Seòmar agus comataidhean

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-13692 on 23 January 2023. 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 and Scottish FA meet regularly to discuss a range of issues. However, there have been no recent discussions about the future of the national stadium.

We recognise the impact that chronic pain can have on people’s quality of life, including those with health problems arising as a result of their service to their country. The Scottish Veterans Commissioner (SVC) report ‘Veterans’ Health and Wellbeing ( www.gov.scot ) contained a recommendation that the National Advisory Committee for Chronic Pain (NACCP) consider support for Veterans as part of their work.

As detailed in the Scottish Government’s Support for the Veterans and the Armed Forces Community report published in November 2020, in line with this recommendation, the Scottish Government provided funding for the Pain Association Scotland to deliver a project to develop bespoke chronic pain self-management support for Veterans which received excellent feedback from participants. Outputs from this work included the development of a standardised Veterans referral form for healthcare practitioners seeking to support these patients.

The Scottish Government set out a refreshed approach to improving care and support for people with chronic pain in the Framework for Pain Management Service Delivery – Implementation Plan , published in July 2022. The Plan sets out a number of specific actions that are intended to improve care and support for people with chronic pain across Scotland, irrespective of underlying clinical cause or background. As we deliver the Plan we will identify opportunities to improve pain management support for groups facing inequalities, including Veterans, to ensure they can access the right care, at the right time, in the right place.

Scottish Water does not maintain information by parliamentary region and is only able to provide information for the closest equivalent operational area (South Region Water Operational Area). There were 488 reports in December 2022 in this large geographical region compared to 256 reports in December 2021. This would include both leaks reported by customers as well as those identified separately by Scottish Water as part of their active leakage management.

In December 2022, Scottish Water experienced a significant increase in the number of burst water pipes as a result of a freeze and rapid thaw, and Scottish Water operatives worked tirelessly in freezing conditions during this time to respond to the issues which occurred on the water network. During this period Scottish Water also saw an increase in bursts on customer private supply pipes and internal plumbing, which had a significant impact.

Scottish Water has an annual campaign to raise awareness about how important it is for customers to protect their pipes by taking appropriate measures. More information about this is available on their website at Winter Wrapped Up - Scottish Water and Protect your Pipes - Scottish Water .

South Region Water Operational Area includes: Dumfries & Galloway, Scottish Borders, East Lothian, Midlothian, City of Edinburgh, West Lothian, South Lanarkshire and North Lanarkshire.

Scottish Water does not maintain this information by parliamentary region and is only able to provide information for the closest equivalent operational area (South Region Water Operational Area). The following figures include both leaks reported by customers as well as those identified separately by Scottish Water as part of their active leakage management. This data is only readily available from 2016-17 financial year.

The NACCP last met in May 2021. As set out in the Implementation Plan for the Framework the NACCP has been replaced by the Pain Management Task force.

The Veterans Mental Health & Wellbeing Action Plan was published in December 2021 and, through this, three key principles have been identified for future services: equal access to service; clear and timely pathways to correct help; and improving support to providers.

The new Implementation Board will work to implement these principles and ensure that veterans have parity of care, no matter where they are located in Scotland. The Implementation Board is chaired by Dr Charles Winstanley, a veteran with considerable experience in the NHS and in the third sector. The board includes Combat Stress, representatives from NHS Health Boards, Veterans First Point and Veterans Scotland.

The Fair Work in Social Care Group has developed the following minimum standard terms and conditions:

The Coalition for Racial Equality and Rights (CRER) was commissioned to identify examples of anti-racist performance objectives with proposed performance measures that could be used by public bodies across Scotland.

To date, seven NHS Board Chairs have been set anti-racist objectives and performance measures in accordance with CRER's commission. Following feedback, these objectives and performance measures are being reviewed, to ensure they fully align with the scrutiny and assurance roles of Board Chairs.

A mobile-friendly IPC practice support app has been developed by the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) and NHS Education Scotland (NES), and supported from within their existing funding streams. Neither body has requested funding from Scottish Government in relation to the delivery of this tool.