Chamber and committees

NHS Scotland National Procurement works with NHS Boards to assess and evaluate all supply requirements, this includes an assessment of product substitution and material choice. Where replacement of a single use item is practical and meets infection control and regulatory requirements, then this is undertaken. Where product substitution is not possible, National Procurement works with manufacturers and suppliers to look at increasing recyclability and circular supply systems, ensuring the value in the material is maintained.

To date, over 75 expressions of interest have been submitted by local authorities. Zero Waste Scotland is currently working with local authorities to develop detailed bids. These will be reviewed in line with the fund’s governance arrangements before a decision is made on initial funding awards.

The Scottish Government has worked in partnership with COSLA, SOLACE and Zero Waste Scotland to develop arrangements for the fund. More information on the aims, scope and distribution of the fund is available at: https://www.zerowastescotland.org.uk/local-authorities/recycling-improvement-fund

In line with Investing for jobs: Capital Spending Review , the table outlines the distribution of the £70 million fund over the 5 year period:

The Scottish Government has liaised with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Board, and the analytical data captured by the management information tool records that staff are a health or social care worker, not their work location or clinical status. The Member will be aware that employees of the health board can access a dedicated email address, if they have not received a second dose of the COVID-19 Vaccine.

At a national level, 373,715 health and social care workers have received their first dose and 357,486 are fully vaccinated. This includes the 94% of specified frontline health workers, who have had their first dose and 89% that have received their second too. The COVID-19 Daily Dashboard | Tableau Public provides the latest figures.

The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government. Information relating to meetings between NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Infection Prevention and Control Team and the Health Protection Team, is held by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. The Scottish Government are only notified of incidents when they are reported by the NHS National Services Scotland, Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare Associated Infection Service, by means of the Outbreak Reporting System .

As I announced in June, the recommendations from the Review will be taken forward by an Eating Disorder Implementation Group. I am pleased to confirm that Dr Charlotte Oakley, who was previously the Clinical Lead of Connect-Eating Disorders in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and who co-led the National Review, has been appointed Clinical Lead and will Co-Chair the Implementation Group with Dennis Robertson.

In addition, I am also pleased to confirm that we will be providing over £400,000 to Beat to provide the following services for children, young people, adults and their families:

• Helpline - A dedicated phone line for Scotland.
• Nexus – A Carer telephone support programme which provides a weekly scheduled coaching call to support recovery.
• Synergy - A new service that provides direct support to under 18s and their families through weekly sessions over Zoom.
• Solace - Structured weekly peer-to-peer support groups for carers via Zoom.
• Motivate - Weekly support for those aged 18+ to ensure service users remain motivated while waiting for treatment for anorexia or bulimia to begin.
• Bolster - Weekly support through telephone sessions for Adults (aged +18) who are unable to access treatment.Developing Dolphins - Training to empower carers to provide the best possible guidance as they help a loved one towards recovery
• Coping with Celebrations - Two workshops delivered over Zoom by experienced eating disorder clinicians and lived experience tutors in which, parents, carers, siblings are given tools and confidence to manage what can be very stressful times. This can include, Christmas, birthdays or meals out.

The Scottish Government takes the welfare of all animals very seriously; and provision is made for the keepers of all animals to provide for their welfare under the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006.

The Scottish Government will monitor the progress of proposed EU legislation on animal production methods and will seek to remain aligned with any changes that are made.

The terms of the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services (CHFS) contract, requires the operator to ensure lifeline support to the emergency services is available when required. This includes during periods of disruption, or if capacity is restrained such as during the Covid-19 pandemic as a consequence of physical distancing.

In addition, and in agreement with Transport Scotland, CalMac also has a protocol in place that ensures an island resident can attend a medical appointment on the mainland at short notice.

Whilst the Scottish Government supports and encourages employers to pay the National Living Wage as well as employees’ rights, collective bargaining agreements are a matter for CalMac and Northern Ferries, its employees and the recognised trades unions.

Transport Scotland, through its Trunk Road Operating Companies and Design Build Finance Operate (DBFO) Concessionaires, is responsible for the management and maintenance of the strategic trunk road network, including motorways. Repair of potholes on all other roads is the responsibility of the local authorities.

The following table shows the number of potholes reported or identified on the trunk road network since 2007, by financial year. Transport Scotland’s asset information system does not hold this data prior to 2007.

The Scottish Government fully funds the inspection and repair of all high risk category 1 defects (for example vandalism flooding, spills and potholes), on the trunk road network. The repair of all category 1 defects is funded from commercially sensitive monthly sums and cannot be provided. Transport Scotland’s asset information system does not hold the cost of repairing individual defect types such as potholes.

Trunk road investment is not allocated, recorded or reported on the basis of local authority area.

Since 2007, this Government has invested £4.35 billion in managing, maintaining, and safely operating the Scottish trunk road and motorway network. In 2021-22, we will invest £529 million, an increase of £59 million from 2020-21.

The budget for structural repairs and network strengthening of trunk roads and bridges, including the Forth Road Bridge, is being increased by £46.5 million in 2021-22 to £207 million. The budget for routine and winter maintenance of trunk roads is being increased by £12.5 million to £106.9 million.

We will continue to invest in our extensive trunk road maintenance and operations programmes, to improve Scotland’s road network through essential road maintenance schemes, our bridge strengthening programme, renewal of ancillary assets and increasing the resilience of the network to unplanned events such as landslides, flooding and extreme weather events.

The increases in Network Strengthening and Structural Repairs budgets will provide further investment to support our programmes of essential road carriageway maintenance and bridge strengthening and repairs contributing to our commitment to double investment in maintenance of existing assets over the next 5 years.

In addition, the overall condition of our network is being enhanced through the delivery of our capital investment programme.

The Alternative Certification Model (ACM) for national qualifications in 2020-21 has been designed to give schools the flexibility to assess learners at times and in ways that are appropriate to their specific needs. This has been enhanced by a programme of support provided by the wider education sector.

As a result, the additional workload will vary and be subject to decisions at a local school level, in terms of their approach to delivering the Alternative Certification Model.

The Alternative Certification Model required teachers to ensure learners receive their national qualifications, based on their professional judgement of demonstrated attainment. We have recognised this unprecedented responsibility through the payment of up to £400 for each teacher involved in supporting the delivery of the ACM, and providing two days set aside during the school year for teachers to work on the assessments.