Seòmar agus comataidhean

We are currently prioritising work across the Scottish Government in light of increased pressures on the Scottish budget.

On 16 March 2023, the then Minister for Community Safety provided a submission to the Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee in relation to Petition PE1968 , which outlined our position on full implementation of the 2020 Act and included a section-by-section breakdown of the Act’s commencement status.

I can provide some further updates.

For the provision on the views of the child in proceedings under the Children’s Hearings (Scotland) Act 2011, the recent ‘ Hearings for Children ’ report reviewing the children’s hearings system included a recommendation to commence section 3 of the 2020 Act. The Scottish Government has accepted that recommendation and is taking forward relevant work in that regard.

For the provisions on special measures (sections 4 to 8 of the 2020 Act), Part 3 of the Victims, Witnesses, and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill currently before the Parliament will, if enacted, extend the provisions which relate to proceedings under section 11 of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 to civil proceedings generally.

In relation to a register for Child Welfare Reporters (section 9 of the 2020 Act), we will be establishing a short-life working group of key stakeholders later this year that will inform the development of policy around the register. It will also consider whether changes made in the past in this area, following a previous working group, are working as intended.

On child contact centres (sections 10 to 12 of the 2020 Act), the Scottish Government continues to prepare Scottish Statutory Instruments on the regulation of these centres.

For the provision placing a duty on Scottish Ministers to ensure the availability of child advocacy services in court proceedings under section 11 of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 (section 21 of the 2020 Act), the Scottish Government is considering further whether or not to carry out a consultation.

For the provisions on funding for Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) and the ADR information pilot (sections 23 and 24 of the 2020 Act), the Scottish Government provides update reports to Parliament on the progress of this work. The latest report, covering the period 1 October 2022 to 1 April 2023, is available on the Scottish Government website .

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

By adopting a person-centred approach, SPS aims to protect the health, safety and wellbeing of everyone in our care.

The placing of transgender individuals is made on a case-by-case basis depending on the persons individual circumstances, including an assessment of individual risk and need.

No transgender woman with violence against women and girls’ markers who presents a risk to women and girls will be admitted to or placed in the women’s estate.

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

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-25567 on 15 March 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 .

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

As defined in the Gender Recognition Act 2004, SPS cannot legally ask an individual to declare a Gender Recognition Certificate, however, SPS will record this information when an individual in our care choses to share this with us. At present, there are less than 5 individuals in custody who have chosen to share this information with SPS.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-25489 on 9 March 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 .

Ministers are actively considering the final content of the Aviation Strategy and expect to publish it in the near future.

It is important to ensure that the content of the Strategy is consistent with other Scottish Government policies that aim to encourage sustainable economic growth and to deliver our commitment to net zero emissions by 2045.

The Scottish Government does not hold this information.

Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Services (RCDSs) are a fast-track diagnostic pathway for patients who present with non-specific symptoms suspicious of cancer – brain cancers don’t tend to present in this way.

The University of Strathclyde published a report, reflecting on two years of the RCDSs running, on Thursday 29 th February, highlighting the cancer types being detected by the model, with lung and HPB cancers most common, as expected.

Meanwhile, work continues with PHS to establish a national data collection for RCDSs.

The Scottish Government is aware of the proposals put forward by the Association of Scotland’s Self-Caterers and will issue a response to it in due course.

Like other NHS Boards and across the UK, NHS Ayrshire and Arran continue to experience challenges in their A&E performance primarily due to capacity shortages. Officials meet regularly with NHS Ayrshire and Arran to ensure progress against their delivery plan which focuses on reducing hospital occupancy and increasing alternatives to admission or attendance. The board have a number of actions underway to support performance recovery including optimisation of their call before you convey and care home referral pathway where residents receive assessment and care within a community setting, avoiding the need for onwards attendance to the acute sites.

The Centre for Sustainable Delivery (CfSD) is working with NHS Boards including NHS Ayrshire and Arran to support delivery of the Urgent and Unscheduled Care collaborative, to ensure sustainable ways of delivering services, improving access for patients, and reducing unnecessary demand for services.

The Scottish Government previously engaged with key dog control interests in Scotland, including canine trainers and behaviourists, to help assess the principle of introducing new safeguards for XL Bully dogs, and we continue to regularly engage with a wide range of stakeholders to consider the impact of the new safeguards and to consider whether any additional support is needed

The Scottish Government understands the concerns expressed by dog owners about the impact that the new controls may have on their dogs. The Scottish Government takes animal welfare very seriously and is committed to the highest possible welfare standards. There is however a balance to be struck between protecting animal welfare and protecting public safety.

Helpful and practical support and guidance has been published on the Mygov.scot website ( XL Bully dogs in Scotland - mygov.scot ) to ensure owners are made aware of how to comply with the new safeguards on XL Bully dogs.

That Mygov.scot webpage contains links to the support available from both the Dogs Trust and PDSA to assist with muzzle training XL Bully dogs.