Chamber and committees

As outlined in the Scottish Ministerial Code, the Scottish Government aims to publish the information on ministerial engagements, travel and gifts for March and April 2023 by the end of June.

The Scottish Government do not hold the requested information.

As the request relates to operational data the member may wish to contact Police Scotland at ([email protected]) who might be able to provide at least some of the information being requested.

Visits to schools by the Health and Safety Executive or any other organisation, are a matter for individual schools within each education authority area. The member may wish to contact the Health and Safety Executive direct in order to request this information. Contact details are available at: https://www.hse.gov.uk/contact/maps/scotland.htm

We’re taking a wide range of actions to tackle the drug deaths crisis. Through the National Mission on drugs we have:

• Continued to expand Residential Rehab, more particularly over the course of this parliament, we are working to increase overall residential rehabilitation capacity by 50% which is an increase from 425 beds to 650 beds. Through our work on pathways into rehab and investment in capacity, we aim to increase the number of statutory funded placements by 300% over this parliamentary term so that in 2026 at least 1,000 people are publicly funded for their placement.
• Provided £15m a year funding to community and grass-roots organisations that supported over 300 projects across Scotland, including 48 projects in the most recent funding round last month.
• Continued to drive implementation of the MAT Standards. All Health Boards, IJBs and Local Authorities have returned delivery plans and will be regularly reporting on progress to the Drugs and Alcohol Policy Minister.
• Announced a target focused on increasing the number of people in community based opioid substitute therapy to 32,000 by April 2024.
• Progressed work on introducing safer drug consumption facilities, facilitating development of a proposal which is now being considered by COPFS.
• Continued to expand the National Naloxone Programme to ensure naloxone is easily available to anyone at risk of overdose.
• Established the National Collaborative to ensure that the voices of those with lived and living experience are at the centre of policy and decision-making.
• Published a rapid review into mental health and substance use services , including recommendations to improve service delivery and support other work such as implementation of the MAT standards.
• Published our response to the Drug Death Taskforce Report , detailing over 80 actions, supported by significant new spending commitments of over £68m for the remainder of this parliament.

Last year we published National Mission on Drugs: annual report 2021 to 2022 which sets out the progress made between January 2021 and 31 March 2022 by national government, local government and third sector partners towards reducing drug deaths and improving the lives of those impacted by drugs in Scotland.

The second annual report on the progress of the National Mission 2022 to 2023 is due to be published this summer.

On 10 May I met with David Kennedy and David Threadgold from the Scottish Police Federation as part of my regular meetings where we discussed various topics of interest. As the pay claim for 2023-24 had been submitted, in line with the Police Negotiating Board, (PNB) protocols, it was not appropriate for us to discuss details of this during our meeting.

Our next planned meeting has been arranged for the 14 September 2023.

I had the pleasure of attending the launch event for this important report. The Scottish Government welcomes the Age Scotland report and recognises that living in the right home with the right support, including housing adaptations, can be the key to enabling older people to live safely and independently at home.

We know that there are issues with the way in which adaptations are being accessed and delivered locally, so we are considering how the process can be streamlined and made easier for people who need adaptations.

We are also working to increase the supply of accessible and adapted homes. Whenever possible, all new affordable homes are built to Housing for Varying Needs accessibility standards. Housing for Varying Needs offers good practice in the design of homes to help them achieve a good standard of accessibility and flexibility so that they meet people’s needs as they change over time.

We plan to launch a formal consultation on proposals to update the Housing for Varying Needs design guide, and on proposals for introducing the Scottish Accessible Homes Standard, over the coming weeks.

During periods of dry weather when the fire risk is moderate to high, Forestry and Land Scotland posts alerts on their web site and social media to warn members of the public about the risks. This includes advice on campfires, stoves, and portable barbeques.

At popular visitor destinations, warning signs are erected on approaches to the site, including electronic signs on the route to Glenmore in the Cairngorms National Park.

Throughout the summer, FLS staff patrol the popular visitor destinations and monitor them for irresponsible and antisocial behaviour. When campfires are found, the people involved are advised to extinguish them as soon as possible and if necessary, the emergency services get involved.

Throughout the summer period, extra Seasonal Rangers are employed across the country to assist with the patrols around popular sites, particularly at weekends.

The Rangers work in partnership with other Public Bodies, neighbours, and partners in their area.

FLS has a Duty Officer on call 24/7 in each region throughout Scotland. The Duty Officers have support in place to be able to react at short notice to any incident, including wildfires.

FLS works closely in collaboration with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and has run training events for staff regarding how to deal with campfires safely and avoid them becoming a wildfire.

Questions regarding day-to-day operational matters of Scottish Opera, including information relating to any repair and maintenance works, are best answered directly by Scottish Opera.

I have asked Scottish Opera to respond directly to the member with a full reply to his question in writing.

The Royal Scottish National Orchestra does not manage any buildings fitted with reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete.

The National Theatre of Scotland does not manage any buildings fitted with reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete.