Chamber and committees

The new contract will see the continued provision of online assessments for children and young people in P1, P4, P7 and S3. The Specification of Requirements published as part of the Invitation to Tender identified the areas in which continuity of provision is required (general assessment principles, presentation policy and coverage; reports coverage; training coverage; branding), and highlighted some areas around which enhancements were sought. The primary difference between the phase 1 contracts and the phase 2 contract is that rather than continuing to deliver two online systems through two separate contracts, phase two will see the establishment of a single assessment platform, which will provide access to both the Scottish National Standardised Assessments (SNSA) and their Gaelic Medium Education equivalents, the Measaidhean Coitcheann Niseanta airson Foghlam tron Ghidhlig (MCNG).

The Scottish Government is in discussion with key stakeholders involved in the provision of swimming lessons and water safety education. We recognise the importance of swimming lessons in helping to build water confidence and learning to be safe in and around water, as well as the benefits swimming provides to physical and mental health. We would encourage parents/guardians to contact their local swimming lesson provider to discuss when their children are able to attend lessons.

The Scottish Genetic Laboratory Consortium is commissioned by NHS Services Scotland National Services Division (NSD) through four Laboratory sites in Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow.

Genetic services are a matter for NSD and local Health Boards therefore the information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.

However we can advise that the Scottish Genetic Laboratory Consortium use a number of testing methodologies for accurate tumour profiling.

Next generation sequencing (NGS) for the most common cancers is now available across all four Scottish Consortium Laboratory sites. The application of NGS means that several clinically important genetic variants can be tested for simultaneously. Such testing expedites rapid and accurate diagnosis of the particular cancer and informs the most appropriate treatment for patients based on the genetic profile of their tumour which can also be referred to as Precision Medicine.

NGS testing is being delivered by the Consortium laboratories for colorectal cancer, lung cancer and melanoma as well as a number of less common solid tumours.

Since May 2021 we have a system in place through NHS Inform to provide people with a record of their vaccination status if they need this for international travel. Scottish residents who want to demonstrate their vaccination status can request a certificate through NHS Inform before they travel. This can take up to 14 days, but current turnaround is typically 2-3 days.

It remains the case that if people are returning from an amber list country and are not fully vaccinated in accordance with the exemption, they must self-isolate for 10 days at their accommodation in Scotland and must book a day 2 and day 8 testing package , prior to departure. Details of this can be found at the link below.

It also remains the case that if people they are returning from a red list country they should follow the managed isolation guidance as set out on:

Coronavirus (COVID-19): international travel and managed isolation (quarantine) - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) .

People need to be aware that countries may move between the red, amber or green list country at short notice. They are advised that they should not assume that a country on the green, amber or red list now will remain on the same list over the weeks and months ahead.

A table has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib Number 62617) that provides ongoing maintenance and repair costs per vessel within the Clyde and Hebrides fleet for CalMac Ferries Ltd. contract years 2016-17 to 2021-22.

The choice of disposal method for ordinance found on the Seagreen Offshore Windfarm will be a hierarchy of methods made up of leaving in situ , relocating the UXO, applying a low-yield method which disrupts and disintegrates the UXO without combustion of the explosive material, a low-order method which disrupts the UXO by deflagration without an explosive combustion of the main explosive filling and, only where those methods are unsuitable, to use a high-order method to penetrate the UXO casing and trigger detonation of the main explosive filling.

Bubble curtains are not being used as, due to the water depth at the site, they would be technically challenging and may be of limited effectiveness.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-01708 on
‎ 24 August 2021. 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

On 31 May, Zero Waste Scotland in partnership with Scottish Government and Keep Scotland Beautiful launched the second phase of the anti-littering campaign, Scotland is Stunning, which targeted families and young people enjoying the outdoors.

Zero Waste Scotland has also developed a number of behaviour change initiatives and education resources aimed at school children, including the #GetLitterLiterate campaign which aims to teach students about the harmful effects of littering and mobilise them to influence their local and online communities.

Work has begun to refresh the National Litter Strategy, which has come to the end of its five year lifespan, as a National Litter and Flytipping Strategy. This refreshed strategy will be published in early 2022. Recognising the important role of education in litter prevention, communications and behaviour change has been identified as one of the four key themes which will be the focus of this refreshed strategy.

This government has seen a 54.2% increase in the consultant radiologist workforce (from 223.5 WTE in September 2006 to 344.6 WTE in March 2021). While information on numbers of radiologists according to specialist cancer fields is not centrally held, the numbers of Clinical Radiology Consultants currently employed in each NHS Board, including Doctors in Training, are as set out in the following table:

NHSScotland Clinical Radiology Consultants, staff in post by NHS Board in Whole Time Equivalent (WTE) including Doctors in Training.