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The Scottish Government does not routinely gather or centrally hold information on the total number and value of contracts awarded by non-ministerial offices to consulting companies. As non-ministerial offices have a degree of independence from central government information of this nature will be held more locally and can be attained by approaching the bodies directly.

The Scottish Government does not routinely gather or centrally hold information on the total number and value of contracts awarded by public corporations to consulting companies. As public corporations have a degree of independence from central government information of this nature will be held more locally and can be attained by approaching the bodies directly.

The Scottish Government does not routinely gather or centrally hold information on the total number and value of contracts awarded by executive agencies to consulting companies. As executive agencies have a degree of independence from central government information of this nature will be held more locally and can be attained by approaching the bodies directly.

The Scottish Government does not routinely gather or centrally hold information on the total number and value of contracts awarded by executive, advisory and tribunal non-departmental public bodies to consulting companies. As executive, advisory and tribunal non-departmental public bodies have a degree of independence from central government information of this nature will be held more locally and can be attained by approaching the bodies directly.

A full breakdown of the total number and value of contracts awarded to consulting companies covering the last five fiscal years for the Scottish Government only, is provided in the following table.

Following the Grenfell Phase 1 Report recommendations, the Scottish Government made the decision not to implement a requirement for personal emergency evacuation plans and instead produced the Practical Fire Safety Guidance for Existing High Rise Domestic Buildings . Additionally, in February 2020, to assist those with responsibilities for providing personal emergency evacuation plans (PEEPs), the Scottish Government produced the Practical Fire Safety Guidance for Existing Specialised Housing and Similar Premises .

This guidance explains how a person-centred approach can be effective and contains information on the use of PEEPs in appropriate settings. The guidance also provides links to the Practical Fire Safety Guidance for the Evacuation of Disabled Persons from Buildings .

Since 1 April 2019 the (a) average (mean) time between a new woodland creation application being submitted to Scottish Forestry and a decision on the application being communicated to the applicant is 89 days and (b) the median time is 70 days.

Within the Scottish Government funding of Health and Care research falls under the remit of the Chief Scientist Office (CSO).

As part of the Scottish Government response to the pandemic, in October 2020 CSO launched a funding call seeking applications which aimed to investigate the longer-term effects of COVID-19. Following an independent expert review process, 9 projects were funded with a total funding commitment of £2.5 million. The funding outcome was announced in December 2020.

https://www.cso.scot.nhs.uk/funded-research/long-covid-call/

The timetable for completion of the 9 projects funded through the longer-term effects of COVID-19 funding call is provided below.

CSO funded research project start dates are confirmed through submission by the corresponding host institution of a completed start certificate ( Form7-Start-Certificate.docx (live.com) )

Project final reports are the result of a collaborative effort between the individual project teams and members of the CSO Public Engagement Group who work together to ensure the reports are written in accessible language. There is therefore an inevitable short delay between the project end date and the publication of the final report on the CSO website.

COV/LTE/20/04

Amplifying the voices of people with lived experience to improve understanding, support, treatment and education

Professor Kate Hunt University of Stirling

Project Start Certificate 01-03-23

9 month no-cost extension authorised by CSO 23-02-23

Revised End Date 30-11-23

COV/LTE/20/06

Defining and understanding the longer-term effects of COVID-19: A mixed methods study exploring the frequency, nature, and impact of ‘long COVID’ in the Scottish population

Professor Jill Pell University of Glasgow

Project Start Certificate 01-02-21

End Date 31-01-23

Project Completed

Final report published on CSO website

https://www.cso.scot.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/COVLTE2006.pdf

COV/LTE/20/08

COVID-19: Tracking Persistent Symptoms in Scotland (TraPSS)

Professor Nicolas Sculthorpe University of the West of Scotland

Project Start Certificate 01-04-21

3 month no-cost extension authorised by CSO 19-01-23

Revised End Date 31-06-23

Project Completed

Final report in draft

COV/LTE/20/10

Prevention and early treatment of COVID-19 long-term effects: a randomised clinical trial of resistance exercise

Professor Colin Berry University of Glasgow

Project Start Certificate 01-02-21

8 month no-cost extension authorised by CSO 03-04-23

Revised End Date 30-09-23

COV/LTE/20/15

Developing and validating a risk prediction model for long COVID-19

Professor Aziz Sheikh University of Edinburgh

Project Start Certificate 01-03-21

6 month no-cost extension authorised by CSO 09-09-22

Revised End Date 31-08-23

COV/LTE/20/26

Clinical phenotyping to enable targeted treatment of persistent cognitive symptoms after COVID-19

Professor Alan Carson University of Edinburgh

Project Start Certificate 01-04-21

CSO currently in discussion with Lead Investigator on no-cost extension

COV/LTE/20/28

Longer term impact of COVID-19 infection people with diabetes

Professor Robert Lindsay University of Glasgow

Project Start Certificate 01-02-21

12 month no-cost extension authorised by CSO 11-10-22

Revised End Date 31-04-24

COV/LTE/20/29

Evaluating emerging models of community rehabilitation for people experiencing the effects of long-COVID to inform responsive service delivery across Scotland

Professor Kay Cooper Robert Gordon University

Professor Edward Duncan University of Stirling

Project Start Certificate 01/05/21

6 month no-cost extension authorised by CSO 10/03/23

Revised End Date 31/10/23

COV/LTE/20/32

Lived experience of long term COVID-19 on NHS workers in health care settings in Scotland: a longitudinal mixed methods study

Dr Nicola Torrance Robert Gordon University

Dr Aileen Grant Robert Gordon University

Project Start Certificate 01-05-21

2 month no-cost extension authorised by CSO 11-11-22

Project Completed

Final report published on CSO website

https://www.cso.scot.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/COVLTE2032report.pdf

CSO’s standard funding committees also welcome applications on the longer-term effects of COVID-19 infection. To date 2 such proposals have been recommended for funding by the CSO’s Health Improvement, Protection and Services Committee Health Improvement, Protection and Services Research Committee – Chief Scientist Office (scot.nhs.uk)

HIPS/22/33

Caring for Long COVID in Primary Care: Using Patient and Professional Experience to Build Co-Designed Solutions. A Participatory, Mixed Methods Study

Professor Catherine O’Donnell University of Glasgow

Project Start Certificate 01-04-23

Project end date 30-06-24

HIPS/23/08

Long COVID And Frontline Public Service Occupations: Impacts On Employees And Organisations

Dr Alice Maclean University of Stirling

Funding letter issued 06-07-23

Projected project end date 30-04-25

The long COVID National Strategic Network managed by NHS National Services Scotland has developed a draft education strategy following consultation with people living with long COVID and those responsible for planning and delivering healthcare services. This is due to be considered during forthcoming meetings of the Network’s Steering Group and Strategic Oversight Board in Autumn 2023 for consideration and sign off.

Aligned with the draft strategy, the Strategic Network is actively implementing a range of activity to support the information and learning needs of healthcare professionals working to support people living with long COVID. For example;

• The Network is working with Public Health Scotland to disseminate regular bulletins providing a summary of recent relevant research and evidence on long COVID.

• The Network has implemented a programme of Peer Network sessions, providing education on topics suggested by members and the opportunity to seek support from peers and share good practice. Three sessions have been facilitated to date, including focus on chronic pain management and dysfunctional breathing.

• The Network has facilitated two information sharing sessions with researchers leading Chief Scientist Office (CSO) funded research on long COVID, to enable them to engage with NHS colleagues across Scotland who are developing and delivering support and services for people with long COVID.

• The Network has facilitated practice sharing events with those delivering support for people living with long COVID elsewhere in the UK. This has included a presentation and Q&A session from Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust’s Long COVID Community Rehabilitation Service team.

The Strategic Network continues to engage with a range of clinical stakeholders and stakeholder organisations to raise awareness of the Network and its outputs, including NHS Education for Scotland, and the Royal College of General Practitioners.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-20206 on 14 August 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 .