Chamber and committees

The Young Patients Family Fund (YPFF) has been available since July 2021. We ask NHS Boards to report on the number of claims, including successful claims, which have been made to the fund.

In 2021/22, NHS Boards reported that 4,983 claims were made under the YPFF and all claims were successful.

For reporting period 2022-23, I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-18948 on 21 June 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 continues to improve provision of maternity and neonatal services through implementation of The Best Start: A Five Year forward plan for Maternity and Neonatal care in Scotland.

We receive regular reporting from Health Boards showing they are on track to be delivered by the revised end date of mid 2024 for the majority of the recommendations and for continuity of carer to be implemented within the lifetime of this Parliament.

NHS Boards are responsible for planning and providing services based on the needs of their local population, this includes women who receive maternity aftercare following birth in hospitals, midwife-led birthing units and community settings.

The New Scots refugee integration strategy has been developed and is led in partnership by the Scottish Government, COSLA and Scottish Refugee Council. The current strategy was published in 2018.

All partners have committed to refreshing the strategy and to ensuring that it continues to be shaped by refugees and people seeking asylum, as well as those with expertise supporting them. We are currently developing professional and lived experience engagement events, which will take place throughout Scotland this Autumn to inform the next iteration of the Strategy. Publication of the strategy itself will follow after these events have taken place to ensure the views of those the strategy seeks to serve are properly reflected.

There is no recommended minimum distance between onshore wind turbines and residential properties. Policy 11: Energy of National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) states that potential impacts on communities, nature and other receptors will be important considerations in the decision-making process. Additionally, the policy requires that project design and mitigation demonstrate how impacts on communities and individual dwellings, including residential amenity, visual impact, noise and shadow flicker and cumulative impacts will be addressed. All applications are subject to site-specific assessments.

Cumulative impacts are specifically referenced in Policy 11 and are a consideration in the determination of wind farm proposals. Furthermore, Planning Circular 1/2017: Environmental Impact Assessment regulations sets out guidance relating to the consideration of cumulative effects.

This is an operational matter for ScotRail and Stena Line. ScotRail advises that it regularly meets with Stena Line to review potential service changes and ensure tickets are available on rail retail systems. Details of these tickets can be found via Rail & Sail to Ireland | Stena Line , which also provides contact details for Stena Line for further information.

The legal obligation to provide public library services within Scotland lies with the local authorities, who have a statutory duty to secure the provision of adequate library facilities for all people resident in their area, taking into account local needs.

The Scottish Government supports the Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC), who provides leadership and advice to Scottish Ministers, local authorities, and the wider libraries sector, with annual funding of £665,000. This includes £450,000 for the Public Library Improvement Fund (PLIF) and is on top of the Scottish Government’s general revenue funding to local authorities.

Examples of PLIF support in rural communities includes Digi Bytes and Takeaways in Moray, which is enabling Moray Libraries to support families during the current cost-of-living crisis and encouraging children and parents to engage with STEM in the early years; and Sensory Exploration in Orkney, in which a mobile interactive floor projector allows for sensory sessions to take place with a variety of age-groups. The project aims to enhance the library’s digital offering and widen access to a technology designed to improve the mental and physical wellbeing of those interacting with it.

Our latest figures show that a total of 3,047 vouchers have been paid out at an average cost of £1,858.99 per voucher. This consists of 1,079 interim vouchers at an average of £389.24 per voucher, and 1,968 main vouchers at an average of £2,884.81 per voucher.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-20183 on‎ 14 August 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 does not hold this information. It is statutory responsibility of local authorities to manage and maintain their school estate.