Chamber and committees

I am aware of the reported proposal to withdraw some services in Aberdeenshire and, while statutory responsibility for these decisions does not rest with Ministers, I expect Aberdeenshire Health and Social Care Partnership to closely monitor the impact of any decisions and take action as required.

Seafarer employment legislation is reserved and a matter for the UK Government. Guidance published by the UK Government in 2018, and updated following 2020 legislation, can be found here: Minimum wage: seafarers and other people working at sea - GOV.UK.

As such, no assessment of the pay and conditions of seafarers working on vessels at Inch Cape Offshore Wind Farm has been made by the Scottish Government.

The health and wellbeing of women at work is a key element of Scottish Government’s approach to Fair Work, including supporting women experiencing menopause and those who feel forced from the workforce due to their symptoms.

In the absence of powers on employment legislation the Scottish Government seeks to drive Fair Work by attaching criteria to grants, contracts and other public funding through our Fair Work First principles. Our Fair Work First Guidance provides good practice examples for supporting women and allowing them to maintain their careers, including menopause support, by directing employers to resources produced by NHS Inform and Close the Gap. Access to flexible working is also of vital benefit to workers who may need to balance work with managing health conditions. Since 2020, the Scottish Government has provided more than £1.1 million to help employers improve access to flexible working. Asking employers to offer flexible working from day one of employment has been a principle of Fair Work First since October 2021. Fair Work First criteria has been applied to over £2.6 billion worth of public sector grants between July 2023 and March 2024.

Through the Women’s Health Plan, in October 2023 NHS Scotland launched their National Menopause and Menstrual Health Workplace Policy for their workforce of around 180,000 as an example of best practice. Supporting resources, including line managers and workplace adjustment guides, are intended for use more widely across a variety of employment sectors and are available on the National Wellbeing Hub which is accessible to the public. Since the publication of the Policy, promotional activities have taken place to share the Policy across sectors.

The recently concluded Workplace Equality Fund supported four menopause-related projects, from which lessons learned and resources created will be shared widely with employers across Scotland alongside wider guidance, advice and support on all aspects of Fair Work as part of a fair work resource hub currently being developed with input from employers.

Statistics covering the period up to 31 Mar 2026 are expected to be published by Public Health Scotland on 26 May 2026 as per the usual release schedule.

The 85% funding floor and assumed council tax revenues are key elements of the needs-based distribution formula that is discussed and agreed with COSLA on behalf of all 32 local authorities each year.

Funding for all local authorities in Scotland is included in the calculation of the 85% Floor although the contribution of the three island councils and Argyll and Bute to the average calculation, is capped at 115%.

The capping adjustment has no effect on funding actually provided to those four authorities and it only applies for the purpose of calculating the average, in part to mitigate the risk that the Special Islands Needs Allowance (SINA) has a distortive impact on the calculation.

The adjustment to a maximum of 115% effectively lowers the target Scotland average. This may sometimes reduce the number of LAs qualifying for support through the 85% floor but would also lower the level of that support guaranteed.

Distribution involves a complex and dynamic calculation with the impact on subsequent years being influenced by prior year calculations, primarily through the operation of the main funding floor.

The following table provides a hypothetical static analysis of the impact, on each of the last five settlements in isolation, if the 115% limit were not applied.

At the heart of our NHS Scotland Renewal Plan, which is supported by £200 million to address backlogs and improve capacity, is that we have a person-centred, cohesive healthcare system that is built around the patient journey, ensuring appropriate care is provided at home and in community, primary and secondary care settings.

The budget will deliver direct access to specialist Frailty teams in every Emergency Department by summer 2025. This will enable people who experience frailty to be referred directly by GPs and the Scottish Ambulance Service to specialist frailty services as an alternative to admission or attending A&E.

Our Right Care Right Place marketing campaign messaging advises the public on how to access the services they need and help alleviate pressures being felt across the whole of the NHS. By assisting the public, we aim to ensure that A&E resources and the valuable skills of frontline staff are available for those that need emergency care and minimise delays for patients waiting to be seen and treated.

The SPCB’s approach to partnerships and accreditations is governed by our Diversity and Inclusion commitments and aims. The SPCB assesses accreditations having regard to issues such as budget and resource implications (including staff time to achieve the accreditation), alignment with the SPCB’s purpose and values, and the extent to which the accreditation supports the delivery of strategic aims and alignment with our policies, practices and procedures. While the SPCB does not intend to apply for Period Positive Workplace certification at this time, the SPCB is confident, having reviewed the Period Positive Workplace implementation plan, that it already has arrangements in place which are recognised as best practice for an inclusive, period positive workplace. This includes providing free period products in all toilets within Holyrood, a Period and Menopause policy and guidance for managers in supporting their staff. In order to ensure that this continues to be the case, the SPCB is committed to reviewing its Period and Menopause Policy so that it continues to meet the needs of its staff.

The Scottish Renewables’ Supply Chain Impact Statement 2023-24 highlighted that, at the time of publication, 105 different Scottish suppliers, firms and consultancies have helped to progress and shape the Inch Cape Offshore Wind Farm. Inch Cape may consider publishing further details in relation to its supply chain and work packages at its own discretion.

The Scottish Government recognises the company’s commitment to Scotland’s supply chain and its role in identifying opportunities for local businesses.

We are working with various delivery partners to implement the commitments in the Respiratory Care Action Plan (RCAP), which runs into 2026.

We established the Scottish Respiratory Advisory Committee to provide expert support to the implementation of the RCAP. The Committee identified three initial areas of focus: child to adult transition, pulmonary rehab and respiratory data.

The Committee’s Child to Adult Transitions subgroup has produced a set of recommendations to ensure children with asthma and other respiratory conditions have the best possible care and treatment as they move into adult service.

To improve the data available on respiratory conditions and ensure people with respiratory conditions are receiving the right care and support, we are working towards establishing a national audit programme for respiratory conditions. We aim to progress this with Public Health Scotland in 2025/2026.

In 2024, we published the Quality Prescribing Strategy for Respiratory: A Guide for Improvement 2024-2027 that sets out our ambitions for better access to respiratory care. This can be found here – https://www.gov.scot/publications/quality-prescribing-strategy-respiratory-guide-improvement-2024-2027/

The Centre for Sustainable Delivery based at the Golden Jubilee National Hospital is developing national patient pathways for respiratory conditions including severe asthma, COPD and sleep apnoea. This work aligns closely with the commitments in the RCAP.

The RCAP also recognises the importance of commitments under the Scottish Government’s Cleaner Air for Scotland and Warmer Homes Strategies and the refreshed Tobacco Action Plan in preventing respiratory disease.

We remain committed to a tobacco-free Scotland by 2034 and welcome the re-introduction of the UK-wide Tobacco and Vapes Bill to UK Parliament, which will help us to achieve our ambitious target.

We are supporting the introduction of Low Emission Zones to improve air quality and protect public health.

We are also committed to supporting those living in fuel poverty or at risk of fuel poverty through installing insulation and heating measures into individual properties, known as the Warmer Homes Scotland scheme. Since the launch of the first Warmer Homes Scotland scheme in 2015, the scheme has invested around £289 million and helped over 39,000 households across Scotland to live in warmer, healthier homes which are more affordable to heat through both phases of the scheme.

The Scottish Animal Welfare Commission is aiming to publish its report on the welfare of cleaner fish used in the Scottish salmon industry by the summer. It had been hoped that the report would be ready by the end of 2024, but research has taken longer than originally anticipated.