Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government is currently undertaking a programme of Sexual Health and Blood Borne Virus local area visits to Scottish territorial NHS Boards which provides an opportunity to explore the levels of peer support available for people living with HIV.

The visits have identified excellent examples of peer support for people living with HIV, including use of digital solutions to reach individuals in rural areas where access can be more challenging. We continue to work collaboratively with NHS Boards and actively promote the sharing of best practice to help address any gaps identified through these visits.

The £1m allocated to the project is to cover liabilities if awardees exercise their option to redeem their Peatland Carbon Units with Scottish Government rather than selling them on the open market.

The Scottish Government does not hold the requested information.

Trading Standards Scotland reports any suspected criminality directly to the Crown Office & Procurator Fiscal Service.

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

If a prison officer is suspected of engaging in corrupt practices, SPS will implement its Anti-Corruption Policy and Guidance. Where information suggests that a prison officer has participated or has become involved in corrupt activity, those matters will be progressed in accordance with SPS’ Code of Conduct policy.

If information exists to suggest that corruption may have, or is alleged to have taken place, the matter will be referred to Police Scotland who will determine whether any criminal proceedings should be brought against those thought to be involved.

The specific criminal offences that a prison officer could be charged with will depend on the nature and extent of corrupt behaviour and/or activity that they have been found or alleged to have participated in.

While the vast majority of staff adhere to the highest standards of conduct, SPS is always vigilant to any potential corruption within establishments. Maintaining the safety and security of Scotland’s prisons is and remains, an absolute priority.

The regulation of consumer protection is reserved to the UK Government which includes the work of Trading Standards Scotland.

The Scottish Anti-Illicit Trade Group (SAITG), which was formally re-launched on 3 March 2025, aims to disrupt counterfeiting and Intellectual Property crime in Scotland. The group brings together law enforcement, government and businesses and focuses on developing best practice and enhancing collective strategies. The work of the group forms a coordinated response to protect Scottish products, businesses and consumers from the threat of counterfeit goods.

The group also supports the aims of the Serious Organised Crime Taskforce to discourage individuals from using the products of serious organised crime.

The Scottish Government does not hold the requested information.

Trading Standards Scotland reports any suspected criminality directly to the Crown Office & Procurator Fiscal Service.

In March 2020, Scotland implemented human papillomavirus (HPV) testing as the primary cervical screening test, and increased the routine screening interval from every three years to every five. Both changes followed UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) recommendations, which were based on strong evidence that HPV causes almost all cases of cervical cancer and typically takes years or decades to do so.

The change was accompanied by guidance to explain the increased interval, and we have continued to reiterate this as part of on-going work to raise awareness of the importance of cervical screening. Considerable efforts have also continued to improve the information available for those invited for cervical screening, which includes revision of invitation letters and information leaflets and updates of NHS inform.

To date, there is no evidence that the changes made to the English programme have given rise to increased concerns in Scotland. We will, however, keep this situation under review, and consider if additional work is needed to ensure the benefits of Scotland’s cervical screening programme are communicated clearly.

It remains important that anyone who has concerns about possible symptoms of cervical cancer discusses them with their GP, even if they have not yet received an invitation for their next cervical screening appointment. In addition, anyone between the ages of 25 and 64 who did not attend their last screening appointment can ask to be screened, no matter how long ago they were last invited.

The Projecting Future Demand for Health and Care Services in Scotland (2024-2034) report forecasts a continued rise in unplanned acute inpatient hospital admissions. Public Health Scotland (PHS) emphasises that this trend is not fixed and can be influenced through strategic investment, service redesign, and addressing the wider determinants of health.

The Scottish Government acknowledges the projected increase, particularly in admissions related to respiratory conditions, and is taking action. We recently published the NHS Scotland Operational Improvement Plan, the Scotland's Population Health Framework and the Health and Social Care Service Renewal Framework in which we outline our shared, long-term vision for reforming and renewing health and social care services to ensure they are more sustainable, preventative, and equitable. A new Long Term Conditions (LTC) Framework is under development. This framework aims to ensure equitable and sustainable access to the services that all people with long term conditions need while allowing for targeted action on condition-specific care and support where appropriate.

Capital expenditure is solely for the purchase of Peatland Carbon Units at a set rate as they mature within each project. However, awardees may sell their units on the open market where they can achieve an improved price.

We have requested sheep movement data from APHA, but it has not as yet been received.