Chamber and committees

The UK Government has yesterday announced a decision taken to defer obligations under Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging payments from October 2024 to October 2025. The Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging is being progressed by the UK Government, working in partnership with the Scottish and other devolved governments.

The deferral is intended to provide stakeholders with additional time to prepare for the upcoming requirements, and to ensure a further opportunity to engage on the design of EPR policy and initiatives. This includes more open scrutiny with stakeholders on the main piece of legislation bringing forward these reforms, which will be laid as a UK Statutory Instrument and come to the Scottish Parliament for consent.

In August 2021, the Scottish Government published Reset and Rebuild, a recovery plan for sexual health and blood borne virus (SHBBV) services. This plan was co-produced with NHS and third sector partners, to take stock of the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on SHBBV services and people that use them.

The Scottish Government’s SHBBV plan for 2023-2026, which is due to be published towards the end of summer 2023, will include a focus on improving access to SHBBV services across Scotland.

In addition, as noted in response to S6W-19566 on 26 July 2023, work is on-going to understand and put in place the necessary governance and infrastructure to support a national online testing service for sexually transmitted infections and bloodborne viruses.

The Scottish Government has also provided funding to support the development of an ePrEP pilot and a national publicity campaign to address HIV stigma to be developed by a multi-agency partnership.

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 .

As indicated in response to S6W-19566 on 26 July 2023, a national project to develop an online sexually transmitted infections (STI) testing pilot has been underway since 2021 and is hosted by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, with development work being undertaken across a number of Board areas.

Scottish Government officials are currently working closely with Public Health Scotland and NHS Boards to understand the scope of what is needed in terms of timescales, necessary governance and infrastructure to support a national service.

The upcoming Sexual Health and Blood Borne Virus plan, due be published towards the end of summer 2023, will also have a focus on improving access to STI and blood borne virus testing across Scotland.

The Scottish Government recently invited funding bids from across Scotland for projects aimed at contributing to the priorities set out in the Sexual Health and Blood Borne Virus Strategy, including improving the accessibility of testing services.

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 .

A national project to develop an online STI testing pilot has been underway since 2021 and is hosted by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, with development work being undertaken across a number of Board areas.

The Scottish Government provided £0.5 million for an initial pilot in NHS Lothian which has seen over 1500 testing kits ordered online, with demand outstripping availability. Scottish Government officials are currently working closely with Public Health Scotland and NHS Boards to understand the scope of what is needed in terms of timescales, necessary governance and infrastructure to support a national service.

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 Ukraine Super Sponsor Scheme does not have a legislative underpinning. The legal obligations or responsibilities which flow from it are founded in either other legislative duties or from legitimate expectations based on government statements or policy.

The Ukraine Super Sponsor Scheme does not have a legislative underpinning. The legal obligations or responsibilities which flow from it are founded in either other legislative duties or from legitimate expectations based on government statements or policy.

Offers of grant funding to councils and Registered Social Landlords under the Affordable Housing Supply Programme are not time limited. While the vast majority of affordable housing projects are delivered as planned following approval, any decision to withdraw an offer of grant following approval would only be taken in close consultation with the council or Registered Social Landlord and following determination that this was the best course of action under the circumstances.

The HIV Transmission Elimination Proposal, commissioned by the Scottish Government and published on World AIDS Day in 2022, sets out 22 recommendations to ensure progress is made to meet our goal of zero HIV infection transmissions in Scotland by 2030.

An HIV Transmission Elimination Proposal Scoping Group met between March and June 2023 to review the proposal, and to identify key actions to be taken forward in 2023-24. The recommendations from this group are currently being considered and prioritised.

In addition, the Scottish Government has provided funding to support the development of an e-PrEP pilot and a national publicity campaign to address HIV stigma, to be developed by a multi-agency partnership.

Ministers have not met with universities and colleges to discuss RAAC. Scottish Government and the Scottish Funding Council officials have met on three occasions to discuss this matter, the last meeting of which was held on 5th July.