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The National Suicide Prevention Leadership Group (NSPLG) has made very strong progress in delivering the suicide prevention action plan, Every Life Matters . NSPLG’s final annual report published in October 2022 and can be found here . Delivery has been maintained since October, including focussed work on improving responses for people in suicidal crisis, using the principles of Time, Space and Compassion.

The delivery of Every Life Matters has created an excellent platform to drive forward Creating Hope Together - our ambitious new strategy and action plan , which the Scottish Government published with COSLA in September 2022. The evidence and support for Every Life Matters actions means we are continuing to deliver on those actions as part of our ongoing work.

The Scottish Government and COSLA published our suicide prevention delivery priorities for 2023-24 on 28 June 2023. These were shaped through stakeholder discussions and a range of evidence, including views from people with lived experience of suicide.

a) Into Headship

The Scottish Government provided grant funding to Higher Education Institutions to deliver the Into Headship programme, as set out in the following table. This funding was not allocated to local authorities, therefore we do not hold a breakdown by local authority.

The Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) is part of the Scottish Courts and Tribunal Service (SCTS). SCTS is an independent body corporate and does not answer directly to the Scottish Government (SG). Instead, it is directly answerable to its board, chaired by the Lord President.

OPG advise that they continue to fund a dedicated taskforce to reduce the time taken to process PoA applications. They have commenced a programme to develop a new case management system, which will provide greater online capability and greater effectiveness in PoA registrations.

Woodland expansion alongside protecting and restoring peatlands are critical elements of our plans to address climate change and help achieve net zero. Public funding of woodland creation requires high standards of forest practice in line with the UK Forestry Standard: the UK framework to deliver sustainable forest management. The Standard provides requirements and guidelines on planting and managing woodlands in ways that maximise carbon removals and minimise emissions. Planting on deeper peats (over 50 cm depth) is prohibited in Scotland.

Further guidance on ground preparation for woodland creation was strengthened in 2021 to require the use of less disruptive techniques on peaty soils, helping protect these important carbon sinks. Ploughing in preparation of tree planting on peaty soils is limited to less than 10 cm depth to protect peatlands as they are important carbon sinks.

The Scottish Government is not providing specific ring-fenced funding for breakfasts in schools in this financial year. However, a number of local authorities have used Scottish Government funding flexibly to support breakfast provision in their local area in partnership with public, private and third sector providers.

The Scottish Government remains committed to its aim of providing an integrated community hearing service, as highlighted in the 2021 Manifesto. As set out in the 2022-23 Emergency Budget Review, ongoing impacts of the cost crisis - as well as the need to consider outcomes from the National Audiology Review - have necessitated re-phasing of this commitment.

The Scottish Government remains committed to the provision of ear wax removal within community NHS services. The new GP contract, introduced in 2018, committed Health Boards to set up Community Treatment and Care (CTAC) services to provide ear wax removal in the community.

We are aware that gaps in delivery remain in certain areas, and are working closely with Health Boards, to collect and review the data on the workforce and financial resources required to fully deliver these services needs in order to inform consideration of the potential for additional investment in 2023-24.

The national standards for the delivery of adult tier 2 and tier 3 weight management services require that weight management services should be provided to those above 18 years of age. There should be no upper age limit for people accessing these services.

In the interest of patient safety and the clinical effectiveness of the intervention, age limits may be set for more intensive interventions, based on published evidence.

In relation to more intensive weight management interventions, such as the type 2 diabetes remission programme of total diet replacement, the criteria set by the national clinical advisory group in relation to age is men and women aged 18–65 years. This was done in keeping with the protocol from the DiRECT clinical trial. The standards set out that exceptions may be made where appropriate.

The standards reference bariatric surgery because of the essential role of tier 3 weight management services in the preparation and progression for such surgery. However, as bariatric surgery is a tier 4 service, it is not within the scope of the standards. For bariatric surgery as a weight loss intervention, an upper age limit of 44 years is set for priority groups within the National Performance Forum Obesity Treatment: Best Practice Guide.

In all instances, NHS boards have responsibility for service delivery and patient treatment and make decisions to offer services based on clinical judgement and local needs.

Since the introduction of the Forestry Grant Scheme in 2016, 7 woodland creation projects with a value of £1.9M have been agreed directly with Gresham House.

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

This information is not held centrally by the Scottish Prison Service.