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The Scottish Government’s agreement to ScotRail proposals to adjust opening hours of some of its ticket offices is predicated on the condition that disabled travellers’ access to services will not be affected by these proposals.

Proposed adjustments to ticket office opening hours will enable a redeployment of some ScotRail staff not only to help deter anti-social behaviour, but also provide more and better assistance for passengers with ticket selection and purchase and enhance staff’s ability to provide assistance for disabled passengers. As part of the proposals, ScotRail will also install additional help points at stations where ticket offices are on a different level from the platforms, to assist passengers

ScotRail’s passenger assist service provides assistance to those who need help when travelling on the ScotRail network. Passengers who require assistance when travelling can turn up and use the help point to request assistance. For those who want peace of mind assistance can be booked in advance with one hour’s notice, which compares favourably with the 2 hours required by other GB Train Operating Companies.”

I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

During seven weeks of training, new prison officers receive training on a range of strategies and interventions designed to support those in our care, this includes a dedicated learning outcome on the effects of alcohol use.

SPS Health and College teams are also conducting a scoping exercise which will help further identify Officer needs when supporting those in our care. This exercise will shape delivery of future training and will incorporate the newly published Mental Health and Alcohol & Drug strategies.

Once the plans have been implemented, the improved staff visibility and ScotRail having the ability to deploy staff more flexibly will not only improve the feeling of safety for all passengers, including women and girls, but also maintain an environment, which deters any potential anti-social behaviour.

Additional Travel Safe Teams will be on hand to support a welcoming rail environment and provide a better journey.

ScotRail has also invested £1.6 million- to triple the number of body-worn cameras and hired more staff for late-night trains in problem areas.

The Scottish Government and COSLA are co-producing the Population Health Framework which will be published in Spring 2025. Extensive engagement has been undertaken throughout 2024 with public, third and private sector partners to support development of priorities and areas of action.

The public consultation on detail of proposed regulations to restrict promotions of food and drink high in fat, sugar or salt (HFSS) closed on 21 May 2024. The Scottish Government will publish an independent analysis report of these consultation responses in early 2025, alongside next steps and timelines for future regulation.

The Scottish Government’s Drugs and Alcohol Workforce Action Plan 2023–2026 outlines a range of measures aimed at supporting individuals with lived experience of substance use to enter employment.

The Scottish Government is aware of, and is reviewing the implementation of, the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) scheme for adults in treatment for alcohol and drug dependence in England. The data linkage report published in December 2024 has provided valuable insights.

The Scottish Government regularly meets with representatives from the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) within the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) to share knowledge and best practice regarding workforce development. We will continue to collaborate with OHID and explore how the findings from the report may inform our ongoing approach.

NHS Boards across Scotland are expected to provide maternity services that are delivered as close to home as practicable; however, this must be balanced with ensuring the safety of all mothers and babies. All decisions about care throughout pregnancy, including around place of birth, should be made by women in discussion with their midwife and obstetrician. These decisions will take account of their individual needs and circumstances.

In support of this, and recognising the importance of the relationship between women and their midwives during the pregnancy, birth and postnatal journey, we continue to implement continuity of carer within maternity services, a key recommendation of The Best Start. The Scottish Government’s Programme for Government 2024-25 reaffirms our commitment to ensuring that more women receive care and support from the same midwife from pregnancy through birth, prioritising those most likely to benefit, including women with additional social needs.

More broadly, our ambition is for a Scotland where health outcomes are equitable across the population so that all women enjoy the best possible health – throughout their lives. This remains the ambition of the Scottish Government, and will continue to be our guiding principle as we consider the next phase of the Women’s Health Plan.

Smoking is the most significant cause of preventable cancer in Scotland (18%). By 2034, we aim to be living in a Tobacco-Free Scotland, reducing smoking rates to below 5%.

To help achieve this, the Scottish Government launched the “Quit Your Way” stop smoking service campaign, which ran for 5 weeks between February and March 2024. An assessment of the campaign found that visits to the Quit Your Way Scotland NHS Inform page increased by 100% and numbers of people visiting the local help to stop smoking page increased up to 2297% compared to the 5 weeks prior. Requests for support to stop smoking via NHS Inform, where we make clear the link between smoking and cancer, doubled compared to the same period in 2023.

Figures published by Public Health Scotland on 17 December 2024 show that over the past year more people have accessed the NHS smoking cessation service, 30,314, a 12.4% increase from 2022-23 (26,963).

The public consultation on the detail of proposed regulations to restrict promotions of food and drink high in fat, sugar or salt closed on 21 May 2024. The consultation sought views on qualifying businesses in scope of regulations and proposed exemptions.

We will publish the independent analysis report of the consultation responses in early 2025, as well as next steps for the regulation of HFSS food and drink promotions.

The Lord President as head of the Scottish judiciary is responsible for the training of judicial office holders. Training is delivered by the judicial institute for Scotland.

The public consultation on the detail of proposed regulations to restrict promotions of food and drink high in fat, sugar or salt closed on 21 May 2024.

We will publish the independent analysis report of the consultation responses in early 2025, as well as next steps and timelines for the regulation of HFSS food and drink promotions.