Chamber and committees

When leasing agricultural land, the Scottish Government endeavours to use the Farming Opportunities for New Entrants (FONE) Group scoring matrix wherever possible.

The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) has not yet received a submission from the manufacturing company, Vertex, for exagamglogene autotemcel (Casgevy®) for the treatment of sickle cell disease (SCD).

The Chief Pharmaceutical Officer (CPO) and the SMC have engaged regularly with the marketing authorisation holder, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, on the SMC’s process for assessing the clinical and cost-effectiveness of exagamglogene autotemcel (Casgevy®) for use in the SCD indication in the NHS in Scotland. The SMC would welcome a submission from Vertex for Casgevy® in the SCD indication at any time.

The Cass Review only considered services offered by NHS England, and the report’s 32 recommendations are made to NHS England. As such, NHS England holds responsibility for implementing these recommendations.

The Scottish Government did, however, commit to closely consider the Review’s findings in the context of NHS Scotland services. Accordingly, the Chief Medical Officer for Scotland convened a multidisciplinary team to consider the Review’s recommendations and how they might be applicable to Scotland, which published its findings on 5 July 2024. The Scottish Government has accepted this report and its recommendations.

A “Task and Finish” group, supported by the Scottish Government’s Chief Operating Officer’s Directorate, has now been convened to design a sustainable model for young people’s gender identity services, and the work of this group will be shaped by the multidisciplinary team’s recommendations. Additionally, as recommended by the report, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde ended self-referrals to the Sandyford Gender Identity Clinic in August 2024, and the health board is taking forward work to move young people’s gender identity services into a paediatric clinical setting.

Firstly, let me put on record again, my deepest condolences to the family of Mr Bayoh.

Following their request for an extension of the terms of reference for the Sheku Bayoh Public Inquiry, to include both the initial prosecutorial decisions and the Victim’s Right of Review, I have undertaken extensive consultation with all core participants to the Inquiry and their legal representatives. I have also discussed the application for extension with the Chair of the Inquiry, who is a statutory consultee under section 5(4) of the Inquiries Act 2005 (“the 2005 Act”).

After careful consideration, I have decided not to grant the request. I understand that Mr Bayoh’s family will be disappointed by my decision.

As set out in legislation, I may amend the terms of reference if I consider the public interest requires this. This request to extend the Terms of Reference was formally made on 4 September, over four years after the current Terms of Reference were announced, and as the Inquiry was nearing the final module of evidential hearings and concluding statements. It is in the public interest for the Inquiry to come to a conclusion promptly and for its recommendations to be implemented as swiftly as possible.

Under the 2005 Act, an Inquiry is not permitted to determine or rule on civil or criminal liability. Prosecutorial decisions are a matter for the Crown and the Solicitor General has committed to assessing any new evidence which is brought to light by the Inquiry, having reserved the right to prosecute any of the individuals involved in future.

I am confident the current terms of reference are sufficiently broad to allow the Chair to present a substantial report with detailed findings and recommendations – including on the investigation and the extent to which Mr Bayoh’s actual or perceived race was a factor.

In April 2023, the Chief Pharmaceutical Officer (CPO) announced an Independent Medicines Homecare Review in response to reports of failings in the standards of care provided across Scotland and the increasing demand for medicines homecare provision.

The CPO will be publishing the Homecare Medicines Review before the end of March. In terms of next steps, the CPO has met with NHS National Procurement to discuss what actions can be taken forward within their remit and what actions require further consideration through a task and finish group. The group will be established shortly and will be chaired by a Director of Pharmacy and a Director of Nursing. The Group will help to outline the next steps and timescales to delivery.

The Budget includes a new investment of £4.5 million to deliver specialist support for ME/CFS, Long Covid and other similar conditions. We are exploring whether bringing clinical and third sector stakeholders together to seek further consensus and clarity around the status and implementation of the NICE guidelines on ME/CFS would help deliver this specialist support and, if so, consideration will be given to whether Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS), or another organisation, is well placed to facilitate this work.

The worrying of livestock by dogs is completely unacceptable and is something the Scottish Government takes very seriously and any dog attack is one too many.

We welcome the fact that in Scotland we have tough legislation in place to deal with livestock worrying. The Scottish Government supported Emma Harper’s member’s bill when it was introduced, to provide Police Scotland and the courts with greater powers to deal with those who allow their dogs to worry, attack or kill livestock in Scotland’s countryside. Under this law owners of dogs that attack or worry livestock can be fined up to £40,000 or face a prison sentence of up to 12 months.

Please find below the number of accused convicted based on the financial year of conviction in relation to the fines and custodial sentences handed down. Please note that The Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) (Scotland) Act 2021 came into force on 5 November 2021. The 2021 Act amends the offence under the 1953 Act so all proceedings are still under the 1953 Act (as amended).

Table 1: Number of accused convicted with at least one protection of livestock from dogs crime, given a fine or imprisonment

The most common type of schemes funded under Freight Facilities Grant since 2016 has been for the creation and expansion of rail terminals.

The information on potential job creation as a result of an award is unavailable to the Scottish Government as it does not form part of the criteria for an applicant to receive a grant under the scheme.

Any company which wants to move freight by rail or water rather than by road and which is proposing to invest in new freight handling facilities in Scotland or re-invest in existing facilities in Scotland may apply for Freight Facilities Grant (FFG).

The amount of FFG that will be offered depends on the value of the environmental benefits of the project and the additional costs of moving freight by rail or water, determined by a financial appraisal of the project comparing the cost of the rail or water operation with the road alternative. Grants are limited to a maximum of 50% of the capital expenditure.

The key requirement for payment of grant is that Scottish Ministers must be satisfied that if the proposed facility is not provided, the freight, which would have used it, will in fact be carried by road. This means that there must be soundly based projections of the type and quantity of goods that would use the proposed facility and evidence that these goods are currently transported by road.

FFG is paid in the clear expectation that the freight facility will secure the removal of lorries from specific routes for a specific number of years. In return for FFG support, grant recipients must give a commitment to use the facility for a certain period and move a specified amount of freight through the facility.

Most facilities needed to handle or carry freight on rail or water are eligible under the criteria for FFG for example piers, rail sidings and handling equipment. Funding is limited to capital expenditure. Design and project management costs associated exclusively with the freight facility are also likely to be eligible.

Since the GB wide scheme was introduced in 1997, it has been reviewed on several occasions. These exercises were led by the Department for Transport on behalf of the UK Government with input from both the Scottish and Welsh Governments as well as stakeholders across the logistics sector. The last review was undertaken in 2018. The application criteria for the scheme remains unchanged since the scheme began.