Chamber and committees

Modern Apprenticeships are a vital resource for employers to invest in their workforce and for people to develop their skills. Investing in skills across people’s lifetimes is critical to our future productivity and success, underlining our commitment to a skilled workforce set out within the National Strategy for Economic Transformation.

Our priority is for high quality apprenticeships that provide sustainable jobs and careers, supporting our transition to net zero.

SDS have issued contract awards for new Modern Apprenticeships for this financial year to support up to 25,500 new Modern Apprenticeship starts in 2023-24. SDS previously issued contracts in March for over 39,000 Modern Apprentices in training for 2023-24 supporting businesses and individuals across Scotland.

The Scottish Government is committed to working with the Scottish Snowsports sector and our economic agencies to contribute to the sectors financial sustainability.

Independent research commissioned by the Scottish Government ( Snowsports sector - Economic, Social and Cultural Impact: Research - Technical Report) was published in April 2023 and explored ways in which mountain resorts may improve their financial sustainability. In addition to improvements to the winter offer provided at resorts the research highlighted the need to expand the range of activities/sports which could be provided by venues all year round.

Financial support is available to snowsports venues via Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Scottish Enterprise. Both economic agencies provide support for capital investments with specific intervention rates applied. The necessary due diligence is carried out and all proposed projects are assessed on an individual business case.

The Scottish Government is committed to investing in Changing Places Toilets during this parliamentary term, in order to increase the number of these facilities across the country and to support mobile Changing Places Toilets to allow people easier access to events and outdoor venues.

The date of the next Working Group on PCSD meeting has yet to be set. We are looking to arrange the next meeting of the Working Group in Autumn 2023.

The Scottish Government has worked collaboratively with partners, patients and third sector organisations in recent months to develop a ten year cancer strategy for Scotland.

Due to publish Spring 2023, the strategy will take a comprehensive approach to improving patient pathways, from prevention and diagnosis through to treatment and post-treatment care. It aims to improve cancer survival and provide excellent, equitably accessible, care across Scotland, including those affected by brain cancer.

A new earlier diagnosis vision will feature within the strategy and will include similar actions to those outlined in the Brain Tumour Charity’s report. This includes continuing to deliver our Detect Cancer Earlier Programme, working with primary care clinicians to ensure they have direct access to diagnostic tests and quality education sources; optimal cancer diagnostic pathways are designed and implemented across NHS Scotland; and public campaigns educate and empower those with possible symptoms to act early.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring fund accessibility as part of ongoing implementation. We met with Health Boards in summer 2022 to discuss the implementation of the fund and areas for improvement, including accessibility.

I am unable to commit to a date for delivering this journey time. The costs and benefits for delivering this need to be considered against those for delivering alternative rail enhancement projects, notably those that will contribute towards the decarbonisation of Scotland’s railway, within constrained funding.

In the meantime, as set out in our response on 16 March 2023, to PQ S6W-14784, Transport Scotland is, alongside industry partners, exploring options for lengthening passing loops on the Highland Main Line to enable longer and more frequent freight and passenger services.

Transport Scotland will consider these, and further infrastructure enhancements that would enable future journey time savings between Inverness and Edinburgh and Glasgow, within the constraints of available funding and subject to a robust business case.

The Scottish Government does not yet have complete YPFF data for the whole period of 2022-23. We expect Health Boards to have provided this data by the end of May 2023.

The Scottish Government is aware that there has been and are challenges in delivering complex surgery (such as ovarian) across all regions. Regional action plans have been developed to address the specific issues in those areas.

The NHS continue to prioritise emergency, urgent and cancer care, and where there is an urgent suspicion of cancer, they make every effort to ensure a patient is seen as quickly as possible, with the majority receiving appointments within the appropriate time frame.

Significant pressures may result in longer waiting times and efforts are being made to reduce waiting times and support patients to be seen as quickly as possible.

The Scottish Government is working with local government partners on the Additional Support for Learning Project Board to deliver the recommendations of the 2020 additional support for learning review by March 2026. All local authorities are considering the actions of the ASL Review, and will continue to consider the incorporation of actions within local improvement plans.

In addition, the Scottish Government is working with partners in ADES, COSLA and Education Scotland, to develop a national measurement framework which aims to support improved outcomes for children and young people with additional support needs.

This work will continue to be considered as part of the action plan and progress can be followed through the published minutes of the Project Board.