Chamber and committees

We are aware that flash glucose sensors, Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGM), and other diabetes technologies can significantly benefit people living with diabetes. Our Diabetes Improvement Plan, published in 2021, contains a key commitment to further increase access to existing and emerging diabetes technologies. A link to the Plan can be found at link: Diabetes Care in Scotland (www.gov.scot) .

Our national policy is to increase access to these life changing diabetes technologies to everyone who would benefit, and we expect NHS Boards to provide technology to all clinically suitable children and adults.

Between 2016 and 2021, the Scottish Government invested £15 million to support the increased provision of insulin pumps for adults and CGM for all ages.

Further funding of £14.6 million was then allocated to NHS Boards in January 2022 to support increased access to diabetes therapies, including the emerging closed loop system technology.

We work closely with the Diabetes Managed Clinical Networks (MCNs) within each board and ensure that all resource support is targeted to support the needs of local populations.

The Scottish Government provides annual funding to Energy Saving Trust (EST) who are an independent organisation working to address the climate emergency. EST then administer the Low Emission Zone Retrofit Fund and the Switched-on Taxi Loan on behalf of Scottish Ministers.

For the Low Emission Zone Retrofit Fund no funding has been paid to taxi owners/operators in Dundee. This is due to the taxi vehicles operating in Dundee mainly comprising of make/models that are unsuitable for retrofitting.

Since 2019 until the 28 February 2023 the Switched-on Taxi Loan has supported 12 taxi owners/operators in Dundee by providing interest free loans to support the purchase of new taxis.

The ScotRail peak fares removal pilot reflects the cost of living crisis and takes account of changing travel patterns in the post-Covid period. Further details on the Scottish Government’s ScotRail peak fares pilot will be confirmed in due course.

The Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill was passed by an overwhelming majority of the Scottish Parliament, with support from members of all parties. The UK Government's use of section 35 of the Scotland Act 1998 to prevent the Bill proceeding to Royal Assent represents an unprecedented challenge to the Scottish Parliament's ability to legislate on devolved matters.

The Scottish Government has provided detailed responses to questions from the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee in a letter of 5 February, is now considering the reasons given by the UK Government for its use of the section 35 power, and will update Parliament on next steps in due course.

I attended the recent Inter-ministerial group on Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 6 March 2023 where Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme was discussed. The next meeting of this group is scheduled for 17 April.

Officials also meet regularly with other departments in the UK, Welsh and Northern Irish administrations to discuss DRS. Recently the following meetings have taken place:

• 30 March – Senior Officials Programme Board
• 30 March – UK Common Frameworks Project Board
• 3 April – Scottish Government / Defra bilateral meeting

Officials are also in regular contact with counterparts in the UK Government outwith these engagements.

We are supporting the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) Scotland and Heads of Planning Scotland (HOPS) to implement the recommendations of the Future Planners Project Report.

The Future Planners Project Report, commissioned by the Scottish Government and carried out by HOPS and RTPI in 2022, explored the options available to support the growth of entrants into the planning profession in Scotland. The Report recommended that the RTPI lead on introducing a planning apprenticeship scheme over the next 3 years. We are currently supporting the RTPI to promote the case for creation of a planning apprenticeship scheme.

The Outline Business Case for the Aberdeen to Central Belt Enhancement Project is currently planned to be published later this year.

Once planning permission has been granted for a development, whether by the relevant planning authority or, as the case may be, on appeal to the Scottish Ministers, there is no further opportunity for third parties to challenge the decision under planning legislation.

The Scottish planning system is plan-led, with a focus on involving all interests as early and effectively as possible. There are multiple opportunities for local communities to get involved during both the plan-making and planning application stages of the planning and development process.

Furthermore, our ongoing planning reform programme has sought to further strengthen engagement and participation, including the introduction of Local Place Plans and improvements to statutory Pre-Application Consultation (PAC). These reforms have been geared towards front-loading community participation in planning rather than providing opportunity for conflict towards the end.

It is open to any person to seek judicial review of any decision through the Scottish Courts. It is also open to that person, if they are not entitled to legal aid, to seek a protected expenses order from the Courts. The purpose of such an order is to redress the potential imbalance of financial resources between parties in relation to funding litigation by limiting the liability to the applicant in paying costs if their case is unsuccessful.

The Minister for Public Finance, Planning and Community Wealth met with the appointed administrators for M&Co on 19 January 2023 and offered his support, including via Government engagement with Scottish Enterprise. He also met with Katy Clark and Neil Bibby MSPs, and offered to support engagement with local authorities if it would be helpful once there was clarity about when stores will close.

The Scottish Government continues to engage with local authorities, commercial and community partners via its Town Centre Action Plan (TCAP) Forum and its Retail Industry Leadership Group (ILG). The TCAP Forum established jointly with COSLA brings together stakeholder expertise across the public, third and private sector to help to progress key actions. The sector-led Retail ILG has been established to drive, and support delivery of the actions set out in the Retail Strategy for Scotland. Both the Action Plan and Strategy aim to put town centres at the heart of decision making.

Responsibility for service delivery rests locally with Health Boards and Health and Social Care Partnerships (HSCPs), including any assessment of general practices at risk of closure. Officials engage with Health Boards and HSCPs on a regular basis to understand and help to mitigate any sustainability issues faced by general practice.