applications received to the scheme. Much of this rise has been driven by a surge in applications for solar PV and energy storage systems, the majority of which are not installed alongside a zero emissions heating system and therefore do not contribute directly to decarbonisation of heat in homes.

So we have reviewed funding to ensure that we are focusing finite public funding in the ways which best support the Heat in Buildings strategy aims.

Solar PV and energy storage systems will continue to be funded through the scheme, but only where installed alongside a certified renewable heating measure (such as a heat pump), or where there is already one in place. As such, funding is being targeted at measures which will have the biggest impact on reducing emissions from heating homes.

Measures and funding offered through the Private Rented Sector Landlord Loan scheme are currently under review, but in the meantime, the conditions under which solar PV and energy storage are offered loan funding have been aligned with the HES Grant and Loan scheme.

The Scottish Government provides baseline funding to NHS Boards, and it is for individual Boards to determine how best to utilise this funding to meet the needs and priorities of their local populations, including stroke care. The 2023-24 Scottish Budget delivers record funding of £19 billion for Health and Social Care services.

On top of this baseline funding, the Scottish Government has provided specific funding to NHS Boards for the development of a thrombectomy service to treat ischaemic stroke: £833,000 in 2019-20, £2.4 million in 2020-21, £6.6 million in 2021-22 and £7.2 million in 2022-23.

In addition, funding to support the delivery of the Stroke Improvement Plan was £40,574 in 2018-19, £42,050 in 2019-20, £175,674 in 2020-21, £182,980 in 2021-22 and £174,489 in 2022-23. The 2023-24 budget has allocated £12.5 million in revenue spending for the further development of a national thrombectomy service and development of stroke policy.

Social Security Scotland has not been financially compromised or experienced any financial loss as a result of cyber attacks.

The Scottish Government recognises the important role that bank branches play in Scottish communities. Despite financial services regulation being reserved to the UK Government, we have sought to engage with the banking sector following decisions they have made to close Scottish branches in recent years.

Through these engagements Ministers have reiterated the importance of bank branches to individuals and local businesses across Scotland - particularly for our rural and island communities, vulnerable individuals and digitally excluded consumers. We have also sought assurances that impacted employees from branch closures would be offered roles elsewhere in the business should they want them. Banks have confirmed they make regular contact with affected customers to inform them of the alternative services available to them, including through initiatives such as shared Bank Hubs, improved Post Office services and Community Bankers.

Most recently, I met with Lloyds Banking Group (LBG) on the 27th of June following the company's announcement to close 17 Bank of Scotland branches. LBG emphasised the support that they are providing communities and expressed their willingness to work with local representatives to ensure that the support provided is sufficient for the local area. Officials are also working with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to arrange a meeting between myself and Nikhil Rathi, Chief Executive of the FCA, to discuss the work of the FCA in Scotland with a focus on understanding how the unique cash access requirements of Scottish communities and businesses are being addressed.

The operation of vessels and ports for scheduled services is a matter for Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd, CalMac Ferries Ltd and Serco NorthLink Ferries.

Information on the vessels owned by CMAL is available on their website.

Home | CMAL Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (cmassets.co.uk)

Information on how these vessels are deployed on Clyde and Hebrides and Northern Isles Ferry Service routes is available on the individual operators websites.

Ferries to Scotland & Scottish Isles | Caledonian MacBrayne | CalMac Ferries

The Scottish Government do not hold full operational details of the ports at which CMAL or other vessels can dock but it is our expectation through the contracts that the Operator will utilise the vessels flexibly as it considers appropriate in order to maintain lifeline services for communities.

I will attend the next meeting of the Orkney Internal Ferry Replacement Task Force, now confirmed for 17 August in Orkney. Future meetings will be led by the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Finance with my support.