Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government welcomes the Energy Industry Skills Landscape Study.

We continue to work with the energy sector to plan for a multi-skilled workforce that can benefit from opportunities across the energy system. This includes enabling skilled offshore workers to carry their experience and expertise into different roles as our energy sector evolves, and ensuring a reliable pipeline of future talent, to support Scotland's renewable energy ambitions.

This is a matter for NHS National Services Scotland. The information requested is not held centrally.

The design of road infrastructure is influenced by the loading from heavy goods vehicles and the legislation for the weights and dimensions of these vehicles is reserved to the UK Government. Regular engagement on potential changes to vehicle weights and dimensions is held between officials in Transport Scotland, and the Department for Transport. It is known that increasing axle weights causes increased wear and tear on carriageways and could result in the requirement to re-assess the load carrying capacity of bridges.

The Tax Advisory Group (TAG) most recently met on 11 September. Their last meeting for 2024 is scheduled for 6 November.

The minutes and dates for previous TAG meetings are published at https://www.gov.scot/groups/tax-advisory-group/. The minutes from their September meeting will be added once the group has cleared them at their November meeting.

The latest release by Public Health Scotland (PHS), providing information on Hospital Standardised Mortality Ratios (HSMRs), for the period April 2019 to March 2024 is available via the PHS website. (Hospital Standardised Mortality Ratios - April 2023 to March 2024 - Hospital Standardised Mortality Ratios - Publications - Public Health Scotland).

These statistics are updated on a quarterly basis and reflect the HSMR for the latest 12-month reporting period, whilst crude mortality data is presented by quarter and month to show trends. For the period April 2023 to March 2024, the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh (RIE) is within two standard deviations of the Scotland-wide average for their HSMR, and no hospital in Scotland had a significantly higher standardised mortality ratio than the national average.

NHS Lothian’s January 2024 HSMR report explored the reasons behind the higher ratio of the standardised mortality measure at RIE and specifically to understand if there is any evidence of avoidable mortality.

The report identified 4 cases where a different plan and/or delivery of care may have resulted in a different outcome for patients, but the use of ‘may’ identifies this classification as hypothetical in nature, it is impossible to know if a different care plan would have resulted in a different outcome. Furthermore, the report specifically advised the Healthcare Governance Committee that there is no clear current evidence of avoidable mortality in any of the cases considered.

I can confirm that the new overbridge at Westerton Lane has been designed to include passive provision for any potential future double tracking of the East Kilbride line.

Following the announcement by Petroineos to continue supplying fuel via an import terminal at Grangemouth and reflecting the reserved nature of the security of fuel supplies, the Scottish Government has been engaging collaboratively with the UK Government’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) to assess the efficacy of the business’ import terminal plans.

We will continue to seek assurance from both the UK Government and Petroineos that appropriate controls and actions are in place to ensure adequate fuel flows to continue from Grangemouth long into the future.

Scottish Rail Holdings working with its subsidiary Caledonian Sleeper Limited keep all aspects of the Caledonian Sleeper operation under review to ensure it operates effectively and in alignment with the policies of the Scottish Government.

School meal debt is a matter for local authorities in the first instance, and the Scottish Government expects them to use the powers available to them to support families struggling with school meal debt. Authorities approach to the management of meal debt should align to the guidance produced by COSLA on this issue.

The Scottish Government made a fund available to support councils to help remove the impact of school meal debt in the 2024-25 Budget and will confirm allocations to councils in due course.

The Scottish Government does not hold information on numbers of patients travelling and the means of travel. However we are aware of an increase in travel on the sound of Harris Ferry following changes to the Benbecula Stornoway air service in April 2024.

As you may be aware, at the meeting to consider Access to Health Services in the Western Isles on 21 August, it was agreed to establish a working group, led by HITRANS, to consider ways to improve the patient experience.

At the first meeting of this group, NHS Western Isles and CalMac confirmed that they are working together to minimise issues for patients using ferry travel through a block booking of 2 cars per day for NHS Wester Isles patients. It was noted that monitoring of capacity and demand is ongoing by NHS Western Isles and CalMac will consider an increase in pre booked spaces if required.