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Latest figures from our Diversity and inclusions statistics of the Scottish Government workforce 2023 official statistics publication show that there were 473 external recruits to core Scottish Government directorates between 1 Jan 2023 and 31 Dec 2023, excluding those that both joined and left in that period. Of those, 89 had declared their disability status by 31 Dec 2023, with 19 of those declaring one or more disabilities. This gives an estimated proportion of disabled external recruits of 21%.

The 35% figure previously quoted came from an earlier internal source of data where the declaration rate was lower (12 disabled out of 34 declarations). Staff diversity data is constantly updating as staff complete their diversity monitoring questions, and there may be a lag between external recruits joining and these staff declaring their diversity data.

The Scottish Government’s recent investment into diabetes technologies will specifically support children and adults to access closed loop systems.

Alongside this additional investment, we will also encourage all NHS Boards including NHS Lothian to utilise the national onboarding team based at Centre of Sustainable Delivery as well their own local diabetes clinical teams to support technology starts.

This should increase the rate and scope at which individuals will be able to access closed loop systems and therefore have a positive impact on waiting times.

The GP Sustainability loan scheme was paused in March 2024 due to a greater than anticipated number of loans having completed this year with the result that our budget for loans was oversubscribed.

The Scottish Government’s position on GP premises remains that set out in The 2018 General Medical Services in Scotland document: we recognise and support a long-term shift that gradually moves towards a model which does not presume GPs own their practice premises.

We intend to resume Tranche 1 of the Sustainability Loan Scheme in 2024-25 once we have completed the disbursement of funds for those loans already completed and confirmed a budget. This will likely not be until midway through the financial year.

Our preference remains to continue the loan scheme into Tranche 2 and beyond – however, this will depend on whether the UK Government resumes the allocation of Financial Transaction Capital to the Scottish Government.

In the meantime we have carried out no assessment of the potential impact of the suspension of the GP sustainability loan scheme on health inequalities as we intend to resume the scheme as soon as possible.

All workers should be paid fairly for the work they do and have the opportunity of job security. Recent research from Herriot-Watt University points to particular challenges in this regard in the gig economy.

These are not unique to Scotland. According to the Living Wage Foundation, 20% of workers in Scotland experience some form of work insecurity. Only London (18%) and the South East (19%) have lower levels compared to the highest region, Wales (26%). Research from the Fair Work Convention shows that other countries do better.

Responsibility for employment law, including the rights and protection of workers, is reserved to the UK Government, therefore the Scottish Government cannot legislate for greater job security. Nevertheless, through Fair Work First we require recipients of government funding to move away from the inappropriate use of zero hours contracts and other non-standard types of employment that offer workers minimal job or financial security. This is part of our approach to delivering an economy that is fair, green and growing, while creating more secure, sustainable and satisfying jobs.

The Scottish Government remains supportive of a new station in Winchburgh and I am pleased to confirm that my officials and I met with representatives from West Lothian Council, Winchburgh Development Limited and Network Rail on 17 April to discuss the proposed station.

A number of actions to progress the station were agreed and I fully expect the development of the business case and routes towards locating potential funding streams to be discussed again, having formed part of the previous meeting agenda in April. I am also pleased to confirm my officials and I will attend a follow-up meeting with the organisations I mentioned previously on 25 June to further progress the matter.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-27426 on 28 May 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 2019 recruitment and retention Action plan for Disabled People has been superseded by the Diversity and Inclusion Employer Strategy for Scottish Government published April 2024. Having a workforce more representative of the people of Scotland it serves, remains one of our Employer Equality Outcomes. The Scottish Government has made excellent progress towards meeting the target of 25% of external recruits declaring a disability. Latest figures show 35% of successful applicants declared a disability, exceeding the 25% target.

The 2019 recruitment and retention Action plan for Disabled People has been superseded by the Diversity and Inclusion Employer Strategy for Scottish Government published April 2024. Having a workforce more representative of the people of Scotland it serves, remains one of our Employer Equality Outcomes. We have higher levels of disabled staff than ever before but still have further progress to make. The overall proportion of disabled people working in the Scottish Government has more than doubled over the last ten years, rising from 6.4% in 2013 to 14.1% in 2023.

The Scottish Government’s decision-making throughout all COVID-19 vaccination programmes has been guided by the expert clinical advice of both the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

Scotland has three representatives that attend the JCVI, including its COVID-19 committee and subcommittee; one co-opted member, an invited observer from Scottish Government and another invited observer from Public Health Scotland.

The MHRA’s pharmacovigilance process, alongside wider global data, identified reports of extremely rare adverse events of concurrent thrombosis and thrombocytopenia following vaccination with the first dose of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine.

As reports of extremely rare adverse event of concurrent thrombosis (blood clots) and thrombocytopenia (low platelet count) following vaccination with the first dose of the AstraZeneca (AZ) COVID-19 vaccine emerged in spring 2021, both the MHRA and the JCVI met to assess the data and the relative balance of benefits and risks.

The minutes from the JCVI COVID-19 Committee on 16 March 2021 and 18 March 2021 show that there was discussion of the topic and that the MHRA was working with international and European colleagues to share data and assess the risk.

The JCVI met again on the 6 April and on 7 April and published advice for the four UK health departments recommending that for adults aged under 30 years of age, without underlying health conditions that put them at higher risk of severe COVID-19 disease, there should be a preference for an alternative to the AstraZeneca vaccine, if available.

The following day on 8 April, Scotland’s Chief Medical Officer (CMO) issued a letter to the Scottish system stating the changes in the use of AstraZeneca vaccine and advising that Health Boards should now offer those under 30 years of age, without underlying health conditions, an alternative to the AstraZeneca vaccine. We also amended our patient information leaflets to reflect this new advice.