Chamber and committees

The information requested on how many patients have attended chronic pain clinics in each NHS board in each of the last five years is not held centrally. This information is held by each Board. Quarterly wait times statistics for chronic pain are published by PHS.

ScotRail and Caledonian Sleeper submit their forward forecasts as part of annual budget processes. Forward forecasts of ScotRail and Caledonian Sleeper revenue and the level of subsidy required are subject to ongoing discussions between the train operating companies, Transport Scotland and Scottish Rail Holdings.

Work on the five-year review of Parts 1 to 3 of the Civil Litigation (Expenses and Group Proceedings) (Scotland) Act 2018 is in progress and the Scottish Government will publish the review as soon as possible.

The Scottish Government does not currently plan to increase the availability of bicycles for use by staff. We do not have any plans to increase the availability of other sustainable transport options. 

Our staff already have access to cycle mileage expenses for official business journeys, a cycle to work scheme for commuting journeys, a season ticket scheme covering public transport operators, and discounted personal car hire and car club journeys through our staff benefits package.

The Scottish Government owns two bicycles, and we do not lease any bicycles.

Our bicycles are for use in campaign marketing in respect of Net Zero messages, and are not made available to staff for use on official business.

Registers of Scotland is accountable to the Scottish Parliament and its performance is regularly scrutinised by the Economy and Fair Work Committee. The Scottish Government also receives regular reports on the progress RoS is making in delivery of its Corporate Plan 2022-2027 strategic objectives, which includes updates on the achievement against RoS’s Key Performance Indicators for its service performance (timeliness, quality and customer satisfaction).

The supply of medicines is currently a reserved matter for the UK Government. We continue to engage with the UK Government’s Department of Health and Social Care on all medicines supply issues. The NHS in Scotland has robust processes in place to manage supply issues when they do arise and normally there are alternative products which can be prescribed and dispensed. 

The Scottish Government is aware that, since April 2024, there has been ongoing supply issues with the availability of naloxegol (Moventig®) tablets. Initially both strengths (12.5mg and 25mg) were impacted by this supply issue. The latest information provided by the Department of Health and Social Care indicates that supplies of naloxegol (Moventig®) 25mg strength are back in stock however supply issues remain for the 12.5mg strength and that this supply issue is expected to continue until May 2025. The Scottish Government issued advice to NHS Scotland in April 2024 on this supply issue and available alternatives. 

The evidence review undertaken by Public Health Scotland (PHS) will focus solely on existing literature, studies and research in order to set out potential areas of action on alcohol marketing and advertising. The commission is not seeking to develop or deliver new studies or research.

PHS will have independence in developing its review structure, resources and methods upon identifying its requirements for delivering this strand of work, ensuring that quality, integrity and transparency are achieved.

The Scottish Government is expecting findings from the independent Public Health Scotland evidence review of the existing literature, studies and research on alcohol marketing and advertising to be available in Spring 2025.

The current system of personal injury litigation was arrived at after careful parliamentary consideration that led to the passing of the 2018 Act. Whilst the Scottish Government has noted the approach taken in England and Wales there are no immediate plans to make further changes.