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The results of the 2021 Scottish Health Survey have been pre-announced for publication on 8 November 2022.

The Scottish Government does not hold data on the inspection of flood defences. Local authorities, or other relevant asset owners, are responsible for the maintenance and inspection of flood defences.

As set out in the Women’s Health Plan, we are developing a menopause/menstrual health policy for NHS Scotland, which can then be promoted across the public, private and third sectors.

Work is underway, with the University of Glasgow to establish an evidence base for the new policy through a survey which will ask staff about their experiences of menstrual health and menopause at work. A series of focus groups will also take place with NHSScotland staff in early 2023.

The findings will be used to develop the policy in partnership with NHSScotland employers, trade unions and an expert working group.'

All NHS Scotland Boards are providing assessment and support for people with long COVID, delivered across the full range of services provided by our NHS.

In 2022-23, funding of £18 billion is provided for the health portfolio. This substantial investment is already benefitting a range of services that are supporting the needs of people living with long COVID.

In addition, we have established a £10 million ‘Long COVID Support Fund’ and are investing an initial £3 million from the fund over this financial year to enable NHS Boards to continue to develop and deliver the best models of care for their local populations.

For 2022-23, the funding allocations to thirteen of the fourteen territorial Health Boards (NHS Orkney did not request funding), I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-09934 on 23 August 2022. 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 announced on 4 October that the Scottish Government would be devolving powers to NHS Boards to utilise local flexibilities within NHS Pension arrangements, and offer ‘pension recycling’. This means NHS Boards will have the ability to assist staff affected by annual and lifetime allowance pension taxation issues. This action is intended to support the retention of staff and support service delivery as we approach winter.

Wider issues relating to pensions are a reserved matter and the power to fully resolve deficiencies with the current system are a matter for the UK Government.

The Scottish Government is not aware of any practice by pharmacy chains offering work to Scottish locum pharmacists in other parts of the UK while agreeing to closures across the Scottish pharmacy network.

Neither the Scottish Government or Health Boards are responsible for the terms or contractual arrangements put in place between pharmacy businesses and those who provide a pharmacy locum service.

The Scottish Government is aware of the impact that the UK Government’s pension annual and life time allowances policy is having on the GP workforce in Scotland. There is limited action we can take to mitigate the impact as issues relating to pensions are a reserved matter. We have written to the UK Government on a number occasions to urge them to take action, and we have highlighted our concerns about the risks to delivering in-hours general practice as well as out of hours services.

I can confirm that today Serco Caledonian Sleepers Limited has been advised that its proposal to rebase the Franchise Agreement with Scottish Ministers for the provision of Caledonian Sleeper rail services has been rejected on the grounds of not representing value for money to the public.

Additionally, I can confirm that a notice was served today which confirms that the Scottish Ministers will terminate the Franchise Agreement with Serco Caledonian Sleepers Limited on 25 June 2023.

Work is underway to determine arrangements for the continued provision of Caledonian Sleeper rail services beyond 25 June 2023 and this will be updated to Parliament once determined.

It is worth noting that Serco Caledonian Sleepers Limited has, broadly, delivered well and significantly improved Caledonian Sleeper services over the last 7 years.

As set out in the joint Bidding Prospectus, all green port bidders were required to ensure that their proposal embedded the second National Transport Strategy vision, priorities and outcomes for the transport system with in it as well as ensuring alignment with regional and local transport strategies.

Following selection there will of course be intensive discussions with each of the successful designations on all aspects of their proposals.

Over the past decade the Scottish Government has invested more than £55 million in electric vehicle charging. ChargePlace Scotland (CPS), a publicly available network of chargers, now consists of over 2,300 charge points across Scotland.

Responsibility for repairing charge points rests with the host or owner, which may be a local authority, other public body, third sector, or business. The CPS back office, which is a contracted service, advises hosts of faults as they arise.

Most faults on the network are short-lived and in the majority of cases require no physical intervention. Overall reliability across the CPS network is typically very good: on average 95% - 97% of charge points are operational each day.

The Scottish Government does not hold information on all public charge points in Scotland, only those on CPS.

(a) Information on the location of faults on the CPS network is not held by Scottish Ministers. Transport Scotland works with the CPS back office to enhance data provision and information, and I will ensure that members are kept updated on those improvements.

(b) Information on the costs of repairing broken or out of service charge points is not held by Scottish Ministers. Charge point maintainers provide quotes and issue invoices directly to the owner of the charge point.