Chamber and committees

This is an operational matter for NatureScot. I have asked their Chief Executive to write with the relevant information.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-18745 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

I have not yet met with the Welsh Government to discuss issues relating to children and young people in care since recently taking on my role as the Minister for Children, Young People and Keeping the Promise.

However, Scottish Government officials continue to meet and work collaboratively with their Welsh counterparts on a regular basis.

The Good Food Nation (Scotland) Act 2022 (Commencement No. 1) Regulations 2023 were laid before the Scottish Parliament on 16 June 2023. These regulations will bring into force most of the provisions in the Good Food Nation (Scotland) Act 2022 that relate to the national Plan. These include sections relating to the preparation of the Plan and the requirements for inclusive communication, which enables us to go out to public consultation on the first national Good Food Nation Plan this summer.

Other sections that will come into force this December relate to giving Parliament the chance to have its say on the Good Food Nation Plan and will begin the cycle of reporting and reviewing of future Good Food Nation Plans. Finally, Section 6 which relates to the effect of the national Plan, will be commenced in separate regulations at the time of the publication of the final Plan in late 2024.

It remains the Scottish Government's intention to undertake public consultation on the Good Food Nation Plan this summer and to then lay the draft national Good Food Nation Plan before Parliament in 2024. We expect the final version will be published later in 2024, when the Food Commission is to be established. Good Food Nation Plans that are to be prepared by Local Authorities and Health Boards will follow in 2025.

Work is underway now and the current timescale for development completion of the SEEMiS Early Years IT platform is Jan-Mar 2024. The actual system “go live” date is yet to be decided, with an options appraisal currently underway and scheduled for Project Review Board consideration over summer 2023.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-18980 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

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-18980 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

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-18899 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 recruitment of specialists in menopause is a matter for individual health boards as the employer, depending on their service need.

Through the Women’s Health Plan, we want all women to have timely access to menopause support and services and there is now a specialist menopause services in every mainland health board and a ‘buddy’ support system in place for the Island health boards.

Further pathways for prostate cancer, asthma, heart failure and pulmonary disease are in development. A National Procurement exercise, concluded in September 2021, resulted in a 5-year contract awarded to Inhealthcare Ltd (IHC) for a national asynchronous communication platform. The purpose of this contract is to enable a significant expansion of remote health pathways within Board areas and to support the provision of equitable access to these services for all NHS Boards.