We have committed to increase multi-year funding for the third sector and where possible we will do so. However, our ability to fulfil our devolved responsibilities remains hampered by a centralised UK budgeting approach that gives little fiscal flexibility.

Spending plans were contained in the Scottish Budget published on 9 December 2021. As set out in Programme for Government we will double investment in sport and active living to £100 million a year by the end of the Parliament ensuring more people can enjoy active lives as we recover, improving physical, mental and social health. We are working with the National Agency for Sport, sports cotland and other partners to consider how that money can best be invested to deliver against our priorities.

A total of 22,635 dental staff are registered on the Vaccine Management Tool (VMT). This includes both dentists and dental nurses.

These staff would register voluntarily, as independent contractors, on the relevant staff bank of their health board, and book shifts via that system, which does not constitute secondment.

I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Interim Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

The SPS can provide the following information in response to the questions asked:

(a)Recruitment of prison staff between 1 December 2020 and 30 November 2021, by prison establishment.

The table below outlines the number of external appointments made into the SPS for requested date range, detailed by establishment and role type (either non-operational or operational):

Table 1

NHS Boards will be allocated the £30 million to support GP practices in two tranches based upon their practices’ weighted share of registered patients under the Scottish Workload Formula at the time of the allocation. The following table provides an indication of what the first NHS Board allocation will be based upon practice shares of patients in October 2021.

From January 2019 to June 2021, 150 samples were collected from these areas. Of these samples, 141 underwent potable testing, and only one sample, collected from 4B in November 2019 breached the high-risk threshold for organism counts at 37°.

NHS GG&C have made a number of changes to practices and procedures following water sampling assessments. The taps and showers used in 4A and 4B are now fitted with 0.2 micron water filters, routine sampling and testing is carried out from non-filtered water services, and more widespread sample testing is carried out.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-04922 on
17 December 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

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-04922 on 17 December 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

The funding associated with the Health and Social Care Levy is estimated to be around £1 billion per annum on average across the UK Spending Review period; however HM Treasury has not specifically quantified this funding within our overall settlement. All frontline Health and Social Care consequentials are being passed on.

Booster information was made available in the international travel section of the NHS Scotland Covid Status App on 9 December, and on paper/pdf certificates from 13 December.

The Scottish Government recognises the scale of the challenge facing NHS Scotland and is working closely with partners to accelerate domestic and international recruitment to Scotland. On 5 October, I announced a £300 million investment in health and social care as a direct response to winter planning and systems pressures. This includes funding of £15 million for health boards to recruit 1000 new health and care support staff by March 2022. The Scottish Government is also supporting boards to recruit at least 200 international nurses by March 2022 through an additional £4.5 million of funding.

The wellbeing of our health and social care workforce, wherever they work, remains a key priority. This year we have made £12 million available to support the wellbeing of the workforce. This includes £8 million from the NHS Recovery Plan to provide ongoing wellbeing support for the workforce alongside an additional £4 million to provide further support to address winter pressures. We have also made available the National Wellbeing Hub, a 24/7 National Wellbeing Helpline, confidential mental health treatment through the Workforce Specialist Service, and funding for additional local psychological support.

Remuneration is clearly a crucial element in retaining staff, and earlier this year the Scottish Government agreed a NHS pay deal which represents an uplift of at least 4% for most NHS staff, higher than the 3% uplift being implemented in England and Wales. Agenda for Change staff in Scotland were already the best paid in the UK and the 2021/22 pay deal has enhanced this position further.

We know that career progression is another attraction of working in NHS Scotland. The NHS Scotland Academy is currently developing a range of accelerated education and training programmes for existing staff which will enable them to enhance their existing knowledge and skills. This will open up access to new roles and additional opportunities for career progression.

In addition, there are a range of programmes in place to support nurses and midwives at various stages of their career under the Scottish Preceptorship Framework for nursing and midwifery. This framework sets out the additional support and guidance offered to nurses and midwives during their transition or adaptation, to a new role.