Chamber and committees

naValue GmbH is the ferry design company which assisted CMAL and Transport Scotland in the concept design stage of SVRP Phase 1. Addleshaw Goddard provided contractual and legal advice.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-30050 on 1 October 2024. 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 National Qualifications Steering Group is organised and chaired by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA). The group met on 27 September 2024 and agenda items included a review of the remit and workplan; investigating the drivers of attainment; assessment arrangements; and National Qualifications arrangements for 2024-2025.

The Scottish Government welcomes the publication of the Scottish Veterans Commissioner’s 2024 Annual Report and the independent scrutiny it offers to both Government and its partners in delivering against the Commissioner’s recommendations.

I was pleased that, overall, the Commissioner has assessed that the Scottish Government continues to make progress against the majority of the recommendations and that none of the ‘RAG’ assessments have regressed – all have either improved or stayed the same. This is a testament to the great work going on across government and throughout the sector to support our veterans and their families. I was encouraged in particular that the Commissioner noted progress that we continue to make across the areas of Health and Wellbeing and Employment, Skills and Learning.

However, I do recognise that the Commissioner has highlighted two particular concerns in the areas of mental health support and homelessness. I will be meeting with the Commissioner soon to discuss these and her report more generally.

The Veterans Mental Health Advisory Group has been established to oversee the development of the Veterans Mental Health and Wellbeing pathway and the implementation of the principles laid out in the Veterans Mental Health and Wellbeing Action Plan. The Advisory Group is chaired by Dr Lynne Taylor, the Scottish Government’s Principal Psychology Advisor. It held its inaugural meeting in March 2024 and has met another three times since. The Advisory Group has agreed the preferred model of delivery for the Veterans Mental Health & Wellbeing Pathway and will discuss further details when it meets on 14 October. This preferred model of delivery will then be recommended to Scottish Ministers for approval.

Two sub-groups, the Operational Working Group and the Stakeholder Network, have been established to ensure there is continued stakeholder engagement, from a broad range of partners, as the plans for implementation are evolved by the Advisory Group. The main remit of the Operational Group is to consider the operational and local requirements for the delivery of the pathway as well as determining where there are gaps in service and where there are established, effective practices, across Scotland. The wider Stakeholder Network will assess the recommendations of the Advisory Group and Operational Working Group and provide feedback.

The Scottish Government remains committed to implementing the principles of the Veterans’ Mental Health and Wellbeing Action Plan and to ensuring that all veterans living in Scotland are able to access the best possible care and support, including safe, effective and person-centred healthcare. The work to develop the new mental health pathway will be progressed this financial year with the intention that tests of change will be actioned at the earliest opportunity. We do not anticipate any significant impact from current spending controls.

Financial support is available for the installation of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems through the Social Housing Net Zero Heat Fund, which provides support for the retrofit of Registered Social Landlords' existing housing stock, and targeted support is also available through our Warmer Homes Scotland and Area Based schemes.

This information is not held centrally by either Scottish Government or Public Health Scotland (PHS).

PHS does not capture waiting list information on all NHS services and where they are captured, many are sourced from aggregate returns submitted to PHS by NHS boards. It is therefore not possible to identify the number of individuals that ‘have been on an NHS waiting list’. In addition, the aggregate data supplied by NHS boards does not provide patient-level information and as such, age breakdown is not available.

Ensuring individuals have access to Primary Care is a key component in tackling the Drug Crisis we face in Scotland, MAT Standard 7 specifies ‘All people have the option of MAT shared with Primary Care’

The Scottish Government provides funding to the Royal College of General Practitioners to deliver the Certificate in Management of Problem Drug Use. This supports primary care professionals within Scotland to provide care for people who experience problem drug use.

Those who have undertaken the course report improved knowledge of the MAT standards and how to appropriately incorporate these into clinical practice.

The Scottish Government also provides funding to Scottish Recovery Consortium to deliver the Humanising Healthcare Conversation Café project. This is a project which provides medical students across Scotland with the opportunity to engage with people with lived experience of substance use through guided roundtable discussions in medical schools across Scotland.

I appreciate the concerns that have been raised by the culture sector. Funding for the culture sector has increased this financial year, as the first step to achieving the First Minister’s commitment to invest at least £100 million more annually in culture and the arts by 2028-29.

I understand the Scottish Music Industry Association’s concerns and have restated the Scottish Government’s continued commitment to supporting the arts. I was also pleased that following a period of necessary due diligence the £3m funds for Creative Scotland’s Open Fund have now been released and Creative Scotland are due to reopen this fund on 8 October.

I have also agreed to meet with the Scottish Music Industry Association to further understand the concerns held by the sector and its musicians.

Menstrual health and wellbeing education is a key part of relationships, sexual health and parenthood (RSHP) education. RSHP education is an integral part of the health and wellbeing area of the Scottish curriculum, Curriculum for Excellence. Learning about RSHP education begins early on in primary school and continues right up to S4-S6. RSHP education is delivered in an age and stage appropriate manner and is intended to enable children and young people to build positive relationships as they grow older. Schools will equip young people with information on a wide range of issues, including menstrual health and wellbeing, depending on their age and stage of learning. Learning should present facts in an objective, balanced and sensitive manner within a framework of sound values and an awareness of the law.

An online RSHP teaching resource, (www.rshp.scot) was published in 2019 and provides age and stage appropriate learning activities on RSHP education for use in all education settings and is aligned to Curriculum for Excellence. This resource includes learning activities on menstruation from second level (P5 to P7), with endometriosis introduced at third/fourth level (S1 to S3).

The RSH teaching resource was subject to a significant review and refresh in 2023 to ensure it remained up-to-date and fit for purpose. Teachers continue to access the resource regularly.