Chamber and committees

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-08462 on 23 May 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 .

The Women’s Health Plan is a three year strategy, published in August 2021, which underpins actions to improve women’s health inequalities. The Plan includes the long term ambition to adopt a life course approach across all services to improve women’s health holistically.

Through the Respiratory Care Action Plan for Scotland we aim to improve outcomes for people living with respiratory conditions in Scotland. The Plan sets out our priorities and commitments for driving improvement in the prevention, diagnosis, care, treatment and support of people living with respiratory conditions including asthma.

This information regarding nursing roles is not held centrally.

The Scottish Government hold data on the number of journeys where children and young people are securely transported for the duration of a custodial sentence. Handcuffs are used in all journeys due to the type of vehicle used. The total number of journeys in the current contract period is:

The Heat in Buildings Strategy (7 October 2021), committed to introducing primary legislation in the current session of the Scottish Parliament that would set a regulatory framework for heat and energy efficiency, as a key action to meeting Scotland’s statutory climate change targets.

This year, the Scottish Government will commission independent research which will specify what fabric energy efficiency levels are necessary in existing homes for the cost effective installation of different zero direct emission heating sources, in different archetypes of domestic properties. The outcomes from this research will inform our proposals for energy efficiency regulations, ahead of a public consultation in the coming year.

Improvements to Building Regulations from October this year, (which apply to new buildings and new building work), will improve fabric standards to reduce space heating demand. They will also deliver new heating systems which operate at lower temperatures, compatible with the efficient operation of zero direct emissions heating sources.

Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) provide an assessment of the modelled energy performance of buildings. The Scottish Government recognises that the information presented on EPCs needs to be reformed in line with the recommendations of the Climate Change Committee. We consulted last year on reforming EPCs to introduce a new metric for energy efficiency. This is intended to ensure that the EPC metrics align with our net zero target.

Following our consultation, we are commissioning research to understand the implications of several options for the new energy efficiency metric. These options include an energy demand metric which would be based on the dwelling’s space heating and cooling demand. As set out in our consultation, we intend that EPCs will present the new energy efficiency metric alongside the current running cost and carbon emissions metrics.

The Heat in Buildings Strategy (7 October 2021), committed to introducing primary legislation in the current session of the Scottish Parliament that would set a regulatory framework for heat and energy efficiency, as a key action to meeting Scotland’s statutory climate change targets.

This strategy proposes to introduce minimum energy efficiency standards for private rented, owner-occupied and social housing. Regulations are proposed to be introduced that will require all properties to meet a minimum standard equivalent to EPC C by 2033.

Subject to consultation, the Scottish Government is proposing that compliance with the standard may be required at a variety of trigger points, including following the completion of a sale and after the change of a tenancy (for private rented sector properties), where installation of energy efficiency measures is technically-feasible and cost-effective.

The Scottish Government will consult publicly on these proposals within the coming year.

Buildings which are the subject of a conversion, as defined under building regulations, are already required to meet current building standards, to the extent this is reasonably practicable.

Duties relating to secure transport lie principally with the local authority responsible for the child’s placement. Information is not held centrally on the use of handcuffs and restraint being applied to care-experienced children whilst being securely transported.

The Scottish Government has a contract with GEOAmey to provide secure transport for children convicted on indictment and given a custodial sentence. for providing this transportation.

GEOAmey must provide the Scottish Government with details of when restraint is used. No incidents of restraint have been recorded during the current contract.

GEOAmey must ensure that the child or young person being transported, staff and the general public are protected by robust arrangements throughout each journey, including the prevention of escape. Multi-purpose vehicles are used to transport children and young people, rather than prison vans used to transport adult prisoners. Because of this, handcuffs are used for each journey.

Details of each journey, any risks to be taken into consideration by GEOAmey and any subsequent incidents are held on the Scottish Government’s Parole Case Management System.

In 2021-22, the Scottish Government funded NHS 24 £2,372,209 to support the delivery of Breathing Space, a free, confidential phone and web based service for people in Scotland experiencing low mood, depression or anxiety.

The Scottish Government recognise that demand for mental health support from NHS 24 continues to be high, that is why a significant investment of nearly £5 million was made from the Recovery and Renewal fund in 2021-22 to support the NHS 24 Mental Health Hub.

The Mental Health Hub is available for any individual calling the 111 service seeking support for their wellbeing and mental health, or if they are in distress, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Breathing Space and the Mental Health Hub will continue to support people experiencing mental health impacts as a result of the cost-of-living crisis as spending plans are developed and agreed with NHS Boards through the usual channels.

This information is not held by the Scottish Government and will need to be requested through the respective Local Authorities. I can confirm however that we do not have any records of Local Authorities applying directly for support for organic farming under the Agri-Environment Climate Scheme.