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Anyone who is not able to use the app, including children, can obtain a paper vaccination certificate from the NHS Inform website or our COVID Status Helpline on 0808 196 8565 . We are currently developing a way to issue paper certificates for proof of recovery, which is evidence of a positive PCR test; and an age-appropriate way to provide digital access to Covid Status for children. In the meantime people who cannot use the app can show proof of their recovery status using the email or text messages that notifies them of a positive PCR test.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Scottish Government Chief Scientist Office (CSO) launched a call for Rapid Research in COVID-19 on 25 March 2020 and a second call specifically addressing longer-term effects of COVID-19 infection on 5 October 2020. Following independent expert review, 65 projects were funded in total, 56 through the Rapid Research programme and 9 through the long COVID call.

None of the projects specifically address microemboli and long COVID. Many of the projects are still active and include research on vascular aspects of COVID-19.

The full list of funded projects is available from the CSO website

https://www.cso.scot.nhs.uk/covid-19-research/

The CSO's Translational Clinical Studies Committee and the Health Improvement, Protection and Services Research Committees each meet twice per year to consider funding applications. Details of the application process are published on the CSO website.

Grant Funding – Chief Scientist Office (scot.nhs.uk)

Applications looking at links between microemboli and long COVID may be submitted to the CSO funding committees. In common with all other applications, these would go through the CSO's standard independent peer review process.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that people living with kidney diseases are able to access the best possible support and benefit from healthcare services that are safe, effective and put people at the centre of their care. We expect NHS Boards to adhere to current guidelines on the diagnosis and treatment options from authorative sources such as the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and the UK Kidney Association (UKKA).

In Scotland we are at the forefront of using service and performance data to improve care and diagnosis of kidney disease. This includes the work of the Scottish Renal Registry which reports on patients receiving renal replacement therapy and promoting excellence in renal care in Scotland through best practice audits.

The National Cancer Quality Steering Group (NCQSG) has responsibility for the development and oversight of tumour specific national quality performance indicators (QPIs) to measure the quality of care for patients, this includes a set specifically for renal cancers.

We have also invested in research which is intended to inform new approaches for earlier diagnosis of kidney disease through the Scottish Chief Scientist Office: Kidney function and cancer risk: An analysis using creatinine and cystatin C in a cohort study (nih.gov) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8413238/ .

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-05600 on 10 January 2022. 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

It continues to reflect our latest position.

The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) is currently reviewing its 2007 recommendation against lung cancer screening. The work on developing a protocol for NHS Boards to undertake pilot programmes for lung cancer screening will resume once the NSC’s evidence review is complete, as any new recommendation will guide pilot design and implementation.

As we anticipate a decision from the UK National Screening Committee (NSC) in the coming months, we have no current plans to expedite this. This is a complex matter and it is important that time is taken to evaluate all available evidence. The Scottish Government has, however, provided funding to the University of Edinburgh to support an exploratory piece of research into the feasibility of the introduction of lung health checks within Scotland and it is hoped that the findings will support the evidence base being considered by the NSC.

The Scottish Government has committed to increasing public investment in social care by 25 per cent during the current parliamentary session. This is expected to equate to £840 million additional annual investment by the end of this parliament and will support plans for the delivery of commitments relating to social care, including the creation of a National Care Service.

These plans are currently being developed and will be considered by Ministers and by Parliament in due course, taking account responses to the National Care Service Consultation, input from stakeholders and the forthcoming Resource Spending Review to ensure that services are sustainable and best meet the needs of those who access care, and those who deliver care.

Mental Health remains an absolute priority for the Scottish Government, and we are committed to ensuring that everyone who needs support can get access to services that are appropriate to their needs. Through this approach we recognise that long term conditions can impact a person's mental wellbeing. We encourage anyone struggling with their mental health and wellbeing to approach their clinical support team in the first instance, who can advise on appropriate support avenues. Information can also be found on the NHS Inform website.

The Scottish Government is currently developing a new site to support the mental wellbeing of the general public in Scotland. The website will offer tips and advice from mental health experts and related professionals and people with lived experience of mental health issues. The website will include a range of resources that are accessible to people disproportionately affected by mental health problems. The Scottish Government plan to launch these resources by Spring 2022.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-06217 on 16 February 2022. 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 Scottish Government’s Chief Scientist Office is funding an on-going research project to examine how to best identify those at highest risk of lung cancer in the Scottish population. They are subsequently offered a medical check on their ‘lung health’, and screening using Computed Tomography (CT) if their risk of cancer is assessed as high. Results and learning from this work will be appropriately considered once available, and any decisions taken regarding wider rollout.

Any decision on whether or not to introduce a new national lung screening programme in Scotland is guided by the recommendations of the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC), an independent expert advisory group which advises all four nations of the United Kingdom on screening policy.In 2007, the UK NSC recommended against the introduction of a lung cancer screening programme; however, it is currently reviewing this and will take into account new evidence that has emerged since the previous recommendation.

We do not have a definite timescale for when the NSC will publish its findings, but we are expecting an update in the coming months. Following completion of this review, the UK NSC will make a new recommendation. If the recommendation is to introduce lung cancer screening then the Scottish Screening Committee, in consultation with medical experts in this field, will advise Scottish Ministers on the most appropriate course of action for Scotland.