Seòmar agus comataidhean

The Scottish Government continues to call on the UK Government to overturn their decision to limit eligibility for Winter Fuel Payments.

The decision was taken without consultation and has forced us to review the way in which the Pension Age Winter Heating Payment (PAWHP) will be delivered.

Nonetheless, the PAWHP will make a significant contribution towards the heating expenses of low-income, pension-aged island households.

Since December 2022, we have also provided £3.4 million in support of island households through the Islands Cost Crisis Emergency Fund.

Since the establishment of the Practical Training Fund for Women in Agriculture, the Scottish Government has distributed approximately £600 in support of women and girls aged 13 and over who are living on islands and sought financial support for travel and accommodation costs to attend courses on the mainland.

CMAL and CalMac each have 1 island-based person sitting on their board of directors.

The Regional Land Us Frameworks (RLUFs) developed as part of the Regional Land Use Partnership (RLUPs) pilot programme have captured a range of land use priorities for each region including, but not limited to, native woodland expansion, flood mitigation and community wealth building. More information on these is available on the respective RLUP websites:

• South of Scotland region: Delivery & Strategies | South of Scotland Regional Economic Partnership (southofscotlandrep.com)
• North West Highland region: Land+ Project | NORTHWEST2045
• Cairngorms National Park region: Cairngorms National Park Partnership Plan 2022-27 - Cairngorms National Park Authority
• Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park region: Read The Plan - Here. Now. All of us. - Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park (lochlomond-trossachs.org)

The Scottish Government has not taken specific action as a result of disruption to services attributed to Storm Ashley. When sailings are late or cancelled due to weather such as during Storm Ashley and therefore out with the ferry operators’ control, there are no penalties applied.

Scotland Food & Drink Partnership has been awarded £10 million to support its national strategy. It sets out short- to long-term objectives developed in partnership with food and drink producers throughout Scotland, including those in the Highlands and Islands.

Spend is not disaggregated on a regional basis.

We do not yet have a timescale for publishing the Fisheries Climate Change Action Plan. Further work is required, in partnership with stakeholders, to develop a clear plan of actions which will support fisheries in the drive to net zero.

Many of the actions that are required will need to be developed and initiated by the fishing industry and others in the private sector (for example vessel designers). Regulators and policy makers will also need to identify and remove barriers where this is possible.

At this time we cannot provide an update further to that of S6W-26556, as we await the publication of the Scottish Animal Welfare Commission’s (SAWC) Responsible Cat Ownership Working Group report.

All long waits are regrettable, and we continue to work with Health Boards, including NHS Western Isles, to drive improvements in waiting times.

Public Health Scotland publishes data on NHS Waiting Times across NHS Scotland quarterly. This can be accessed using the following link: Stage of treatment waiting times - Inpatients, day cases and new outpatients quarter ending 30 June 2024 - NHS waiting times - stage of treatment - Publications - Public Health Scotland. The data for NHS Western Isles show:

Inpatient/Day-Case:

Ongoing waits: 371

Over 52 weeks: 1

Over 78 weeks: 0

New Outpatient Appointment:

Ongoing waits: 1,518

Over 52 weeks: 14

Over 78 weeks: 2

I understand from NHS Western Isles that 70% of Inpatient/Day-Case patients are currently listed within 12 weeks. However, a small number of patients are waiting longer due to medical unavailability or due to the timetable for visiting services.

NHS Western Isles expect to clear the majority of their backlog for New Outpatients in November 2024.

The option of a separate freight-only service to and from Islay has been considered. However, the Government is investing in two new vessels for Islay that will, together, provide 55% more space for Heavy Goods Vehicles than the two current vessels and are expected to meet growing demand in the coming years. We will continue to consider and discuss with key stakeholders provision of freight-only options which balance the roles and responsibilities of business and government.