Chamber and committees

Funding of £18 billion is provided for the health portfolio in 2022-23. This builds on frontline health spending in Scotland that, per head, is 2.2% (£74) higher than in Wales and 10.6% (£323) higher than in England - equivalent to around 10, 000 nurses and 44, 000 nurses, respectively - and takes investment in our frontline NHS Boards to £12.4 billion. This investment supports both existing staff costs and ongoing recruitment, in line with local workforce and service planning.

In addition to this, in October this year funding of £7.98 million was announced to recruit up to 750 nurses, midwives and allied health professionals to offset the up-front recruitment costs of international recruitment by the end of March 2023. Last winter we announced funding to build infrastructure within boards and support international recruitment to recruit at least 200 registered nurses. By the end of August 2022 c.230 nurses have been recruited. Boards may also independently pursue overseas recruitment for specific roles or indeed as part of a campaign and routinely do so.

The Scottish Government understands that there is normally a GP or practice nurse routinely present at Leadhills Surgery every week. There has recently been reduced presence due to annual leave but patients were able to see a doctor in the main surgery in Moffat if necessary.

The obligation to provide a takeback service for scheme articles sold online under Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) is structured so that retailers can work together to put in place a third-party solution to collect containers; this should minimise the number of additional journeys required.

We are aware that some in industry have been raising concerns on this specific point; this is one factor we are considering as we examine opportunities to streamline the way in which retailers discharge this obligation, as set out in the answer to S6W-12236 on 1 December 2022.

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-11806 on‎ 15 November 2022. 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.

We are in discussion with the UK Government and Devolved Administrations on what action is required for the UK to meet the pledge.

Within Scotland, methane is emitted from a variety of natural and anthropogenic sources; agricultural activities, landfills and oil and gas systems. Laid out below are the actions we are currently taking to reduce methane emissions. However, the next Climate Change Plan will include new policies on reducing all greenhouse gas emissions.

The bulk of methane emissions come from agricultural production, and action is being taken to bring these down. Feed additives have the potential to reduce methane emissions from dairy cattle and sheep and we are continuing to work with the industry. The First Minister announced at COP26 more than £100m investment by Royal DSM in Scotland , focused on reducing methane emissions from farming while Scottish Development International (SDI) has also supported the investment of DSM Nutrition in Scotland for the manufacture of its EU-approved methane-reducing food additive. Alongside the UK Government, Welsh Government and NI Department of Agriculture Environment and Rural Affairs we have just completed a call for evidence on the potential role of methane supressing livestock feed products, which will allow us to explore further opportunities for methane reduction in this area.

Currently the majority of Waste Management sector greenhouse gas emissions come from the degradation, with time, of biodegradable waste in landfill sites, which produces methane. Although landfill greenhouse gas emissions have reduced by 72% from 2005 to 2020 (in line with a 63% reduction in the tonnage of waste landfilled), we know we need to go further to decrease this more. The actions set out in the recent Waste Route Map are therefore key to reducing our greenhouse gas emissions. These include current actions like the ban on biodegradable municipal waste going to landfill by 2025, expansion of the existing landfill gas capture programme from 2023; and proposed new actions, including the development of a Residual Waste Plan to ensure the best environmental outcome for materials and set strategic direction for management of residual waste to 2045.

Offshore oil and gas is reserved to the UK Government, meaning reducing methane emissions in that area sits with them. As regards onshore oil and gas refining, large industrial, gas and petrochemical sites have a requirement in their Pollution Prevention and Control (PPC) Permits for regular Leak Detection and Repair programmes for fugitive gases (which would include methane, where appropriate). Reviews of methane emissions from National Grid sites regulated by SEPA under the Pollution Prevention and Control (Scotland) Regulations 2012 are undertaken with the Operator.

We report every six months to Parliament on the delivery of major capital projects and programmes and publish an annual report on the progress of our five-year Infrastructure Investment Plan (IIP) which outlines the progress made in relation to the IIP’s three key themes. The annual progress report also outlines key delivery achievements as well as information relating to major capital projects and their associated climate change targets, strategic outcomes and the contribution they have made to economic development. Our six-monthly programme update also includes the contribution key major infrastructure programmes are making to economic development. Projects are evaluated in line with The Green Book guidance which looks across five defined cases relating to Strategic, Economic, Commercial, Financial and Management rather than by way of a singular return on investment measure.

The six-monthly major capital project and programme updates and the annual IIP progress report can be found at the Scottish Government website by way of the following link Infrastructure Investment Plan (www.gov.scot)

The Scottish Government received representations regarding Reverse Vending Machine relief from the Scottish Retail Consortium and a supermarket retailer.

As part of the development of our new Strategic Framework for biodiversity we have recently consulted on a new Biodiversity Strategy where we set out our high level vision to halt biodiversity loss by 2030 and reverse declines by 2045. Consultation responses are being analysed and a draft of the strategy will be published in December 2022. We identified outcomes that we wish to see across a range of different land- and sea-scapes, including our woodlands and forestry, recognising the importance of native woodland cover and woodland ecosystem health to sustaining our rich biodiversity.  

We know that we need to enable large scale regeneration through reductions in herbivore impacts, the removal of invasive non-native species and new native woodland planting. The second part of our Strategic Framework will be the underpinning fluid, dynamic delivery plans, where we will set out the actions we need to take to deliver the outcomes we want to see as set out in the Strategy. Part of this work will involve looking closely at targets for restoration and regeneration of nature, including our annual native woodland creation target, seeking advice and views from key stakeholders and our Programme Advisory Group, which is made up of expert scientific advisers.  

Decisions on how the £5 million of loss and damage funding will be allocated are yet to be taken. Decisions will be made on the recommendation of needs assessments and undertaken in consultation with stakeholders and communities. These funds are in addition to the £2 million we announced last year, of which £1.7 million is already on the ground. Funds to date have been allocated through participatory mechanisms with those communities most impacted as well as to funding research on needs assessments and case studies.

The Scottish Government will continue to work with health boards to ensure, as far as possible, that support for energy costs is available to those who require it.

Some patients already receive support for costs associated with home haemodialysis and the use of oxygen equipment. We have now written to all NHS territorial Boards to understand what support with fuel costs is available to patients using life-saving equipment.

We have already pledged almost £3 billion in this financial year towards helping families and households face the increased cost of living. This includes the provision of services and financial support not available elsewhere in the UK to help reduce every day costs and increase incomes.