The number of Expansion Posts created in 2023 was not impacted by the reprofiling of the Health Workforce Expansion Posts budget line, as set out in the letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Finance to the Finance and Public Administration Committee of 21 November 2023. The number of postgraduate specialty training expansion posts to be added in 2023 was set by Scottish Ministers in late 2022, on the basis of recommendations from the Scottish Shape of Training Transitions Group.

The Expansion Posts budget line was reprofiled in 2023, following the budget setting process for the 2023-24 financial year. The number of specialty training expansion posts being recruited to was not amended as a result of the reprofiling of this budget line. The budget was reprofiled in accordance with the application of directorate savings targets in the 2023-24 financial year; £3 million was the savings target for Health Workforce, with the saving being applied to the Expansion Posts line for budgeting and accounting purposes. The savings target was applied to this line as historically the forecast budget for Expansion Posts has exceeded actual costs incurred in year.

Free bus travel is one of several services provided through the National Entitlement Card. Therefore, it would not be appropriate for transport operators to remove cards from cardholders due to the impact this may have on access to other services, such as free school meals.

Tackling allegations of antisocial behaviour are matters for the police and local authorities using the enforcement powers and resources available to them. The Scottish Government will continue to work with these partners to explore and strengthen options to tackle antisocial behaviour.

Following the publication of the Scottish Government’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy in summer and Mental Health and Wellbeing Delivery Plan and Mental Health Workforce Plan in autumn we will shortly consult on a draft Student Mental Health Action Plan which flows from these recent publications.

Targeted consultation with Members of the Student Mental Health and Wellbeing Working Group, on the draft Student Mental Health Action Plan will be undertaken in the coming weeks, with the aim of publishing a completed Plan in early 2024.

We are developing a new palliative care strategy to achieve the very highest standards of care right up to the end of life, and to ensure high-quality palliative care wherever and whenever it is needed.

As part of work being undertaken to develop the strategy, we are working with Public Health Scotland to get a better understanding of population-level palliative care needs, now and in the future. This includes consideration of the research that has been carried out by Marie Curie.

As part of work being undertaken to develop the new palliative care strategy, we are working with Public Health Scotland to get a better understanding of population-level palliative care needs now and in the future, both nationally and locally.

We are working with local health and social care partnerships to identify how best we can support a local population based approach to palliative care, so that everyone can access specialist and general palliative care as needed by each person, whatever their illness or condition.

The Programme for Government 2021-22 and 2022-23 committed to a Student Mental Health Action Plan and Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy respectively.

The Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy was published in Summer 2023 and is supported by a Mental Health Workforce Plan and Mental Health and Wellbeing Delivery Plan, published in autumn 2023. The Student Mental Health Plan, which flows from these, will be published in early 2024.

There is, therefore, no ongoing requirement for these Plans to feature in the Scottish Government’s Programme for Government.

The Student Mental Health and Wellbeing Working Group was established to advise on the implementation of Programme for Government commitments related to student mental health, which have now been met in full. In addition, the Group was remitted to assist in the development of a Student Mental Health Action Plan and act as a consultative body for gathering evidence and feedback.

Meetings of the Group were paused in January 2023, to await publication of the Scottish Government’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy, Mental Health and Wellbeing Delivery Plan and Mental Health Workforce Plan.

Members of the Group will shortly be consulted on the draft Student Mental Health Action Plan which has been informed by the now published Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy and attendant Plans.

There has been one meeting on 5 October 2023 between myself and Maggie Chapman (Scottish Green Party MSP) on the four-day working week public sector pilot. There have been no further formal meetings with Ministers on the pilot since April 2023.

Officials have held a number of planning meetings with prospective interested public sector organisations, the expert partner organisation, and other interested stakeholders.

There are no immediate plans to publish the agendas and minutes of these meetings as it not an established practice for regular policy development.

As the member is aware, the British Transport Police (BTP) reports to the Department for Transport (DfT) through the British Transport Police Authority. Any expansion of the BTP’s remit would be a matter for the DfT.

Paragraphs 77 and 78 of the NHS Scotland Climate Emergency and Sustainability Strategy 2022-2026 outline adaptation requirements for NHS Scotland Health Boards. In particular paragraph 77 requires that Health Boards will prepare and implement climate change adaptations plan to ensure resilience of service under changing climate conditions.